Companies · Puzzle #33 · Sunday, November 1
Companies: the board
Eight items, eight categories, one place each. Here is the board with every figure and where it comes from, and the best way to place them. Play today's Companies.
The categories
- Growth: 1 pt per 2.5% sales growth, last year
- Buybacks: 1 pt per doubling over $10M, last year
- Assets: 1.5 pts per doubling over $3B, at year end
- Profit: 1.5 pts per doubling over $150M, last year
- Heritage: 1 pt per 15 years old
- Off-calendar year: 10 pts if its year ends off December
- California HQ: 10 pts if based in California
- Cash on hand: 1.5 pts per doubling over $200M, at year end
The best board
The best board is hidden while some of these items are still in play: they're on a board again within 14 days.
The lineup, figure by figure
Merck
Drugmaker behind Keytruda and Gardasil
Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Salesforce
Cloud software for sales and customer service
Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Take-Two Interactive
Video game publisher behind Grand Theft Auto
Take-Two Interactive's best fit on this board was Off-calendar year, worth 10.0: its fiscal year ends in March. Its weakest was Buybacks, worth 0.0: no buybacks in the year to March 2026.
- Growth
- sales up 18.2% in the year to March 2026 (7.3) Source: TAKE TWO INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE INC 10-K, filed 2026-05-22
- Buybacks
- no buybacks in the year to March 2026 (0.0) Source: TAKE TWO INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE INC 10-K, filed 2026-05-22
- Assets
- $9.4B in assets at the end of March 2026 (2.5) Source: TAKE TWO INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE INC 10-K, filed 2026-05-22
- Profit
- a $298M loss in the year to March 2026 (0.0) Source: TAKE TWO INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE INC 10-K, filed 2026-05-22
- Heritage
- founded in 1993, 33 years ago (2.2) Source: TAKE TWO INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE INC 10-K, filed 2026-05-22
- Off-calendar year
- its fiscal year ends in March (10.0) Source: TAKE TWO INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE INC 10-K, filed 2026-05-22
- California HQ
- headquartered in New York, NY (0.0) Source: TAKE TWO INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE INC 10-K, filed 2026-05-22
- Cash on hand
- $1.5B in cash at the end of March 2026 (4.4) Source: TAKE TWO INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE INC 10-K, filed 2026-05-22
Boeing
Passenger jets and defense aircraft
Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Costco
Membership warehouse clubs
Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Otis
Elevators and escalators
On this board Otis scored best in Heritage (10.0): founded in 1853, 173 years ago. Off-calendar year was its weakest fit (0.0): its fiscal year ends in December.
- Growth
- sales up 1.2% in the year to December 2025 (0.5) Source: Otis Worldwide Corp 10-K, filed 2026-02-05
- Buybacks
- $809M of its own stock bought back in the year to December 2025 (6.3) Source: Otis Worldwide Corp 10-K, filed 2026-02-05
- Assets
- $10.7B in assets at the end of December 2025 (2.7) Source: Otis Worldwide Corp 10-K, filed 2026-02-05
- Profit
- $1.4B profit in the year to December 2025 (4.8) Source: Otis Worldwide Corp 10-K, filed 2026-02-05
- Heritage
- founded in 1853, 173 years ago (10.0) Source: Otis Worldwide Corp 10-K, filed 2026-02-05
- Off-calendar year
- its fiscal year ends in December (0.0) Source: Otis Worldwide Corp 10-K, filed 2026-02-05
- California HQ
- headquartered in Farmington, CT (0.0) Source: Otis Worldwide Corp 10-K, filed 2026-02-05
- Cash on hand
- $1.1B in cash at the end of December 2025 (3.7) Source: Otis Worldwide Corp 10-K, filed 2026-02-05
ServiceNow
Workflow software for IT and business teams
On this board ServiceNow scored best in California HQ (10.0): headquartered in Santa Clara, CA. Off-calendar year was its weakest fit (0.0): its fiscal year ends in December.
- Growth
- sales up 20.9% in the year to December 2025 (8.4) Source: ServiceNow, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-01-29
- Buybacks
- $1.8B of its own stock bought back in the year to December 2025 (7.5) Source: ServiceNow, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-01-29
- Assets
- $26.0B in assets at the end of December 2025 (4.7) Source: ServiceNow, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-01-29
- Profit
- $1.7B profit in the year to December 2025 (5.3) Source: ServiceNow, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-01-29
- Heritage
- founded in 2004, 22 years ago (1.5) Source: ServiceNow, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-01-29
- Off-calendar year
- its fiscal year ends in December (0.0) Source: ServiceNow, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-01-29
- California HQ
- headquartered in Santa Clara, CA (10.0) Source: ServiceNow, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-01-29
- Cash on hand
- $3.7B in cash at the end of December 2025 (6.3) Source: ServiceNow, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-01-29
Hims & Hers
Online telehealth and prescriptions
Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.