Our Platinum 400 list identifies the best of the biggest publicly traded companies in America. We select these companies after a thorough review of financial metrics, Wall Street forecasts, corporate governance ratings and other public information.

From this batch of 400 companies, our writers and editors picked a best-managed company--one from each of 26 industries--not only for financial performance but also for leadership, innovation and execution. Take Genentech, in drugs and biotechnology, which not only delivered 40 per cent sales growth and 62 per cent earnings growth over the latest 12 months, but also successfully launched a treatment for macular degeneration and two new cancer drugs over the past two years.

In Pictures:
Median sales growth of America's best big companies
The world's wealthiest telecom moguls

Garmin is our choice as the best-managed company in technology hardware and equipment. This company is both a top financial performer and one of the leaders in applying Gobal Positioning System data to a wide range of consumer and commercial navigation devices.

We shine the spotlight on AT&T, Forbes' Company of the Year. You will not see eye-popping five-year growth numbers from the telecom giant, but the company is positioned for growth--once the pending buyout of BellSouth closes. When that happens, AT&T chairman Edward E. Whitacre Jr will have reassembled six big pieces of what the federal government broke up 23 years ago. Carrying video into homes is just one area where Whitacre sees AT&T's future growth.

In Pictures:
Median EPS growth of America's best big companies

What is so special about the Platinum 400? Look at the median 12-month performance figures for this group: 16 pper cent sales growth, 28 per cent earnings-per-share growth and an 18 per cent total return on Wall Street. These outstanding big companies also have stellar five-year performance figures, such as a median 11 per cent annualised sales growth, 20 per cent annualised EPS growth and a 19 per cent average annual return.

Despite the high year-to-year turnover in the Platinum 400 (for 2007, we replaced 177 of its members), we found 29 companies that have been on our list since its inaugural run in 1999. Our Honor Roll includes companies such as Best Buy, Procter & Gamble and United Technologies.

In Pictures:
Energy billionaires
Richest tech titans

Last year's Platinum 400 list ended a remarkable six-year run in which the group outpaced the broad market. From Nov. 28, 2005, to Nov. 28, 2006, the Platinum 400 class of 2006 only mirrored the 10 per cent price return of the Standard & Poor's 500. Nevertheless, our list had several standout performers. Among the winners: American Eagle Outfitters, Steel Dynamics and Jones Lang LaSalle, all of which return to the list in 2007.

Platinum 400 Performance Scorecard

Year	Price Performance Relative To Issue Date*		Versus S&P 500**	Versus Dow Jones**
1999	Average	11.1%	94	93
	Median	-1.9	82	81
2000	Average	6.5	111	110
	Median	3.8	108	107
2001	Average	3.8	123	113
	Median	0.9	119	110
2002	Average	-2.5	118	106
	Median	-1.4	119	108
2003	Average	25.9	111	114
	Median	19.7	106	109
2004	Average	16.0	105	109
	Median	13.6	102	107
2005	Average	14.9	107	110
	Median	8.7	101	104
2006	Average	10.4	100	99
	Median	9.7	100	98

*The price performance for each year is measured over 12 months beginning from the respective issue's pricing date.

** Relative to S&P and Dow figures are the ending value of $100 invested in the stock, divided by the ending value of $1 invested in the respective index.

Source: FT Interactive Data via FactSet Research Systems

We cannot predict which stock market stars will emerge from our 2007 class of the Best Big Companies in America, or whether the group of companies will match their previous growth rates. You can check our Platinum Industry Sneak Peeks to see what some of the top-ranked security analysts, according to research firm StarMine, think of our selections. As of today, however, these are the Best Big Companies in America.