For years, the Business Journal dutifully published a list of the 100 fastest-growing public companies in Los Angeles County, using revenue growth as the one and only gauge. The list, though, didn’t account for earnings growth and better still, a company’s return on equity over five years.
That’s what we have done this year, and the results reflect the diverse nature of L.A.’s economy. They also point up the large number of up-and-coming local companies that haven’t been public for five years (and consequently not on the list). This economy is rapidly changing indeed.
Of course, return on equity is just one indicator of performance, but when determining which companies are providing the most bang for the shareholder buck, it’s a good place to start. So is getting an average ROE going out several years.
Generating this kind of data just about exhausted our normally patient researcher, Edvard Pettersson, but the results are well worth it. Congratulations to Edvard and the Business Journal editors and reporters who helped make it happen.
Mark Lacter
Editor
