Puzzle #1 · Wednesday, September 30

Eight companies.
Where does each one fit?

Put each company in the category where it scores best, from its latest annual report: one to a category, in the lineup's order, so plan for the ones still to come. The better the fit, the bigger the trick, and five judges score each wave out of 10, for up to 80.0 in all.

LucidLuxury electric cars, like the Lucid Air
Procter & GambleTide, Pampers, Gillette and other household brands
AMDRyzen and Radeon processors
AT&TWireless carrier and fiber internet
IDEXXTests and lab equipment for veterinarians
CVS HealthPharmacies, Aetna insurance and Caremark
PrudentialLife insurance and retirement plans
D.R. HortonHomebuilder

Sales1.5 pts per doubling over $1.5B, last year
Growth1 pt per 2.5% sales growth, last year
Profit1.5 pts per doubling over $150M, last year
Heritage1 pt per 15 years old
Profit margin1 pt per 3% margin, last year
Workforce1.5 pts per doubling over 2,500 staff, at year end
On the Nasdaq10 pts if listed on the NasdaqYes or no
Inventory1.5 pts per doubling over $100M, at year end

Numbers come from each company’s latest 10-K filed with the SEC. No clock: take your time. One scored game per device per day; replays are practice.

How to play

Eight companies and eight categories a day, the same for everyone. A new board rolls in at midnight Pacific.
You see the whole lineup from the start, and place the companies in its order. Put each in an open category: it scores 0 to 10 there, from its latest annual report. Each category takes one company, so plan for the ones still to come.
Every match is a wave, and the sets build through the heat, from 5 ft for the firstcompany to 30 ft for the last. The better the fit, the bigger the trick: a 0 is a wipeout, a 10 big air.
Five judges hold up cards for every wave, the match's score out of 10, and the high and the low are dropped. Your score is your eight waves added up, up to 80.0, set against the best board the day's companies allow. Every day has a near-perfect one: 77.6 or better.
Your first game on a device counts. Replays are practice.

The trick each score earns
Score	Trick
10.0	Backflip or Air 360
8.5-9.9	Indy grab
6.5-8.4	Frontside air
4.5-6.4	Lip snap
2.5-4.4	Carve
0.1-2.4	Wipeout
0.0	Big wipeout

The categories, and how each one scores. “Last year” is a company’s latest fiscal year, and “at year end” that year’s last day. The money categories count doublings: each one adds the points on the tile, so going from $2B to $4B in sales counts as much as going from $50B to $100B.

Sales: Sales in its latest fiscal year: 1.5 points for every doubling over $1.5B, so $6B scores 3, $24B 6, $96B 9, and about $152B or more 10. Under $1.5B scores 0.
Profit: Net profit in its latest fiscal year: 1.5 points for every doubling over $150M, so $600M scores 3, $2.4B 6, $9.6B 9, and about $15.2B or more 10. Under $150M, or a loss, scores 0.
Profit margin: Last year's profit as a share of last year's sales: 1 point for every 3%, so a 15% margin scores 5, and 30% or more 10. None, or a loss, scores 0.
Growth: How much its sales grew last year, on the year before: 1 point for every 2.5%, so 10% growth scores 4, and 25% or more 10. Flat, or a drop, scores 0.
Workforce: Employees on the last day of its latest fiscal year: 1.5 points for every doubling over 2,500 staff, so 10,000 scores 3, 40,000 6, 160,000 9, and about 254,000 or more 10. Under 2,500 scores 0.
Sales per employee: Last year's sales for each employee it had at year end: 2 points for every doubling over $60K a head, so $120K scores 2, $240K 4, $480K 6, $960K 8, and $1.92M or more 10. Under $60K scores 0.
Cash on hand: Cash and cash equivalents on the last day of its latest fiscal year (a bank's cash at the Fed counts): 1.5 points for every doubling over $200M, so $800M scores 3, $3.2B 6, $12.8B 9, and about $20.3B or more 10. Under $200M scores 0.
Assets: Everything it owned on the last day of its latest fiscal year: 1.5 points for every doubling over $3B, so $12B scores 3, $48B 6, $192B 9, and about $305B or more 10. Under $3B scores 0.
Inventory: Goods on hand on the last day of its latest fiscal year: 1.5 points for every doubling over $100M, so $400M scores 3, $1.6B 6, $6.4B 9, and about $10.2B or more 10. Under $100M, or none, scores 0.
Dividends: Cash paid out in dividends in its latest fiscal year: 1 point for every doubling over $5M, so $20M scores 2, $80M 4, $320M 6, $1.28B 8, and $5.12B or more 10. Under $5M, or none, scores 0.
Buybacks: Cash spent buying back its own stock in its latest fiscal year: 1 point for every doubling over $10M, so $40M scores 2, $160M 4, $640M 6, $2.56B 8, and about $10.2B or more 10. Under $10M, or none, scores 0.
Heritage: Years since the business was founded: 1 point for every 15, so a 75-year-old company scores 5, and 150 years or more 10.
California HQ: Headquartered in California: 10 points, and anywhere else 0.
On the Nasdaq: Its shares trade on the Nasdaq: 10 points, and on the NYSE 0.
Off-calendar year: Its fiscal year ends in a month other than December (many retailers close theirs in January): 10 points, and in December 0.

Ride the curve. When you finish, you'll see how your heat stacks up against everyone who played today.

Calm motion

Rides play without flips, spins, or tumbling, waves rise in place instead of rolling in, and the sea stays still.

No sign-up. We store only an anonymous, hashed device ID with your scores. Company figures come from each company's latest 10-K filed with the SEC; founding years from the filings and Wikidata. A game, not investment advice. More in About.