Most of us are used to hearing the familiar names of large, publicly traded U.S. based companies in the news. Mega-corporations like Bank of America, McDonald's, GE, and Microsoft have become household names that we've come to know and recognize. But have you ever wondered which large, publicly traded U.S. companies are in our own backyard? A closer look reveals that Phoenix is home to a number of large, recognizable corporations whose businesses are an integral part of the nation's economy, and whose services span the globe.
Here's a look at a few of the larger companies that are based right here in Phoenix, and traded on the NYSE or NASDAQ (all figures shown are as of March 10, 2010 market close):
Apollo Group (APOL): Price $63.36; Market Cap 9.28B; Avg. Volume: 3 million shares; % Year to Date: +4.59%; Employees: 44,220
Apollo Group, Inc. (Apollo Group) is a private education provider. The Company offers educational programs and services both online and on-campus at the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, The University of Phoenix, Inc. (University of Phoenix), Western International University, Inc. (Western International University), Institute for Professional Development (IPD), The College for Financial Planning Institutes Corporation (CFFP), and Meritus University, Inc. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2009 (fiscal 2009), Apollo Global completed the acquisitions of BPP Holdings plc (BPP) in the United Kingdom, Universidad de Artes, Ciencias y Comunicacion (UNIACC) in Chile, and Universidad Latinoamericana (ULA) in Mexico.
Freeport McMoran (FCX): Price $80.08; Market Cap 34.48B; Avg. Volume: 20.21M; % YTD: -0.26%; Employees: 29,300
Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. (FCX), through its wholly owned subsidiary, Phelps Dodge Corporation (Phelps Dodge) is a copper, gold and molybdenum mining company. Its portfolio of assets includes the Grasberg minerals district in Indonesia, which contains the single recoverable copper reserve and the single gold reserve; mining operations in North and South America, and the Tenke Fungurume minerals district in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). FCX also operates Atlantic Copper, its wholly owned copper smelting and refining unit in Spain. As of December 31, 2009, consolidated recoverable proven and probable reserves totaled 104.2 billion pounds of copper, 37.2 million ounces of gold, 2.59 billion pounds of molybdenum, 270.4 million ounces of silver and 0.78 billion pounds of cobalt. Approximately 33 % of its copper reserves were in Indonesia, approximately 33 % were in South America, approximately 26 % were in North America and approximately eight % were in Africa.
PF Chang's China Bistro (PFCB): Price $43.36; Market Cap 994M; Avg. Volume: 692K, % YTD: +14.38%; Employees: 26,800
P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Inc. (P.F. Chang’s) operates in two segments: P.F. Chang’s China Bistro (Bistro) and Pei Wei Asian Diner (Pei Wei). As of January 3, 2010, the Company owned and operated 197 full service Bistro restaurants. Its restaurants offer flavored culinary creations, prepared from ingredients, including herbs and spices imported directly from China. The menu features traditional Chinese offerings and dishes. Its menu is complemented by a full service bar offering a selection of wines, specialty drinks, Asian beers, sake, cappuccino and espresso. Additionally, there are two Bistro locations located in Hawaii and two Bistro locations located in international markets that are operated by business partners under licensing agreements. As of January 3, 2010, P.F. Chang’s also owned and operated 166 quick casual Pei Wei restaurants that serve pan-Asian cuisine.
PetSmart (PETM): Price $31.10; Market Cap 3.82B; Avg. Volume: 1.19M; % YTD: +16.52%; Employees: 22,000
PetSmart, Inc. (PetSmart) is a specialty provider of products, services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. The Company offers a line of products for all the life stages of pets, and offers various pet services, including professional grooming, training, boarding and day camp. It also offers pet products through an e-commerce site, PetSmart.com, as well operates a pet community site, pets.com. As of February 1, 2009, the Company operated 1,112 retail stores and had full-service veterinary hospitals in 734 of its stores. The Company has an investment in MMI Holdings, Inc. (MMIH), a provider of veterinary and other pet-related services. MMIH, through a wholly owned subsidiary, Medical Management International, Inc., operates full-service veterinary hospitals inside 722 of PetSmart’s stores, under the trade name of Banfield, The Pet Hospital. The remaining 12 hospitals are operated by other third parties in Canada.
US Airways Group (LCC): Price $7.94; Market Cap 1.28B; Avg. Volume: 12.55M; % YTD: +64.05%; Employees: 32,200
US Airways Group, Inc. (US Airways Group) is a holding company whose primary business activity is the operation of a network air carrier through its wholly owned subsidiaries, US Airways, Inc. (US Airways), Piedmont Airlines, Inc. (Piedmont), PSA Airlines, Inc. (PSA), Material Services Company, Inc. (MSC) and Airways Assurance Limited, LLC (AAL). During the year ended December 31, 2009, the Company operated a mainline fleet of 349 aircrafts. During 2009, it removed 11 leased Boeing 757-200 aircraft, six leased Boeing 737-300 aircraft, seven leased Airbus A320 aircraft and six owned Embraer 190 aircraft from its mainline operating fleet. During 2009, US Airways Group sold 10 of its Embraer 190 aircraft to Republic Airways Holdings (Republic). During 2009, the Company took delivery of 18 Airbus A321 aircraft, five Airbus A330-200 aircraft and two Airbus A320 aircraft.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell securities in any way. Personal situations may vary, and some investments may not be suitable for everyone. Investors should assess their own, personal situation carefully and consult with their financial advisor before making any investment decisions.
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