What are the top 10 most profitable companies
9/25/2025 09:42pm
**Key takeaway:** As of 25 Sep 2025, the ten most profitable publicly-traded U.S. companies—measured by trailing-twelve-month (TTM) net income—are dominated by Big Tech, with Alphabet (both share classes) sitting on top at roughly **$116 billion**. Together, these ten firms generated more than **$780 billion** in profit over the past year, underscoring why they command trillion-dollar market caps and, in several cases, outsized weights in major equity indices. 🚀💰
| Rank | Ticker | Company | Net Income (TTM) | Market Cap |
|------|--------|---------|------------------|------------|
| 1 | GOOGL | Alphabet Inc. (Class A) | $115.6 bn | $2.91 tn |
| 2 | GOOG | Alphabet Inc. (Class C) | $115.6 bn | $2.93 tn |
| 3 | MSFT | Microsoft Corp. | $101.8 bn | $3.78 tn |
| 4 | AAPL | Apple Inc. | $99.3 bn | $3.74 tn |
| 5 | NVDA | Nvidia Corp. | $86.6 bn | $4.24 tn |
| 6 | META | Meta Platforms | $71.5 bn | $1.87 tn |
| 7 | AMZN | Amazon.com Inc. | $70.6 bn | $2.33 tn |
| 8 | BRK.B | Berkshire Hathaway (Class B) | $63.4 bn | $1.07 tn |
| 9 | BRK.A | Berkshire Hathaway (Class A) | $63.4 bn | $1.07 tn |
| 10 | JPM | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $56.5 bn | $0.86 tn |
*Net income and market cap figures are rounded; data source: Ainvest FinScreener, 25 Sep 2025*
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### Why these names dominate
1. **Massive scale + wide moats** – Alphabet, Microsoft, Apple, and Amazon leverage network effects and platform ecosystems that translate incremental revenue into disproportionately large profits.
2. **AI acceleration** – Nvidia’s record margins stem from near-monopoly economics in high-end AI accelerators, a trend that could extend as long as demand outstrips supply.
3. **Advertising recovery** – Meta’s cost-discipline and improved ad-targeting algorithms have driven profit growth back above pre-2022 levels.
4. **Conglomerate optionality** – Berkshire’s insurance “float,” energy assets, and Apple stake collectively mint north of $60 bn in earnings even before unrealised investment gains.
5. **Financial-sector scale** – JPMorgan remains the most profitable bank globally thanks to its fortress balance sheet, unrivaled payments network, and accretive First Republic acquisition.
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### What to watch next 📌
• **Regulatory headwinds:** Ongoing antitrust scrutiny for Alphabet and Apple could curb long-term margin expansion.
• **Cap-ex cycles:** Microsoft and Amazon’s cloud divisions are ramping AI-related cap-ex; profitability hinges on monetising that spend.
• **Geopolitical risk:** Nvidia’s China export restrictions and Apple’s supply-chain concentration are key variables for forward earnings.
• **Interest-rate path:** Higher-for-longer rates could aid JPM’s net-interest income but pressure mega-cap tech valuations.
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🤔 **Quick gut-check:** When you target these giants, are you mainly hunting for short-term breakouts or willing to ride multi-year secular trends? Your answer will help me tailor screeners or hedge ideas that match your style!