A Speculation on the Most Profitable Companies in 2000
by Warren Buffett
Examine the record of, say, the 200 highest earning companies from 1970 to 1980 and tabulate how many have increased per-share earnings by 15% annually since those dates. You will find that only a handful have. I would wager you a very significant sum that fewer than 10 of the 200 most profitable companies in 2000 will attain 15% annual growth in earnings-per-share over the next 20 years.
