Energy and Refining

Search documents
Top 4 Women-Run Companies Delivering Market-Beating Returns
ZACKSยท 2025-10-08 15:35
Corporate Leadership Trends - The shift towards more women in top executive roles is transforming corporate cultures and enhancing business performance across various sectors, including technology and healthcare [2] - Women-led firms are setting new benchmarks for strategic growth and operational excellence, often outperforming their industry peers [2] Case Studies of Women Leaders - Julie Sweet, CEO of Accenture, has driven the firm's focus on cloud, digital, and AI, emphasizing inclusion and transparent communication, which has helped sustain growth [3] - Maria Black, CEO of Automatic Data Processing, leverages her extensive experience to guide the company towards a more insight-driven and human-centric future [3] Women Entrepreneurs and Business Growth - The number of women-owned firms grew 44% faster than male-owned businesses from 2019 to 2024, with 56% of women entrepreneurs reporting higher revenues in 2025 compared to 2024 [4] - Many women entrepreneurs are accessing growth capital, with 20% utilizing debt and 32% equity funding in the past year [4] Funding Challenges for Women Entrepreneurs - Women-led startups receive only about 2% of venture capital funding in the U.S. and Europe, partly due to biases in the investment community [5] Investment Opportunities in Women-Led Companies - Companies like Phillips 66, Progressive Corporation, Macy's, and General Dynamics exemplify strong leadership and strategic vision, making them attractive investment opportunities [7] Phillips 66 Performance - In Q2 2025, Phillips 66 reported a net income of $877 million and adjusted earnings of $973 million, with a return of $906 million to shareholders through dividends and buybacks [10][11] Progressive Corporation Performance - Under Tricia Griffith's leadership, Progressive's net premiums written increased to $20 billion in Q2 2025, up 12% from the previous year, with an EPS of $4.88, reflecting strong operational discipline [14][15] Macy's Performance - Macy's reported net sales of $4.8 billion in Q2 2025, with adjusted EPS of 41 cents, and comparable sales rose 0.8% on an owned basis [18] General Dynamics Performance - General Dynamics posted revenues of $13 billion in Q2 2025, up 8.9% year over year, with a record backlog of $103.7 billion, indicating strong long-term earnings visibility [21][22]