Profitability Statistics 2026: US Stocks
Profitability figures for US-listed companies that file with the SEC, counted from the same numbers shown on each company's overview page. A company is counted only when every figure behind the statistic matched its own filing.
4,688 US-listed companies · By Philip van den Berge
Matched to SEC filings3,394 of 4,688 US filers matched their filing on every figureUpdated October 2, 2026
53.2%
of US-listed companies are profitable
4,421 companies counted, as of October 2, 2026
Including Amazon.com, Inc., Walmart Inc., Apple Inc
On this page
- Key figures
- By sector
- What percentage of US companies are profitable?
- How many US companies generate free cash flow?
- How fast is revenue growing?
- How many US companies have shrinking revenue?
- What return on equity do US banks and insurers earn?
- How these figures are counted
- Cite, download or reuse
- Update log
Key figures
By sector
| Sector | Profitable | Positive FCF | Median rev. growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| All US companies | 53.2% | 57.8% | 3.9% |
| Technology | 46.2% | 63.5% | n/a |
| Healthcare | 24.5% | 31.9% | n/a |
| Financials | 78.8% | 74.7% | 8.8% |
| Consumer Discretionary | 57.5% | 68.5% | 2.5% |
| Consumer Staples | 57.4% | 73.4% | 2.9% |
| Industrials | 59.4% | 67.7% | 4.0% |
| Energy | n/a | 68.9% | n/a |
| Materials | 45.4% | 54.4% | n/a |
| Communication | 47.8% | 62.4% | 1.4% |
| Utilities | 81.7% | 38.5% | 3.6% |
| Real Estate | 62.7% | 71.0% | 3.9% |
Select a sector to see its companies. A figure shows n/a when fewer than 20 of the sector's companies are counted, or when fewer than 90% of those reporting the figure passed the filing check.
What percentage of US companies are profitable?
53.2%of 4,421 US companies counted
Net income includes one-off items such as write-downs and gains on investments, so a single year can flatter or understate a business. Free cash flow below is the harder test.
- Who is counted.
- US-listed companies that file with the SEC and published an annual report in the last 18 months.
- What it counts.
- The Net Income card on each company's overview page: trailing twelve months, or the latest fiscal year when quarterly figures are incomplete.
- Checked against filings.
- 4,421 companies are counted. 243 more report this figure but were left out, because at least one number behind it could not be matched to their SEC filing.
| Rank | Group | Profitable | Companies |
|---|---|---|---|
| All US companies | 53.2% | 2,352 of 4,421 | |
| 1 | Utilities | 81.7% | 89 of 109 |
| 2 | Financials | 78.8% | 517 of 656 |
| 3 | Real Estate | 62.7% | 170 of 271 |
| 4 | Industrials | 59.4% | 413 of 695 |
| 5 | Consumer Discretionary | 57.5% | 363 of 631 |
| 6 | Consumer Staples | 57.4% | 58 of 101 |
| 7 | Communication | 47.8% | 44 of 92 |
| 8 | Technology | 46.2% | 306 of 663 |
| 9 | Materials | 45.4% | 132 of 291 |
| 10 | Healthcare | 24.5% | 195 of 796 |
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<iframe src="https://intrinsiqq.com/statistics/embed/profitability/profitable" title="What percentage of US companies are profitable?" width="100%" height="600" style="border:0" loading="lazy"></iframe>
<p>Source: <a href="https://intrinsiqq.com/statistics/profitability#profitable">Intrinsiqq, Profitability Statistics 2026: US Stocks</a>, checked against SEC filings.</p><iframe src="https://intrinsiqq.com/statistics/embed/profitability/profitable?v=10" title="What percentage of US companies are profitable?" width="100%" height="600" style="border:0" loading="lazy"></iframe>
<p>Source: <a href="https://intrinsiqq.com/statistics/profitability#profitable">Intrinsiqq, Profitability Statistics 2026: US Stocks</a>, figures as of October 2, 2026, checked against SEC filings.</p>The embed carries its own source line and date. The fixed version keeps showing the figures your article quoted, even after we refresh them.
How many US companies generate free cash flow?
57.8%of 3,411 US companies counted
Banks and insurers are left out because their cash flow statements do not measure the same thing.
- Who is counted.
- US companies outside banks and insurers with a free cash flow figure.
- What it counts.
- The FCF card on the overview page: operating cash flow minus capital expenditure.
- Checked against filings.
- 3,411 companies are counted. 173 more report this figure but were left out, because at least one number behind it could not be matched to their SEC filing.
| Rank | Group | Positive FCF | Companies |
|---|---|---|---|
| All US companies | 57.8% | 1,971 of 3,411 | |
| 1 | Financials | 74.7% | 59 of 79 |
| 2 | Consumer Staples | 73.4% | 69 of 94 |
| 3 | Real Estate | 71.0% | 98 of 138 |
| 4 | Energy | 68.9% | 62 of 90 |
| 5 | Consumer Discretionary | 68.5% | 402 of 587 |
| 6 | Industrials | 67.7% | 427 of 631 |
| 7 | Technology | 63.5% | 383 of 603 |
| 8 | Communication | 62.4% | 53 of 85 |
| 9 | Materials | 54.4% | 142 of 261 |
| 10 | Utilities | 38.5% | 40 of 104 |
| 11 | Healthcare | 31.9% | 236 of 739 |
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<iframe src="https://intrinsiqq.com/statistics/embed/profitability/fcfPositive" title="How many US companies generate free cash flow?" width="100%" height="600" style="border:0" loading="lazy"></iframe>
<p>Source: <a href="https://intrinsiqq.com/statistics/profitability#fcfPositive">Intrinsiqq, Profitability Statistics 2026: US Stocks</a>, checked against SEC filings.</p><iframe src="https://intrinsiqq.com/statistics/embed/profitability/fcfPositive?v=10" title="How many US companies generate free cash flow?" width="100%" height="600" style="border:0" loading="lazy"></iframe>
<p>Source: <a href="https://intrinsiqq.com/statistics/profitability#fcfPositive">Intrinsiqq, Profitability Statistics 2026: US Stocks</a>, figures as of October 2, 2026, checked against SEC filings.</p>The embed carries its own source line and date. The fixed version keeps showing the figures your article quoted, even after we refresh them.
How fast is revenue growing?
3.9%median across 3,219 US companies
A median growth rate hides a wide spread. The next section shows how many companies are going backwards.
- Who is counted.
- US companies outside banks and insurers with at least two years of revenue.
- What it counts.
- The Revenue Growth check on the quality scorecard: compound annual growth over up to three fiscal years, extended to the latest twelve months when they differ.
- Checked against filings.
- 3,219 companies are counted. 311 more report this figure but were left out, because at least one number behind it could not be matched to their SEC filing.
- Only current figures.
- 134 more were left out because their figure measures earlier years: their latest annual report has no revenue line, so the window behind it ends at an older report.
| Rank | Group | Median rev. growth | Companies |
|---|---|---|---|
| All US companies | 3.9% | 3,219 | |
| 1 | Financials | 8.8% | 83 |
| 2 | Industrials | 4.0% | 646 |
| 3 | Real Estate | 3.9% | 189 |
| 4 | Utilities | 3.6% | 107 |
| 5 | Consumer Staples | 2.9% | 95 |
| 6 | Consumer Discretionary | 2.5% | 573 |
| 7 | Communication | 1.4% | 84 |
Embed this table
<iframe src="https://intrinsiqq.com/statistics/embed/profitability/revenueCagr" title="How fast is revenue growing?" width="100%" height="600" style="border:0" loading="lazy"></iframe>
<p>Source: <a href="https://intrinsiqq.com/statistics/profitability#revenueCagr">Intrinsiqq, Profitability Statistics 2026: US Stocks</a>, checked against SEC filings.</p><iframe src="https://intrinsiqq.com/statistics/embed/profitability/revenueCagr?v=10" title="How fast is revenue growing?" width="100%" height="600" style="border:0" loading="lazy"></iframe>
<p>Source: <a href="https://intrinsiqq.com/statistics/profitability#revenueCagr">Intrinsiqq, Profitability Statistics 2026: US Stocks</a>, figures as of October 2, 2026, checked against SEC filings.</p>The embed carries its own source line and date. The fixed version keeps showing the figures your article quoted, even after we refresh them.
How many US companies have shrinking revenue?
33.7%of 3,219 US companies counted
Energy and materials companies move with commodity prices, so shrinking revenue there often reflects prices rather than lost business.
- Who is counted.
- US companies outside banks and insurers with at least two years of revenue.
- What it counts.
- A Revenue Growth figure below zero on the quality scorecard.
- Checked against filings.
- 3,219 companies are counted. 311 more report this figure but were left out, because at least one number behind it could not be matched to their SEC filing.
- Only current figures.
- 134 more were left out because their figure measures earlier years: their latest annual report has no revenue line, so the window behind it ends at an older report.
| Rank | Group | Shrinking revenue | Companies |
|---|---|---|---|
| All US companies | 33.7% | 1,084 of 3,219 | |
| 1 | Consumer Discretionary | 39.4% | 226 of 573 |
| 2 | Communication | 39.3% | 33 of 84 |
| 3 | Industrials | 31.7% | 205 of 646 |
| 4 | Consumer Staples | 28.4% | 27 of 95 |
| 5 | Utilities | 25.2% | 27 of 107 |
| 6 | Real Estate | 23.8% | 45 of 189 |
| 7 | Financials | 18.1% | 15 of 83 |
Embed this table
<iframe src="https://intrinsiqq.com/statistics/embed/profitability/revenueShrinking" title="How many US companies have shrinking revenue?" width="100%" height="600" style="border:0" loading="lazy"></iframe>
<p>Source: <a href="https://intrinsiqq.com/statistics/profitability#revenueShrinking">Intrinsiqq, Profitability Statistics 2026: US Stocks</a>, checked against SEC filings.</p><iframe src="https://intrinsiqq.com/statistics/embed/profitability/revenueShrinking?v=10" title="How many US companies have shrinking revenue?" width="100%" height="600" style="border:0" loading="lazy"></iframe>
<p>Source: <a href="https://intrinsiqq.com/statistics/profitability#revenueShrinking">Intrinsiqq, Profitability Statistics 2026: US Stocks</a>, figures as of October 2, 2026, checked against SEC filings.</p>The embed carries its own source line and date. The fixed version keeps showing the figures your article quoted, even after we refresh them.
What return on equity do US banks and insurers earn?
9.8%median across 549 US companies
Banks and insurers are judged on equity rather than margins, because their revenue and costs do not follow the pattern of an operating business. A return on equity above the cost of equity, often put near 10%, is the usual bar.
- Who is counted.
- US banks, insurers and other financial companies with a return on equity figure.
- What it counts.
- The Return on Equity check on the quality scorecard for financial companies: net income divided by shareholders' equity.
- Checked against filings.
- 549 companies are counted. 26 more report this figure but were left out, because at least one number behind it could not be matched to their SEC filing.
| Rank | Group | Median ROE | Companies |
|---|---|---|---|
| All US companies | 9.8% | 549 | |
| 1 | Financials | 9.8% | 549 |
Embed this table
<iframe src="https://intrinsiqq.com/statistics/embed/profitability/roeFinancials" title="What return on equity do US banks and insurers earn?" width="100%" height="600" style="border:0" loading="lazy"></iframe>
<p>Source: <a href="https://intrinsiqq.com/statistics/profitability#roeFinancials">Intrinsiqq, Profitability Statistics 2026: US Stocks</a>, checked against SEC filings.</p><iframe src="https://intrinsiqq.com/statistics/embed/profitability/roeFinancials?v=10" title="What return on equity do US banks and insurers earn?" width="100%" height="600" style="border:0" loading="lazy"></iframe>
<p>Source: <a href="https://intrinsiqq.com/statistics/profitability#roeFinancials">Intrinsiqq, Profitability Statistics 2026: US Stocks</a>, figures as of October 2, 2026, checked against SEC filings.</p>The embed carries its own source line and date. The fixed version keeps showing the figures your article quoted, even after we refresh them.
How these figures are counted
Each figure counts a value that appears on every company's own stock page, computed by the same code that renders that page. Pick any company in a sector and you will find the number that was counted for it.
Before a company is counted, every stored number behind the statistic is matched against the company's own filings on SEC EDGAR: each reported figure must appear in the filing for the same period, and each derived figure (such as free cash flow or net debt) must equal its formula applied to reported figures. A company with any unmatched number is left out of that statistic, and a sector shows n/a when fewer than 90% of its companies with the figure pass, or fewer than 20 are counted.
The population is every US-listed operating company whose figures we read from its SEC filings and that published an annual report in the last 18 months: 4,688 companies as of October 2, 2026. Funds, commodity trusts, preferred share series and warrants are excluded. Formulas for every figure are on the methodology page.
| Companies covered by Intrinsiqq | 11,873 |
|---|---|
| US companies whose figures we read from their SEC filings | 4,945 |
| Of those, with an annual report from the last 18 months | 4,688 |
Sectors follow the industry code (SIC) the SEC assigns to each filer, grouped into eleven sectors. That code decides the sector for nearly every company. A few dozen of the largest use a modern sector classification instead, which is why Alphabet and Meta count under Communication and Visa and Mastercard under Financials. Lenders the SEC gives no code, such as business development companies, are placed in Financials. SIC codes are old and a company keeps the one it registered with, so some sit in a different sector than a modern classification would give them: Netflix, filed under video rental, counts under Consumer Discretionary, and smaller payment companies filed as business services count under Industrials.
The population includes 12 companies listed in the US that report in another currency (renminbi, Canadian dollars, yen and euros). Every figure on this page is a ratio, a median of ratios, a growth rate or a yes/no test, so the currency a company reports in cannot change it. A figure that adds amounts together would count only companies that report in US dollars.
Growth figures count a company only when its growth window ends at its latest annual report. When that report has no revenue line, the window would end at an older report and describe earlier years, so the company is left out and the section says how many were.
- Only US-listed companies that file with the SEC are counted, because their figures can be checked against the filings. International companies are not included.
- Banks and insurers are excluded from margin, ROIC, free cash flow, net debt and revenue growth figures. Their revenue is reported in ways that a filing check cannot validate, so only their return on equity is published.
- Figures describe the companies listed today. Companies that were delisted or went bankrupt are not in the counts.
Cite, download or reuse
These figures, charts and tables are published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence: free to quote, chart and republish with credit to Intrinsiqq and a link to this page. Please include the date. The figures refresh every trading morning and every past version is kept, so a dated citation always points at a number you can check.
Intrinsiqq, “Profitability Statistics 2026: US Stocks”, updated October 2, 2026. https://intrinsiqq.com/statistics/profitability
Intrinsiqq. (2026, October 2). Profitability Statistics 2026: US Stocks [Data set]. https://intrinsiqq.com/statistics/profitability
Intrinsiqq. “Profitability Statistics 2026: US Stocks.” Updated October 2, 2026. https://intrinsiqq.com/statistics/profitability.
<a href="https://intrinsiqq.com/statistics/profitability">Profitability Statistics 2026: US Stocks</a> (Intrinsiqq, updated October 2, 2026)Writing about this? For a comment, a cut we don't publish, or the company-level numbers behind a figure, email hello@intrinsiqq.com. We reply within 2 business days.
Update log
- October 2, 2026: figures refreshed and re-checked against SEC filings
- October 1, 2026: figures refreshed and re-checked against SEC filings
- September 14, 2026: figures refreshed and re-checked against SEC filings
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