Fortune 500 Daily

Many companies on the Fortune 500 employ hundreds of thousands of people around the world. But there’s one company who made the list with just one-hundred-and-eighty-four employees. A-Mark Precious Metals – coming in at number 4-oh-1 - is a metals wholesaler and trading company based in El Segundo California. Whether it’s gold, silver, platinum or palladium – A-Mark helps clients around the globe buy it, trade it, ship it or store it.

Caesars Entertainment---the corporation that owns and operates casinos and hotels in 14 states and 5 countries -- is no stranger to the 500. But it’s been a few years since it’s found a home on the list. The gaming giant returns at number 365 this year having emerged from bankruptcy. In 20-18, Caesars revenues skyrocketed 73 percent. That jump was thanks in part to previous C-E-O Mark Frissora who helped dig the Nevada-based company out of bankruptcy.

The U.S. government reports that Americans spent three point six-trillion dollars on healthcare in 20-18, with prescription drug spending up three percent year over year. That’s helped push drug-wholesaler, AmerisourceBergen past automakers GM and Ford into the number-10 spot on this year’s Fortune 500. AmerisourceBergen may not be a household name, but the Pennsylvania-based company is a leading behind-the-scenes player in the healthcare industry.

Last year, companies in the U-S spent one-point-five-TRILLION-dollars on mergers and acquisitions. That’s the second-highest amount in recorded history – just short of 20-15’s total of nearly two-trillion. Those big deals can mean big boosts in company revenues. And sometimes – a big jump up the Fortune 500. That’s exactly what happened to D-X-C Technology… a company that shot up more than two-hundred-and-fifty spots – to number one hundred-twenty-two.

In 20-18, America produced more barrels of crude oil a day than either Saudia Arabia or Russia. It’s the first time that’s happened since the end of the Cold War. This made it a particularly good time to be the Houston-based company, Occidental-Petroleum. The oil and gas giant’s revenue jumped by 43 percent last year, landing it at number one hundred sixty seven on the Fortune 500. But not so long ago, the industry was struggling.

Seven companies on the Fortune 500 are over 200 years old. But only one of them has appeared on the list every year since it was first published in 19-55. At two-hundred thirteen-years-old, Colgate-Palmolive lands at number 2-0-2 this year, slipping 18 spots from the year before. For those keeping track, Colgate-Palmolive has a history of bouncing around the Fortune 500. In 19-77, it hit an all-time high of 54 on the list.

If you’ve got tickets this summer to a music festival, sporting event or the theatre – chances are you scored those tickets through Live Nation Entertainment.

When is the last time you pulled out your checkbook? If it were up to PayPal, that answer would be “never.” The San Jose company lets both individuals and businesses transfer money electronically to anyone with an email address - in more than two-hundred markets across the globe.

General Motors is number thirteen on this year’s Fortune 500. That’s its lowest ranking ever. But, while revenue has fallen over the past year, the company’s become an undisputed leader of the auto industry by one metric: gender equity. Wondering what that means? Here are the most visible examples. First, women outnumber men on the GM board. This is a first for the auto industry. Just five companies on the 500 currently have a majority of women directors.

Millions of Americans will be hitting the road this summer for vacation. But that doesn’t necessarily mean rental car companies will be pulling in big profits. As a matter of fact, Hertz Global Holdings - best known for its rental car brands Hertz, Thrifty and Dollar - saw profits drop almost one hundred and seventy percent last year. Company revenues ticked up slightly, landing Hertz at number three hundred thirty one on the Fortune 500. But it continues to lose money, and market share.