The Progressive Policy Institute released its list of what it calls "investment heroes," or those companies that are "betting on America" by making significant domestic capital expenditures.
In a policy brief released Wednesday of the same name, authors Diana Carew and Michael Mandel write that, "Unfortunately, U.S. business investment tanked during the Great Recession, and has yet to recover … In 2011, non-residential investment remained more than 7% below 2007 levels, adjusting for prices. By comparison, personal consumption in real terms was higher in 2011 compared to 2007. We find ourselves in an investment drought, not a consumption drought."
Which is why PPI, a left-leaning think tank based in Washington that originally started as an "idea mill" for President Bill Clinton's New Democrats, wants to highlight those companies that are still investing domestically in buildings, equipment and software.
PPI says it calls these companies "investment heroes" to make a key point: "The U.S. economy is at its best—in terms of growth and job creation—when companies and workers are partners with the same objectives. Half of the leading companies are telecom and energy, but the list also includes tech, retail, automotive, and entertainment companies."
For the some companies that aren't considered heroic by the American people, see Top 9 Most Disliked U.S. Companies at AdvisorOne.
Here are the Top 25 "investment heroes":
(Apple headquarters in California. Photo: AP)
25. Apple (U.S. Capital Expenditures): $2.0 billion
24. Google: $2.2 billion
23. Chrysler Group: $2.5 billion
22. IBM: $2.5 billion
(FedEx driver carts packages in New York. Photo: AP)
21. Target: $2.5 billion
20. General Motors: $2.8 billion
19. Time Warner Cable: $2.9 billion
18. FedEx: $2.9 billion
(Disney World in Orlando. Photo: AP)
17. Walt Disney: $3.0 billion
16. Sprint Nextel: $3.1 billion
15. Enterprise Product Partners: $3.6 billion
14. General Electric: $ 3.7 billion
(Ford Escape outside Ford plant in Louisville, Ky. Photo: AP)
13. Ford Motor: $3.9 billion
12. Exelon: $4.0 billion
11. Hess: $4.4 billion
10. Southern Company: $4.5 billion 
(ConocoPhillips gas station in Denver. Photo: AP)
9. Chevron: $4.8 billion
8. Comcast: $5.3 billion
7. ConocoPhillips: $5.6 billion
6. Occidental Petroleum: $6.2 billion
(Workers at Verizon store in Mountain View, Calif. Photo: AP)
5. Intel: $7.4 billion
4. Wal-Mart: $8.2 billion
3. Exxon Mobil: $11.7 billion
2. Verizon: $16.2 billion 
(Man walks past AT&T store in New York. Photo: AP)
1. AT&T: $20.1 billion
For the some companies that aren't considered heroic by the American people, see Top 9 Most Disliked U.S. Companies at AdvisorOne.
————
More Top 10 lists from AdvisorOne:
- 5 Super Costly Divorces of the Rich and Famous
- Top 10 Critical Financial Tips During Divorce
- 5 of History's Brazen Crooks Who Defrauded Markets
- 7 Biggest IPO Flops in Last 25 Years
- 10 Best Cities for Jobs in Financial Services
- Top 10 Wealth Zones With Fewest Advisors
- Top 10 Best Cities for Educated Job Seekers
(See PPI's list of what it calls "investment heroes.")
© Touchpoint Markets, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.