Hot Tech Growth Scoreboard: 2008

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Special Report

Gilead Sciences, a California biotech, is No. 1. Also in the top 10: Google, AT&T, and Apple

This has been a challenging year for all companies. Which tech players have come through with flying colors? To find out, BusinessWeek.com crunched the numbers across a range of important metrics. We looked at the companies with the strongest sales growth, profit gains, share performance, and return on equity, a measure of the company's ability to generate profit on behalf of its shareholders.

This year, biotech Gilead Sciences is the surprising top performer. Based in Foster City, Calif., Gilead develops treatments for life-threatening infectious diseases, including HIV. Also in the top 10 are three companies—Google (GOOG), AT&T (T) , and Apple (AAPL) —that have been top finishers for three years running. Still, it's been a rough year for even the best companies: The average stock market return for the top 10 companies over the past year was -22%.

Data supplied by S&P Compustat.

Click column heading once to reorder from highest to lowest. Click twice to reorder from lowest to highest.
Rank
10/15/08
Name
Market Value
($M)
1-Year
Total Return
(%)
12-Month
Sales ($M)
Change in
Sales (%)
12-Month
Profits ($M)
Change in
Profits (%)
Return on
Equity (%)
Stock Price
10/15/08
($)
12-Month High
($/share)
12-Month Low
($/share)
Industry
Description
1 GILEAD SCIENCES  35,317.9 -8.9 4,689.8 261,738.9  46.1 38.28 57.63 35.60 Biotechnology
2 WESTERN DIGITAL  3,296.3 -41.7 8,074.0 48867.0 54.0 32.2 14.65 40.00 13.42 Computers & Peripherals
3 APPLE  86,758.9 -41.3 30,801.0 364,602.0 47.0 23.5 97.95 202.96 85.00 Computers & Peripherals
4 ORACLE  82,206.3 -27.7 23,232.0 235,757.0 30.0 24.2 15.95 23.62 15.28 Software
5 GOOGLE  106,585.0 -45.3 19,611.3 464,830.9 31.0 18.6 339.17 747.24 310.30 Internet Software & Services
6 MICROSOFT  207,362.0 -23.4 60,420.0 1817,681.0 26.0 48.7 22.66 37.50 20.65 Software
7 AT&T  145,086.0 -38.7 122,091.0 3613,432.0 36.0 12.0 24.62 42.79 20.90 Diversified Telecommunication Services
8 FLIR SYSTEMS  3,956.7 -2.7 931.6 40164.1 34.0 21.5 28.45 45.49 23.68 Electronic Equipment & Instruments
9 ACCENTURE  18,720.3 -22.8 25,313.8 181,691.8 36.0 66.6 31.16 43.04 24.76 IT Services
10 MANTECH INTERNATIONAL  1,709.4 31.8 1,695.2 3980.7 40.0 13.1 48.66 62.06 34.87 IT Services
11 QUALCOMM  59,548.4 -10.9 10,114.0 183,413.0 23.0 20.3 36.31 56.88 35.17 Communications Equipment
12 COGNIZANT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS  5,222.4 -55.4 2,487.3 40398.1 38.0 22.7 17.91 42.15 15.47 IT Services
13 HARRIS  4,522.2 -43.7 5,311.0 25444.2 -8.0 19.5 33.85 66.94 29.93 Communications Equipment
14 SAIC  3,268.0 -10.9 9,626.0 15420.0 21.0 23.2 17.11 21.90 16.25 IT Services
15 MULTI-FINELINE ELECTRONIX  252.0 -31.2 682.4 5135.9 1,531.0 12.0 10.10 29.21 9.66 Electronic Equipment & Instruments
16 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES  119,619.0 -24.0 104,307.0 1011,397.0 16.0 40.3 88.29 130.93 83.51 Computers & Peripherals
16 NII HOLDINGS  3,609.5 -68.9 3,891.7 40479.0 40.0 19.4 21.80 70.25 19.65 Wireless Telecommunication Services
18 CORNING  19,276.2 -51.7 6,444.0 205,574.0 193.0 40.7 12.27 28.07 11.20 Communications Equipment
19 DOLBY LABORATORIES  3,196.8 -26.0 606.1 33195.1 57.0 19.3 28.29 53.63 26.28 Electronic Equipment & Instruments
20 AMPHENOL  4,773.7 -31.6 3,128.7 19399.0 30.0 29.4 27.00 52.28 26.50 Electronic Equipment & Instruments
21 GENZYME GENERAL  17,188.4 -14.4 4,268.1 23453.0  6.4 63.98 83.97 60.28 Biotechnology
22 CACI INTERNATIONAL  1,209.3 -20.9 2,420.5 2583.3 6.0 9.1 40.02 55.01 36.98 IT Services
23 COMMSCOPE  1,621.5 -55.5 3,068.6 69127.0 -29.0 8.8 23.12 56.50 21.23 Communications Equipment
24 HEWLETT-PACKARD  94,440.1 -24.1 113,054.0 128,381.0 23.0 21.8 38.61 53.48 35.50 Computers & Peripherals
25 ADOBE SYSTEMS  13,786.5 -43.3 3,575.8 22848.1 24.0 19.4 25.94 48.47 25.63 Software
26 VMWARE  7,747.5 -79.8 1,664.6 71238.2 90.0 13.9 19.97 125.25 18.50 Software
27 NVIDIA  3,907.2 -80.7 4,364.4 25548.5 -5.0 20.6 7.02 39.67 6.28 Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment
28 GENENTECH  86,035.5 5.2 12,681.0 113,127.0 14.0 21.4 81.50 99.14 65.35 Biotechnology
29 METTLER-TOLEDO INTERNATIONAL  2,720.8 -24.1 1,930.0 15194.2 14.0 35.4 79.60 119.84 72.35 Electronic Equipment & Instruments
30 SUPER MICRO COMPUTER  233.6 -27.5 540.5 2925.4 31.0 16.7 7.15 10.92 6.50 Computers & Peripherals
31 SAPIENT  635.8 -27.1 637.9 3032.3 2,477.0 11.8 5.08 9.97 4.63 IT Services
32 BIOGEN IDEC  12,324.2 -48.5 3,618.2 25690.3 18.0 12.5 42.46 81.46 40.39 Biotechnology
33 POLYCOM  1,547.4 -27.2 1,033.8 3174.6 18.0 7.7 18.19 29.70 18.16 Communications Equipment
34 SYBASE  1,895.2 -8.1 1,093.3 16164.2 77.0 21.8 24.01 36.99 23.37 Software
35 SALESFORCE.COM  3,741.3 -43.4 920.4 5033.4 529.0 5.9 30.92 75.21 30.02 Software
36 NETAPP  4,064.2 -57.9 3,482.7 21313.1 13.0 21.8 12.43 32.38 12.38 Computers & Peripherals
37 INTUIT  7,658.5 -25.4 3,071.0 15450.8 2.0 21.7 23.74 33.02 23.35 Software
38 AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING  16,829.7 -29.3 8,776.5 131,161.7 14.0 22.8 32.98 49.81 32.19 IT Services
39 LOGITECH INTERNATIONAL  3,177.0 -39.0 2,449.7 16234.8 4.0 24.5 17.78 37.23 17.22 Computers & Peripherals
40 CISCO SYSTEMS  97,647.0 -49.5 39,540.0 138,052.0 10.0 23.4 16.57 34.24 16.29 Communications Equipment
40 JUNIPER NETWORKS  8,840.7 -55.7 3,246.2 32438.8 56.0 7.3 16.25 37.30 15.27 Communications Equipment
42 EBAY  19,934.4 -60.7 8,686.0 201,943.2 1,086.0 18.2 15.33 40.68 15.00 Internet Software & Services
43 DELL  24,656.8 -55.4 64,146.0 102,845.0 1.0 100.8 12.58 30.77 12.46 Computers & Peripherals
44 AUTODESK  5,209.1 -53.5 2,355.8 18365.7 11.0 29.0 23.20 51.22 23.02 Software
45 METROPCS COMMUNICATIONS  4,562.7 -45.7 2,489.0 2895.9 -10.0 4.9 13.04 23.40 11.12 Wireless Telecommunication Services
46 FACTSET RESEARCH SYSTEMS  1,967.0 -42.1 575.5 21125.0 14.0 26.9 40.98 72.59 38.75 Software
47 NESS TECHNOLOGIES  323.9 -26.0 641.1 2815.2 -45.0 3.7 8.26 13.00 7.45 IT Services
48 MICROS SYSTEMS  1,566.2 -39.4 954.2 21101.3 27.0 15.0 19.36 37.49 13.27 Software
49 COMTECH TELECOMMUNICATIONS  1,063.8 -22.6 531.6 1976.4 17.0 17.3 43.62 57.15 37.59 Communications Equipment
50 OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES  401.4 -68.5 800.8 4258.3 177.0 11.1 7.83 24.86 7.22 Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment
51 SYNNEX  532.8 -22.9 7,643.0 1377.6 33.0 11.6 16.77 27.28 15.37 Electronic Equipment & Instruments
52 EMC  20,229.1 -56.7 14,274.5 181,665.0 26.0 12.9 9.77 25.47 9.35 Computers & Peripherals
53 FOUNDRY NETWORKS  2,251.3 -18.8 638.9 2188.7 69.0 8.5 15.54 21.86 10.74 Communications Equipment
54 NCR  2,758.8 -37.0 5,314.0 14223.0 27.0 14.1 16.71 29.39 14.90 Computers & Peripherals
55 GENPACT  1,657.4 -51.4 938.9 3092.0 151.0 8.7 7.75 16.95 6.95 IT Services
56 TTM TECHNOLOGIES  328.7 -37.8 677.6 2143.9 45.0 12.1 7.68 15.76 7.10 Electronic Equipment & Instruments
57 SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY  4,099.3 -67.9 12,708.0 121,262.0 38.0 27.5 8.45 28.91 8.29 Computers & Peripherals
58 MEMC ELECTRONIC MATERIALS  4,533.7 -68.0 2,041.5 17662.2 28.0 31.7 19.85 96.08 19.02 Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment
59 BMC SOFTWARE  4,662.6 -27.2 1,784.1 11259.6 8.0 26.6 24.54 40.87 23.01 Software
60 AFFILIATED COMPUTER SERVICES  3,955.5 -20.8 6,160.6 7329.0 30.0 14.3 40.67 57.40 39.13 IT Services
61 PEROT SYSTEMS  1,647.3 -15.5 2,746.0 14127.0 63.0 10.0 13.76 18.82 11.10 IT Services
62 ANIXTER INTERNATIONAL  1,505.5 -48.7 6,101.1 12259.9 5.0 23.7 43.00 84.73 41.86 Electronic Equipment & Instruments
63 TRIMBLE NAVIGATION  2,253.0 -54.7 1,341.9 24142.3 26.0 11.8 18.52 43.15 17.06 Electronic Equipment & Instruments
64 XILINX  5,381.2 -21.4 1,922.3 8365.8 5.0 23.5 19.49 28.21 18.29 Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment
65 INTEL  84,543.6 -40.5 40,072.0 77,329.0 18.0 18.8 14.99 27.99 14.26 Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment
66 PAYCHEX  9,763.1 -33.1 2,093.3 8573.8 8.0 45.9 27.06 43.00 26.19 IT Services
67 PLEXUS  593.5 -47.4 1,791.3 1891.7 9.0 19.4 14.87 32.47 13.45 Electronic Equipment & Instruments
68 CITRIX SYSTEMS  3,792.7 -51.1 1,518.3 22192.5 3.0 10.4 20.71 43.90 19.00 Software
69 SRA INTERNATIONAL  995.6 -39.8 1,506.9 1973.3 16.0 10.6 17.50 30.98 16.50 IT Services
70 MCAFEE  4,364.7 -28.2 1,444.9 18153.6 -3.0 8.9 28.24 41.66 26.53 Software
71 ALTERA  5,014.2 -28.9 1,375.8 9342.1 5.0 39.2 16.63 24.19 14.74 Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment
72 ARROW ELECTRONICS  2,240.6 -57.2 16,825.3 16394.4 -4.0 10.4 18.73 44.28 18.58 Electronic Equipment & Instruments
73 SYMANTEC  11,760.9 -31.8 6,124.4 15555.3 39.0 5.0 14.04 22.80 12.87 Software
74 AVNET  2,555.3 -61.0 17,952.7 14499.1 27.0 12.1 16.99 43.90 16.31 Electronic Equipment & Instruments
75 COMPUTER SCIENCES  4,744.9 -46.8 17,098.7 13557.1 -1.0 9.9 31.36 59.10 27.69 IT Services

Note: All data are as of Oct. 15, 2008