A strong track record of growth and a proven strategy will ensure its membership in this exclusive society.Advances in technology over the past two decades have shifted the landscape in terms of the world's most valuable companies. Once upon a time, industrial and energy stalwarts led the way, but those days are long gone.For instance, ExxonMobil and General Electric ruled the roost in 2005, with market caps $375 billion and $362 billion, respectively. Now, just 20 years later, technology leaders top the ch ...

Multiple growth drivers and a clear path forward will secure this tech titan's membership in an exclusive fraternity. The primary growth drivers of the U.S. economy have shifted in recent decades. Twenty years ago, the largest companies in the land hailed from the oil and industrial industries. For example, in 2005, the largest companies in the U.S., measured by market cap, were ExxonMobil and General Electric, worth $392 billion and $375 billion, respectively. Now, two decades later, technology enterprises ...