Companies · Puzzle #39 · Saturday, November 7
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
- California HQ: 10 pts if based in California
- Sales per employee: 2 pts per doubling over $60K a head, last year
- Profit margin: 1 pt per 3% margin, last year
- Inventory: 1.5 pts per doubling over $100M, at year end
- On the Nasdaq: 10 pts if listed on the Nasdaq
- Dividends: 1 pt per doubling over $5M, last year
- Growth: 1 pt per 2.5% sales growth, last year
- Assets: 1.5 pts per doubling over $3B, at year end
The best board
- Peloton in On the Nasdaq: trades on the Nasdaq (10.0)
- BlackRock in Dividends: $3.3B paid in dividends in the year to December 2025 (9.4)
- D.R. Horton in Inventory: $25.3B of inventory at the end of September 2025 (10.0)
- Gilead in Sales per employee: $1.73M in sales per employee in the year to December 2025 (9.7)
- Cava in Growth: sales up 22.4% in the year to December 2025 (9.0)
- Pinterest in California HQ: headquartered in San Francisco, CA (10.0)
- Intuitive Surgical in Profit margin: a 28.4% profit margin in the year to December 2025 (9.5)
- Prudential in Assets: $773.7B in assets at the end of December 2025 (10.0)
The most this board could score: 77.6 of 80.
The lineup, figure by figure
Peloton
Connected exercise bikes and treadmills
On this board Peloton scored best in On the Nasdaq (10.0): it trades on the Nasdaq. California HQ was its weakest fit (0.0): headquartered in New York, NY. The best board puts it there too.
- California HQ
- headquartered in New York, NY (0.0) Source: PELOTON INTERACTIVE, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-08-06
- Sales per employee
- $1.08M in sales per employee in the year to June 2026 (8.3) Source: PELOTON INTERACTIVE, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-08-06
- Profit margin
- a 2.6% profit margin in the year to June 2026 (0.9) Source: PELOTON INTERACTIVE, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-08-06
- Inventory
- $135M of inventory at the end of June 2026 (0.6) Source: PELOTON INTERACTIVE, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-08-06
- On the Nasdaq
- trades on the Nasdaq (10.0) Source: PELOTON INTERACTIVE, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-08-06
- Dividends
- no dividends in the year to June 2026 (0.0) Source: PELOTON INTERACTIVE, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-08-06
- Growth
- sales down 1.8% in the year to June 2026 (0.0) Source: PELOTON INTERACTIVE, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-08-06
- Assets
- $2.1B in assets at the end of June 2026 (0.0) Source: PELOTON INTERACTIVE, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-08-06
BlackRock
Investment manager behind iShares funds
BlackRock's best fit on this board was Dividends, worth 9.4: $3.3B paid in dividends in the year to December 2025. Its weakest was California HQ, worth 0.0: headquartered in New York, NY. That is where the best board puts it as well.
- California HQ
- headquartered in New York, NY (0.0) Source: BlackRock, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-25
- Sales per employee
- $973K in sales per employee in the year to December 2025 (8.0) Source: BlackRock, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-25
- Profit margin
- a 22.9% profit margin in the year to December 2025 (7.6) Source: BlackRock, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-25
- Inventory
- no inventory at the end of December 2025 (0.0) Source: BlackRock, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-25
- On the Nasdaq
- trades on the NYSE (0.0) Source: BlackRock, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-25
- Dividends
- $3.3B paid in dividends in the year to December 2025 (9.4) Source: BlackRock, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-25
- Growth
- sales up 18.7% in the year to December 2025 (7.5) Source: BlackRock, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-25
- Assets
- $170.0B in assets at the end of December 2025 (8.7) Source: BlackRock, Inc. 10-K, filed 2026-02-25
D.R. Horton
Homebuilder
D.R. Horton's best fit on this board was Inventory, worth 10.0: $25.3B of inventory at the end of September 2025. Its weakest was California HQ, worth 0.0: headquartered in Arlington, TX. That is where the best board puts it as well.
- California HQ
- headquartered in Arlington, TX (0.0) Source: HORTON D R INC /DE/ 10-K, filed 2025-11-19
- Sales per employee
- $2.39M in sales per employee in the year to September 2025 (10.0) Source: HORTON D R INC /DE/ 10-K, filed 2025-11-19
- Profit margin
- a 10.5% profit margin in the year to September 2025 (3.5) Source: HORTON D R INC /DE/ 10-K, filed 2025-11-19
- Inventory
- $25.3B of inventory at the end of September 2025 (10.0) Source: HORTON D R INC /DE/ 10-K, filed 2025-11-19
- On the Nasdaq
- trades on the NYSE (0.0) Source: HORTON D R INC /DE/ 10-K, filed 2025-11-19
- Dividends
- $495M paid in dividends in the year to September 2025 (6.6) Source: HORTON D R INC /DE/ 10-K, filed 2025-11-19
- Growth
- sales down 6.9% in the year to September 2025 (0.0) Source: HORTON D R INC /DE/ 10-K, filed 2025-11-19
- Assets
- $35.5B in assets at the end of September 2025 (5.3) Source: HORTON D R INC /DE/ 10-K, filed 2025-11-19
Gilead
Biotech drugmaker of HIV and hepatitis medicines
Gilead's best fit on this board was California HQ, worth 10.0: headquartered in Foster City, CA. Its weakest was Growth, worth 1.0: sales up 2.4% in the year to December 2025. The best board puts it in Sales per employee instead, for 9.7, and gives California HQ to Pinterest (10.0).
- California HQ
- headquartered in Foster City, CA (10.0) Source: GILEAD SCIENCES, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-02-24
- Sales per employee
- $1.73M in sales per employee in the year to December 2025 (9.7) Source: GILEAD SCIENCES, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-02-24
- Profit margin
- a 28.9% profit margin in the year to December 2025 (9.6) Source: GILEAD SCIENCES, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-02-24
- Inventory
- $1.8B of inventory at the end of December 2025 (6.2) Source: GILEAD SCIENCES, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-02-24
- On the Nasdaq
- trades on the Nasdaq (10.0) Source: GILEAD SCIENCES, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-02-24
- Dividends
- $4.0B paid in dividends in the year to December 2025 (9.6) Source: GILEAD SCIENCES, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-02-24
- Growth
- sales up 2.4% in the year to December 2025 (1.0) Source: GILEAD SCIENCES, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-02-24
- Assets
- $59.0B in assets at the end of December 2025 (6.4) Source: GILEAD SCIENCES, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-02-24
Cava
Mediterranean fast-casual chain
On this board Cava scored best in Growth (9.0): sales up 22.4% in the year to December 2025. California HQ was its weakest fit (0.0): headquartered in Washington, DC. The best board puts it there too.
- California HQ
- headquartered in Washington, DC (0.0) Source: CAVA GROUP, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-02-25
- Sales per employee
- $88K in sales per employee in the year to December 2025 (1.1) Source: CAVA GROUP, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-02-25
- Profit margin
- a 5.4% profit margin in the year to December 2025 (1.8) Source: CAVA GROUP, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-02-25
- Inventory
- $9M of inventory at the end of December 2025 (0.0) Source: CAVA GROUP, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-02-25
- On the Nasdaq
- trades on the NYSE (0.0) Source: CAVA GROUP, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-02-25
- Dividends
- no dividends in the year to December 2025 (0.0) Source: CAVA GROUP, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-02-25
- Growth
- sales up 22.4% in the year to December 2025 (9.0) Source: CAVA GROUP, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-02-25
- Assets
- $1.4B in assets at the end of December 2025 (0.0) Source: CAVA GROUP, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-02-25
Pinterest
App for saving ideas and images on pinboards
Pinterest's best fit on this board was California HQ, worth 10.0: headquartered in San Francisco, CA. Its weakest was Inventory, worth 0.0: no inventory at the end of December 2025. That is where the best board puts it as well.
- California HQ
- headquartered in San Francisco, CA (10.0) Source: PINTEREST, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-02-12
- Sales per employee
- $802K in sales per employee in the year to December 2025 (7.5) Source: PINTEREST, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-02-12
- Profit margin
- a 9.9% profit margin in the year to December 2025 (3.3) Source: PINTEREST, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-02-12
- Inventory
- no inventory at the end of December 2025 (0.0) Source: PINTEREST, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-02-12
- On the Nasdaq
- trades on the NYSE (0.0) Source: PINTEREST, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-02-12
- Dividends
- no dividends in the year to December 2025 (0.0) Source: PINTEREST, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-02-12
- Growth
- sales up 15.8% in the year to December 2025 (6.3) Source: PINTEREST, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-02-12
- Assets
- $5.5B in assets at the end of December 2025 (1.3) Source: PINTEREST, INC. 10-K, filed 2026-02-12
Intuitive Surgical
Da Vinci surgical robots
On this board Intuitive Surgical scored best in California HQ (10.0): headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA. Dividends was its weakest fit (0.0): no dividends in the year to December 2025. The best board puts it in Profit margin instead, for 9.5, and gives California HQ to Pinterest (10.0).
- California HQ
- headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA (10.0) Source: INTUITIVE SURGICAL INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-03
- Sales per employee
- $591K in sales per employee in the year to December 2025 (6.6) Source: INTUITIVE SURGICAL INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-03
- Profit margin
- a 28.4% profit margin in the year to December 2025 (9.5) Source: INTUITIVE SURGICAL INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-03
- Inventory
- $1.8B of inventory at the end of December 2025 (6.3) Source: INTUITIVE SURGICAL INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-03
- On the Nasdaq
- trades on the Nasdaq (10.0) Source: INTUITIVE SURGICAL INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-03
- Dividends
- no dividends in the year to December 2025 (0.0) Source: INTUITIVE SURGICAL INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-03
- Growth
- sales up 20.5% in the year to December 2025 (8.2) Source: INTUITIVE SURGICAL INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-03
- Assets
- $20.5B in assets at the end of December 2025 (4.2) Source: INTUITIVE SURGICAL INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-03
Prudential
Life insurance and retirement plans
Prudential's best fit on this board was Assets, worth 10.0: $773.7B in assets at the end of December 2025. Its weakest was California HQ, worth 0.0: headquartered in Newark, NJ. That is where the best board puts it as well.
- California HQ
- headquartered in Newark, NJ (0.0) Source: PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-12
- Sales per employee
- $1.65M in sales per employee in the year to December 2025 (9.6) Source: PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-12
- Profit margin
- a 5.9% profit margin in the year to December 2025 (2.0) Source: PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-12
- Inventory
- no inventory at the end of December 2025 (0.0) Source: PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-12
- On the Nasdaq
- trades on the NYSE (0.0) Source: PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-12
- Dividends
- $1.9B paid in dividends in the year to December 2025 (8.6) Source: PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-12
- Growth
- sales down 13.7% in the year to December 2025 (0.0) Source: PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-12
- Assets
- $773.7B in assets at the end of December 2025 (10.0) Source: PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL INC 10-K, filed 2026-02-12