Dow Jones Industrial Average
Components
Table:
Company

Exchange

Symbol

Industry

Date Added

Notes

3M

NYSE

NYSE: MMM

Conglomerate

1976-08-09

as Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing

American Express

NYSE

NYSE: AXP

Financial services

1982-08-30

Apple Inc.

NASDAQ

AAPL

Information technology

2015-03-19

Boeing

NYSE

NYSE: BA

Aerospace manufacturer and Arms industry

1987-03-12

Caterpillar Inc.

NYSE

NYSE: CAT

Construction and Mining

1991-05-06

Chevron Corporation

NYSE

NYSE: CVX

Petroleum industry

2008-02-19

also 1930-07-18 to 1999-11-01

Cisco Systems

NASDAQ

CSCO

Information technology

2009-06-08

The Coca-Cola Company

NYSE

NYSE: KO

Food industry

1987-03-12

also 1932-05-26 to 1935-11-20

Dow Inc.

NYSE

NYSE: DOW

Chemical industry

2019-04-02

ExxonMobil

NYSE

NYSE: XOM

Petroleum industry

1928-10-01

as Standard Oil of New Jersey

Goldman Sachs

NYSE

NYSE: GS

Financial services

2013-09-20

The Home Depot

NYSE

NYSE: HD

Retailing

1999-11-01

IBM

NYSE

NYSE: IBM

Information technology

1979-06-29

also 1932-05-26 to 1939-03-04

Intel

NASDAQ

INTC

Information technology

1999-11-01

Johnson & Johnson

NYSE

NYSE: JNJ

Pharmaceutical industry

1997-03-17

JPMorgan Chase

NYSE

NYSE: JPM

Financial services

1991-05-06

McDonald's

NYSE

NYSE: MCD

Food industry

1985-10-30

Merck & Co.

NYSE

NYSE: MRK

Pharmaceutical industry

1979-06-29

Microsoft

NASDAQ

MSFT

Information technology

1999-11-01

Nike

NYSE

NYSE: NKE

Apparel

2013-09-20

Based on the given table as well as the supporting text provided at the end.

Respond to the question below: What city is the headquarters of the company added to the Dow Jones Industrial Average after JPMorgan Chase but before The Home Depot ? Provide just your answer in a JSON object {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Base your answer solely on the given information.

The 3M Company , formerly known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company , is an American multinational conglomerate corporation operating in the fields of industry , worker safety , health care , and consumer goods . The company produces over 60,000 products under several world-renowned brands , including adhesives , abrasives , laminates , passive fire protection , personal protective equipment , window films , paint protection films , dental and orthodontic products , electrical & electronic connecting and insulating materials , medical products , car-care products , electronic circuits , healthcare software and optical films . It is based in Maplewood , Minnesota , a suburb of St. Paul . 3M made $ 32.8 billion in total sales in 2018 and ranks number 95 in the Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by total revenue . As of 2018 [ update ] , the company has approximately 93,500 employees , and has operations in more than 70 countries .
The New York Stock Exchange ( NYSE , nicknamed The Big Board ) is an American stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street , Lower Manhattan , New York City , New York . It is by far the world 's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at US $ 30.1 trillion as of February 2018 . The average daily trading value was approximately US $ 169 billion in 2013 . The NYSE trading floor is located at 11 Wall Street and is composed of 21 rooms used for the facilitation of trading . A fifth trading room , located at 30 Broad Street , was closed in February 2007 . The main building and the 11 Wall Street building were designated National Historic Landmarks in 1978 . The NYSE is owned by Intercontinental Exchange , an American holding company that it also lists ( NYSE : ICE ) . Previously , it was part of NYSE Euronext ( NYX ) , which was formed by the NYSE 's 2007 merger with Euronext .
A conglomerate is a multi-industry company - i.e. , a combination of multiple business entities operating in entirely different industries under one corporate group , usually involving a parent company and many subsidiaries . Conglomerates are often large and multinational . Conglomerates were popular in the 1960s due to a combination of low interest rates and a repeating bear-bull market , which allowed the conglomerates to buy companies in leveraged buyouts , sometimes at temporarily deflated values . Famous examples from the 1960s include Ling-Temco-Vought , ITT Corporation , Litton Industries , Textron , Teledyne . Because of low interest on the loans , the overall return on investment of the conglomerate appeared to grow . In addition , the conglomerate had a better ability to borrow in the money market , or capital market , than the smaller firm at their community bank . [ citation needed ] For many years this was enough to make the company 's stock price rise , as companies were often valued largely on their return on investment . The aggressive nature of the conglomerators themselves was enough to make many investors , who saw a powerful and seemingly unstoppable force in business , buy their stock . [ citation needed ] High stock prices allowed them to raise more loans , based on the value of their stock , and thereby buy even more companies . This led to a chain reaction , which allowed them to grow very rapidly . However , all of this growth was somewhat illusory and when interest rates rose to offset inflation , conglomerate profits fell . Investors noticed that the companies inside the conglomerate were growing no faster than before they were purchased , whereas the rationale for buying a company was that synergies would provide efficiency .
The American Express Company , also known as Amex , is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center in New York City . The company was founded in 1850 and is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average . The company is best known for its charge card , credit card , and traveler 's cheque businesses . In 2016 , credit cards using the American Express network accounted for 22.9% of the total dollar volume of credit card transactions in the United States . As of December 31 , 2019 [ update ] , the company had 114.4 million cards in force , including 54.7 million cards in force in the United States , each with an average annual spending of $ 19,972 . In 2017 , Forbes named American Express as the 23rd most valuable brand in the world ( and the highest within financial services ) , estimating the brand to be worth US $ 24.5 billion . In 2018 , Fortune ranked American Express as the 14th most admired company worldwide , and the 23rd best company to work for . The company 's logo , adopted in 1958 , is a gladiator or centurion whose image appears on the company 's traveler 's cheques , charge cards and credit cards .
Financial services are the economic services provided by the finance industry , which encompasses a broad range of businesses that manage money , including credit unions , banks , credit-card companies , insurance companies , accountancy companies , consumer-finance companies , stock brokerages , investment funds , individual managers and some government-sponsored enterprises . Financial services companies are present in all economically developed geographic locations and tend to cluster in local , national , regional and international financial centers such as London , New York City , and Tokyo .
Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino , California , that designs , develops , and sells consumer electronics , computer software , and online services . The company 's hardware products include the iPhone smartphone , the iPad tablet computer , the Mac personal computer , the iPod portable media player , the Apple Watch smartwatch , the Apple TV digital media player , the AirPods wireless earbuds and the HomePod smart speaker . Apple 's software includes the macOS , iOS , iPadOS , watchOS , and tvOS operating systems , the iTunes media player , the Safari web browser , the Shazam acoustic fingerprint utility , and the iLife and iWork creativity and productivity suites , as well as professional applications like Final Cut Pro , Logic Pro , and Xcode . Its online services include the iTunes Store , the iOS App Store , Mac App Store , Apple Music , Apple TV+ , iMessage , and iCloud . Other services include Apple Store , Genius Bar , AppleCare , Apple Pay , Apple Pay Cash , and Apple Card . Apple was founded by Steve Jobs , Steve Wozniak , and Ronald Wayne in April 1976 to develop and sell Wozniak 's Apple I personal computer , though Wayne sold his share back within 12 days . It was incorporated as Apple Computer , Inc. , in January 1977 , and sales of its computers , including the Apple II , grew quickly . Within a few years , Jobs and Wozniak had hired a staff of computer designers and had a production line . Apple went public in 1980 to instant financial success . Over the next few years , Apple shipped new computers featuring innovative graphical user interfaces , such as the original Macintosh in 1984 , and Apple 's marketing advertisements for its products received widespread critical acclaim . However , the high price of its products and limited application library caused problems , as did power struggles between executives . In 1985 , Wozniak departed Apple amicably and remained an honorary employee , while Jobs and others resigned to found NeXT .
The Nasdaq Stock Market , /ˈnæzˌdæk/ ( listen ) also known as Nasdaq , is an American stock exchange located at One Liberty Plaza in New York City . It is ranked second on the list of stock exchanges by market capitalization of shares traded , behind only the New York Stock Exchange . The exchange platform is owned by Nasdaq , Inc. , which also owns the Nasdaq Nordic stock market network and several U.S. stock and options exchanges .
Information technology ( IT ) is the use of computers to store , retrieve , transmit , and manipulate data or information . IT is typically used within the context of business operations as opposed to personal or entertainment technologies . IT is considered to be a subset of information and communications technology ( ICT ) . An information technology system ( IT system ) is generally an information system , a communications system or , more specifically speaking , a computer system - including all hardware , software and peripheral equipment - operated by a limited group of users . Humans have been storing , retrieving , manipulating , and communicating information since the Sumerians in Mesopotamia developed writing in about 3000 BC , but the term information technology in its modern sense first appeared in a 1958 article published in the Harvard Business Review ; authors Harold J. Leavitt and Thomas L. Whisler commented that the new technology does not yet have a single established name . We shall call it information technology ( IT ) . Their definition consists of three categories : techniques for processing , the application of statistical and mathematical methods to decision-making , and the simulation of higher-order thinking through computer programs . The term is commonly used as a synonym for computers and computer networks , but it also encompasses other information distribution technologies such as television and telephones . Several products or services within an economy are associated with information technology , including computer hardware , software , electronics , semiconductors , internet , telecom equipment , and e-commerce . [ a ] Based on the storage and processing technologies employed , it is possible to distinguish four distinct phases of IT development : pre-mechanical ( 3000 BC - 1450 AD ) , mechanical ( 1450-1840 ) , electromechanical ( 1840-1940 ) , and electronic ( 1940-present ) . This article focuses on the most recent period ( electronic ) .
The Boeing Company , commonly known as Boeing ( /ˈboʊɪŋ/ ) , is an American multinational corporation that designs , manufactures , and sells airplanes , rotorcraft , rockets , satellites , telecommunications equipment , and missiles worldwide . The company also provides leasing and product support services . Boeing is among the largest global aerospace manufacturers ; it is the second-largest defense contractor in the world based on 2018 revenue , and is the largest exporter in the United States by dollar value . Boeing stock is included in the Dow Jones Industrial Average . Boeing is incorporated in Delaware . Boeing was founded by William Boeing in Seattle , Washington on July 15 , 1916 . The present corporation is the result of the merger of Boeing with McDonnell Douglas on August 1 , 1997 . Then chairman and CEO of Boeing , Philip M. Condit , assumed those roles in the combined company , while Harry Stonecipher , former CEO of McDonnell Douglas , became president and COO . The Boeing Company has its corporate headquarters in Chicago , Illinois . Boeing is organized into five primary divisions : Boeing Commercial Airplanes ( BCA ) ; Boeing Defense , Space & Security ( BDS ) ; Engineering , Operations & Technology ; Boeing Capital ; and Boeing Shared Services Group . In 2017 , Boeing recorded US $ 93.3 billion in sales , ranked 24th on the Fortune magazine Fortune 500 list ( 2018 ) , ranked 64th on the Fortune Global 500 list ( 2018 ) , and ranked 19th on the World 's Most Admired Companies list ( 2018 ) . In 2019 , Boeing 's global reputation , commercial business , and financial rating suffered after the 737 MAX was grounded worldwide following two fatal crashes in late 2018 and early 2019 .
An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing , building , testing , selling , and maintaining aircraft , aircraft parts , missiles , rockets , or spacecraft . Aerospace is a high technology industry . The aircraft industry is the industry supporting aviation by building aircraft and manufacturing aircraft parts for their maintenance . This includes aircraft and parts used for civil aviation and military aviation . Most production is done pursuant to type certificates and Defense Standards issued by a government body . This term has been largely subsumed by the more encompassing term : aerospace industry .
The arms industry , also known as the defense industry or the arms trade , is a global industry which manufactures and sells weapons and military technology , and is a major component of the Military-industrial complex . It consists of a commercial industry involved in the research and development , engineering , production , and servicing of military material , equipment , and facilities . Arms-producing companies , also referred to as arms dealers , defense contractors , or as the military industry , produce arms for the armed forces of states and for civilians . Departments of government also operate in the arms industry , buying and selling weapons , munitions and other military items . An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition - whether privately or publicly owned - are made , maintained and repaired , stored , or issued , in any combination . Products of the arms industry include guns , artillery , ammunition , missiles , military aircraft , military vehicles , ships , electronic systems , night-vision devices , holographic weapon sights , laser rangefinders , laser sights , hand grenades , landmines and more . The arms industry also provides other logistical and operational support . The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute ( SIPRI ) estimated military expenditures as of 2018 [ update ] at $ 1822 billion . This represented a relative decline from 1990 , when military expenditures made up 4% of world GDP . Part of the money goes to the procurement of military hardware and services from the military industry . The combined arms-sales of the top 100 largest arms-producing companies and military services companies ( excluding China ) totalled $ 420 billion in 2018 , according to SIPRI . This was 4.6 per cent higher than sales in 2017 and marks the fourth consecutive year of growth in Top 100 arms sales .
Caterpillar Inc. ( sometimes shortened to CAT ) is an American Fortune 100 corporation which designs , develops , engineers , manufactures , markets and sells machinery , engines , financial products and insurance to customers via a worldwide dealer network . It is the world 's largest construction equipment manufacturer . In 2018 , Caterpillar was ranked # 65 on the Fortune 500 list and # 238 on the Global Fortune 500 list . Caterpillar stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average . Caterpillar Inc. traces its origins to the 1925 merger of the Holt Manufacturing Company and the C. L. Best Tractor Company , creating a new entity , the California-based Caterpillar Tractor Company . In 1986 , the company reorganized itself as a Delaware corporation under the current name , Caterpillar Inc. Caterpillar 's headquarters are located in Deerfield , Illinois ; it announced in January 2017 that over the course of that year it would relocate its headquarters from Peoria , Illinois , to Deerfield , Illinois , scrapping plans from 2015 of building an $ 800 million new headquarters complex in downtown Peoria . The company also licenses and markets a line of clothing and workwear boots under its Cat / Caterpillar name . Caterpillar machinery is recognizable by its trademark Caterpillar Yellow livery and the CAT logo .
The use of heavy equipment has a long history ; the ancient Roman engineer Vitruvius ( 1st century BCE ) gave descriptions of heavy equipment and cranes in ancient Rome in his treatise De architectura . The pile driver was invented around 1500 . The first tunnelling shield was patented by Marc Isambard Brunel in 1818 .
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth , usually from an ore body , lode , vein , seam , reef or placer deposit . These deposits form a mineralized package that is of economic interest to the miner . Ores recovered by mining include metals , coal , oil shale , gemstones , limestone , chalk , dimension stone , rock salt , potash , gravel , and clay . Mining is required to obtain any material that can not be grown through agricultural processes , or feasibly created artificially in a laboratory or factory . Mining in a wider sense includes extraction of any non-renewable resource such as petroleum , natural gas , or even water . Mining of stones and metal has been a human activity since pre-historic times . Modern mining processes involve prospecting for ore bodies , analysis of the profit potential of a proposed mine , extraction of the desired materials , and final reclamation of the land after the mine is closed . Mining operations usually create a negative environmental impact , both during the mining activity and after the mine has closed . Hence , most of the world 's nations have passed regulations to decrease the impact . Work safety has long been a concern as well , and modern practices have significantly improved safety in mines . Levels of metal recycling are generally low . Unless future end-of-life recycling rates are stepped up , some rare metals may become unavailable for use in a variety of consumer products .
Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation . One of the successor companies of Standard Oil , it is headquartered in San Ramon , California , and active in more than 180 countries . Chevron is engaged in every aspect of the oil , natural gas , and geothermal energy industries , including hydrocarbon exploration and production ; refining , marketing and transport ; chemicals manufacturing and sales ; and power generation . Chevron is one of the world 's largest oil companies ; as of 2019 [ update ] , it ranked eleventh in the Fortune 500 list of the top US closely held and public corporations and 28th on the Fortune Global 500 list of the top 500 corporations worldwide . It was also one of the Seven Sisters that dominated the global petroleum industry from the mid-1940s to the 1970s . Chevron is incorporated in California . Chevron 's downstream operations manufacture and sell products such as fuels , lubricants , additives and petrochemicals . The company 's most significant areas of operations are the west coast of North America , the U.S. Gulf Coast , Southeast Asia , South Korea and Australia . In 2010 , Chevron sold an average of 3.1 million barrels per day ( 490×10^3 m3/d ) of refined products like gasoline , diesel and jet fuel .
The petroleum industry , also known as the oil industry or the oil patch , includes the global processes of exploration , extraction , refining , transporting ( often by oil tankers and pipelines ) , and marketing of petroleum products . The largest volume products of the industry are fuel oil and gasoline ( petrol ) . Petroleum ( oil ) is also the raw material for many chemical products , including pharmaceuticals , solvents , fertilizers , pesticides , synthetic fragrances , and plastics . The extreme monetary value of oil and its products has led to it being known as black gold . The industry is usually divided into three major components : upstream , midstream , and downstream . Upstream deals with Drilling and Production mainly . Petroleum is vital to many industries , and is necessary for the maintenance of industrial civilization in its current configuration , making it a critical concern for many nations . Oil accounts for a large percentage of the worlds energy consumption , ranging from a low of 32% for Europe and Asia , to a high of 53% for the Middle East . Other geographic regions ' consumption patterns are as follows : South and Central America ( 44% ) , Africa ( 41% ) , and North America ( 40% ) . The world consumes 30 billion barrels ( 4.8 km³ ) of oil per year [ citation needed ] , with developed nations being the largest consumers . The United States consumed 25% of the oil produced in 2007 . The production , distribution , refining , and retailing of petroleum taken as a whole represents the world 's largest industry in terms of dollar value .
Cisco Systems , Inc. is an American multinational technology conglomerate headquartered in San Jose , California , in the center of Silicon Valley . Cisco develops , manufactures and sells networking hardware , software , telecommunications equipment and other high-technology services and products . Through its numerous acquired subsidiaries , such as OpenDNS , Webex , Jabber and Jasper , Cisco specializes into specific tech markets , such as Internet of Things ( IoT ) , domain security and energy management . Cisco is incorporated in California . Cisco stock was added to the Dow Jones Industrial Average on June 8 , 2009 , and is also included in the S & P 500 Index , the Russell 1000 Index , NASDAQ-100 Index and the Russell 1000 Growth Stock Index . Cisco Systems was founded in December 1984 by Leonard Bosack and Sandy Lerner , two Stanford University computer scientists who had been instrumental in connecting computers at Stanford . They pioneered the concept of a local area network ( LAN ) being used to connect geographically disparate computers over a multiprotocol router system . By the time the company went public in 1990 , Cisco had a market capitalization of $ 224 million . By the end of the dot-com bubble in the year 2000 , Cisco had a more than $ 500 billion market capitalization .
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational corporation , and manufacturer , retailer , and marketer of nonalcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups . The company produces Coca-Cola , invented in 1886 by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta , Georgia . In 1889 the formula and brand were sold for $ 2,300 to Asa Griggs Candler , who incorporated The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta in 1892 . The Coca-Cola Company is the single largest plastic polluter in the world , producing over 3 million tonnes of plastic packaging each year including 110 billion plastic bottles . The company - headquartered in Atlanta , Georgia , but incorporated in Delaware - has operated a franchised distribution system since 1889 : the Company largely produces syrup concentrate , which is then sold to various bottlers throughout the world who hold exclusive territories . The company owns its anchor bottler in North America , Coca-Cola Refreshments . The company 's stock is listed on the NYSE and is part of DJIA , the S & P 500 index , the Russell 1000 Index , and the Russell 1000 Growth Stock Index .
The food industry is a complex , global collective of diverse businesses that supplies most of the food consumed by the world 's population . [ citation needed ] Only subsistence farmers , those who survive on what they grow , and hunter-gatherers can be considered outside the scope of the modern food industry . The food Industry includes :
Dow Inc. is an American commodity chemical company . It was spun off of DowDuPont on April 1 , 2019 , at which time it became a public company and was added to the Dow Jones Industrial Average . The company is headquartered in Midland , Michigan .
The chemical industry comprises the companies that produce industrial chemicals . Central to the modern world economy , it converts raw materials ( oil , natural gas , air , water , metals , and minerals ) into more than 70,000 different products . The plastics industry contains some overlap , as most chemical companies produce plastic as well as other chemicals . Various professionals are deeply involved in the chemical industry including chemical engineers , scientists , lab chemists , technicians , etc . As of 2018 , the chemical industry comprises approximately 15% of the US manufacturing economic sector .
Exxon Mobil Corporation , doing business as ExxonMobil , is an American multinational oil and gas corporation headquartered in Irving , Texas . It is the largest direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller 's Standard Oil , and was formed on November 30 , 1999 by the merger of Exxon ( formerly the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey ) and Mobil ( formerly the Standard Oil Company of New York ) . ExxonMobil 's primary brands are Exxon , Mobil , Esso , and ExxonMobil Chemical . ExxonMobil is incorporated in Texas . One of the world 's largest companies by revenue , ExxonMobil from 1996 to 2017 varied from the first to sixth largest publicly traded company by market capitalization . The company was ranked ninth globally in the Forbes Global 2000 list in 2016 . ExxonMobil was the tenth most profitable company in the Fortune 500 in 2017 . As of 2018 , the company ranked second in the Fortune 500 rankings of the largest United States corporations by total revenue . Approximately 55.56% of the company 's shares are held by institutions . As of March 2019 , ExxonMobil 's largest shareholders include The Vanguard Group ( 8.15% ) , BlackRock ( 6.61% ) , and State Street Corporation ( 4.83% ) . ExxonMobil is one of the largest of the world 's Big Oil companies . As of 2007 [ update ] , it had daily production of 3.921 million BOE ( barrels of oil equivalent ) ; but significantly smaller than a number of national companies .
The Goldman Sachs Group , Inc. , is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company headquartered in New York City . It offers services in investment management , securities , asset management , prime brokerage , and securities underwriting . The bank is one of the largest investment banking enterprises in the world , and is a primary dealer in the United States Treasury security market and more generally , a prominent market maker . The group also owns Goldman Sachs Bank USA , a direct bank . Goldman Sachs was founded in 1869 and is headquartered at 200 West Street in Lower Manhattan with additional offices in other international financial centers . As a result of its involvement in securitization during the subprime mortgage crisis , Goldman Sachs suffered during the financial crisis of 2007-2008 , and received a $ 10 billion investment from the United States Department of the Treasury as part of the Troubled Asset Relief Program , a financial bailout created by the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 . The investment was made in November 2008 and was repaid in June 2009 . Former employees of Goldman Sachs have moved on to government positions . Notable examples includes former U.S . Secretaries of the Treasury Robert Rubin and Henry Paulson ; current United States Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin ; former Under Secretary of State John C. Whitehead ; former chief economic advisor Gary Cohn ; United States Senator and former Governor of New Jersey Jon Corzine ; former Prime Minister of Italy Mario Monti ; European Central Bank President Mario Draghi ; former Bank of Canada Governor and current Governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney ; and the former Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull . In addition , former Goldman employees have headed the New York Stock Exchange , the World Bank , and competing banks such as Citigroup and Merrill Lynch . The company is ranked 62nd on the Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by total revenue .
The Home Depot , Inc. is the largest home improvement retailer in the United States , supplying tools , construction products , and services . The company is headquartered at the Atlanta Store Support Center in unincorporated Cobb County , Georgia ( with an Atlanta mailing address ) . It operates many big-box format stores across the United States and its territories of Puerto Rico , Guam , and the U.S. Virgin Islands ; all 10 provinces of Canada ; and the 31 states and Federal District of Mexico . MRO company Interline Brands ( now The Home Depot Pro ) is also owned by The Home Depot , with 70 distribution centers across the United States .
Retail is the process of selling consumer goods or services to customers through multiple channels of distribution to earn a profit . Retailers satisfy demand identified through a supply chain . The term retailer is typically applied where a service provider fills the small orders of many individuals , who are end-users , rather than large orders of a small number of wholesale , corporate or government clientele . Shopping generally refers to the act of buying products . Sometimes this is done to obtain final goods , including necessities such as food and clothing ; sometimes it takes place as a recreational activity . Recreational shopping often involves window shopping and browsing : it does not always result in a purchase . Retail markets and shops have a very ancient history , dating back to antiquity . Some of the earliest retailers were itinerant peddlers . Over the centuries , retail shops were transformed from little more than rude booths to the sophisticated shopping malls of the modern era . Most modern retailers typically make a variety of strategic level decisions including the type of store , the market to be served , the optimal product assortment , customer service , supporting services and the store 's overall market positioning . Once the strategic retail plan is in place , retailers devise the retail mix which includes product , price , place , promotion , personnel , and presentation . In the digital age , an increasing number of retailers are seeking to reach broader markets by selling through multiple channels , including both bricks and mortar and online retailing .
The International Business Machines Corporation ( IBM ) is an American multinational information technology company headquartered in Armonk , New York , with operations in over 170 countries . The company began in 1911 , founded in Endicott , New York , as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company ( CTR ) and was renamed International Business Machines in 1924 . IBM is incorporated in New York . IBM produces and sells computer hardware , middleware and software , and provides hosting and consulting services in areas ranging from mainframe computers to nanotechnology . IBM is also a major research organization , holding the record for most U.S. patents generated by a business ( as of 2020 [ update ] ) for 27 consecutive years . Inventions by IBM include the automated teller machine ( ATM ) , the floppy disk , the hard disk drive , the magnetic stripe card , the relational database , the SQL programming language , the UPC barcode , and dynamic random-access memory ( DRAM ) . The IBM mainframe , exemplified by the System/360 , was the dominant computing platform during the 1960s and 1970s . IBM has continually shifted business operations by focusing on higher-value , more profitable markets . This includes spinning off printer manufacturer Lexmark in 1991 and the sale of personal computer ( ThinkPad/ThinkCentre ) and x86-based server businesses to Lenovo ( in 2005 and 2014 , respectively ) , and acquiring companies such as PwC Consulting ( 2002 ) , SPSS ( 2009 ) , The Weather Company ( 2016 ) , and Red Hat ( 2019 ) . Also in 2015 , IBM announced that it would go fabless , continuing to design semiconductors , but offloading manufacturing to GlobalFoundries . Nicknamed Big Blue , IBM is one of 30 companies included in the Dow Jones Industrial Average and one of the world 's largest employers , with ( as of 2018 [ update ] ) over 350,000 employees , known as IBMers . At least 70% of IBMers are based outside the United States , and the country with the largest number of IBMers is India .
Intel Corporation ( commonly known as Intel and stylized as intel ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara , California , in Silicon Valley . It is the world 's largest and highest valued semiconductor chip manufacturer based on revenue , and is the inventor of the x86 series of microprocessors , the processors found in most personal computers ( PCs ) . Intel ranked No . 46 in the 2018 Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by total revenue . Intel is incorporated in Delaware . Intel supplies processors for computer system manufacturers such as Apple , Lenovo , HP , and Dell . Intel also manufactures motherboard chipsets , network interface controllers and integrated circuits , flash memory , graphics chips , embedded processors and other devices related to communications and computing . Intel Corporation was founded on July 18 , 1968 , by semiconductor pioneers Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore ( of Moore 's law ) , and is associated with the executive leadership and vision of Andrew Grove . The company 's name was conceived as portmanteau of the words integrated and electronics , with co-founder Noyce having been a key inventor of the integrated circuit ( microchip ) . The fact that intel is the term for intelligence information also made the name appropriate . Intel was an early developer of SRAM and DRAM memory chips , which represented the majority of its business until 1981 . Although Intel created the world 's first commercial microprocessor chip in 1971 , it was not until the success of the personal computer ( PC ) that this became its primary business .
Johnson & Johnson is an American multinational corporation founded in 1886 that develops medical devices , pharmaceutical and consumer packaged goods . Its common stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the company is ranked No . 37 on the 2018 Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by total revenue . J & J is one of the world 's most valuable companies . Johnson & Johnson is headquartered in New Brunswick , New Jersey , the consumer division being located in Skillman , New Jersey . The corporation includes some 250 subsidiary companies with operations in 60 countries and products sold in over 175 countries . Johnson & Johnson had worldwide sales of $ 70.1 billion during calendar year 2015 . Johnson & Johnson 's brands include numerous household names of medications and first aid supplies . Among its well-known consumer products are the Band-Aid Brand line of bandages , Tylenol medications , Johnson 's Baby products , Neutrogena skin and beauty products , Clean & Clear facial wash and Acuvue contact lenses .
The pharmaceutical industry discovers , develops , produces , and markets drugs or pharmaceutical drugs for use as medications to be administered ( or self-administered ) to patients , with the aim to cure them , vaccinate them , or alleviate the symptoms . Pharmaceutical companies may deal in generic or brand medications and medical devices . They are subject to a variety of laws and regulations that govern the patenting , testing , safety , efficacy and marketing of drugs .
JPMorgan Chase & Co. is an American multinational investment bank and financial services holding company headquartered in New York City . JPMorgan Chase is ranked by S & P Global as the largest bank in the United States and the sixth largest bank in the world by total assets , with total assets of US $ 2.687 trillion . It is also the world 's most valuable bank by market capitalization . JPMorgan Chase is incorporated in Delaware . As a Bulge Bracket bank , it is a major provider of various investment banking and financial services . It is one of America 's Big Four banks , along with Bank of America , Citigroup , and Wells Fargo . JPMorgan Chase is considered to be a universal bank and a custodian bank . The J.P. Morgan brand , is used by the investment banking , asset management , private banking , private wealth management , and treasury services divisions . Fiduciary activity within private banking and private wealth management is done under the aegis of JPMorgan Chase Bank , N.A . - the actual trustee . The Chase brand is used for credit card services in the United States and Canada , the bank 's retail banking activities in the United States , and commercial banking . Both the retail and commercial bank and the bank 's corporate headquarters are currently located at 383 Madison Avenue in Midtown Manhattan , New York City , while the prior headquarters building directly across the street , 270 Park Avenue , is demolished and replaced with a new building .
McDonald 's Corporation is an American fast food company , founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald , in San Bernardino , California , United States . They rechristened their business as a hamburger stand , and later turned the company into a franchise , with the Golden Arches logo being introduced in 1953 at a location in Phoenix , Arizona . In 1955 , Ray Kroc , a businessman , joined the company as a franchise agent and proceeded to purchase the chain from the McDonald brothers . McDonald 's had its original headquarters in Oak Brook , Illinois , but moved its global headquarters to Chicago in early 2018 . McDonald 's is the world 's largest restaurant chain by revenue , serving over 69 million customers daily in over 100 countries across 37,855 outlets as of 2018 . Although McDonald 's is best known for its hamburgers , cheeseburgers and french fries , they also feature chicken products , breakfast items , soft drinks , milkshakes , wraps , and desserts . In response to changing consumer tastes and a negative backlash because of the unhealthiness of their food , the company has added to its menu salads , fish , smoothies , and fruit . The McDonald 's Corporation revenues come from the rent , royalties , and fees paid by the franchisees , as well as sales in company-operated restaurants . According to two reports published in 2018 , McDonald 's is the world 's second-largest private employer with 1.7 million employees ( behind Walmart with 2.3 million employees ) .
Merck & Co. , Inc. , d.b.a . Merck Sharp & Dohme ( MSD ) outside the United States and Canada , is an American multinational pharmaceutical company and one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world . Merck is incorporated in New Jersey . The company was established in 1891 as the United States subsidiary of the German company Merck , which was founded in 1668 by the Merck family . Merck & Co. was expropriated by the US government during World War I and subsequently established as an independent American company in 1917 . While it operates as Merck & Co. in the United States and Canada , the original Merck based in Darmstadt holds the rights to the Merck name everywhere else . Merck & Co. is the world 's seventh largest pharmaceutical company by market capitalization and revenue . Its headquarters is located in Kenilworth , New Jersey . The company ranked No . 78 in the 2018 Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by total revenue . Merck & Co. publishes The Merck Manuals , a series of medical reference books for physicians , nurses , technicians , and veterinarians . These include the Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy , the world 's best-selling medical reference .
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology company with headquarters in Redmond , Washington . It develops , manufactures , licenses , supports , and sells computer software , consumer electronics , personal computers , and related services . Its best known software products are the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems , the Microsoft Office suite , and the Internet Explorer and Edge web browsers . Its flagship hardware products are the Xbox video game consoles and the Microsoft Surface lineup of touchscreen personal computers . In 2016 , it was the world 's largest software maker by revenue ( currently Alphabet/Google has more revenue ) . The word Microsoft is a portmanteau of microcomputer and software . Microsoft is ranked No . 30 in the 2018 Fortune 500 rankings of the largest United States corporations by total revenue . Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen on April 4 , 1975 , to develop and sell BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800 . It rose to dominate the personal computer operating system market with MS-DOS in the mid-1980s , followed by Microsoft Windows . The company 's 1986 initial public offering ( IPO ) , and subsequent rise in its share price , created three billionaires and an estimated 12,000 millionaires among Microsoft employees . Since the 1990s , it has increasingly diversified from the operating system market and has made a number of corporate acquisitions , their largest being the acquisition of LinkedIn for $ 26.2 billion in December 2016 , followed by their acquisition of Skype Technologies for $ 8.5 billion in May 2011 .
Nike , Inc. ( /ˈnaɪki/ ) [ note 1 ] is an American multinational corporation that is engaged in the design , development , manufacturing , and worldwide marketing and sales of footwear , apparel , equipment , accessories , and services . The company is headquartered near Beaverton , Oregon , in the Portland metropolitan area . It is the world 's largest supplier of athletic shoes and apparel and a major manufacturer of sports equipment , with revenue in excess of US $ 24.1 billion in its fiscal year 2012 ( ending May 31 , 2012 ) . As of 2012 , it employed more than 44,000 people worldwide . In 2014 the brand alone was valued at $ 19 billion , making it the most valuable brand among sports businesses . As of 2017 , the Nike brand is valued at $ 29.6 billion . Nike ranked No . 89 in the 2018 Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by total revenue . The company was founded on January 25 , 1964 , as Blue Ribbon Sports , by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight , and officially became Nike , Inc. on May 30 , 1971 . The company takes its name from Nike , the Greek goddess of victory . Nike markets its products under its own brand , as well as Nike Golf , Nike Pro , Nike+ , Air Jordan , Nike Blazers , Air Force 1 , Nike Dunk , Air Max , Foamposite , Nike Skateboarding , Nike CR7 , and subsidiaries including Brand Jordan , Hurley International and Converse . Nike also owned Bauer Hockey ( later renamed Nike Bauer ) from 1995 to 2008 , and previously owned Cole Haan and Umbro .
Clothing ( also known as clothes , apparel and attire ) is items worn on the body . Clothing is typically made of fabrics or textiles but over time has included garments made from animal skin or other thin sheets of materials put together . The wearing of clothing is mostly restricted to human beings and is a feature of all human societies . The amount and type of clothing worn depends on gender , body type , social , and geographic considerations . Clothing serves many purposes : it can serve as protection from the elements , rough surfaces , rash-causing plants , insect bites , splinters , thorns and prickles by providing a barrier between the skin and the environment . Clothes can insulate against cold or hot conditions , and they can provide a hygienic barrier , keeping infectious and toxic materials away from the body . Clothing also provides protection from ultraviolet radiation . Wearing clothes is also a social norm , and being deprived of clothing in front of others may be embarrassing . In most parts of the world , not wearing clothes in public so that genitals , breasts or buttocks are visible could be considered indecent exposure .