Publicly traded companies are a key component of the American economy, allowing anyone to own shares of a company and earn a profit in return.
Publicly Traded Companies to Know
- Nvidia (NVDA)
- Google (GOOG)
- Apple (AAPL)
- Microsoft (MSFT)
- Amazon (AMZN)
- Meta (META)
- Broadcom (AVGO)
- Tesla (TSLA)
Shares are bought and sold on any number of stock exchanges — the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq are the most prominent in the United States. By being listed, these companies must quickly adapt to increased scrutiny, since all their financials are now open for potential investors to inspect. But they also benefit from the increased visibility of going public (also known as an initial public offering, or IPO), which typically attracts new customers, employees, partners and investors who view the company’s listing as a sign of success.
There are thousands of publicly traded companies in the United States. Giants like Google, Amazon and Apple are the obvious choices, but there is a whole ecosystem of others to know about.
Publicly Traded Companies to Know
Headquarters: Santa Clara, California
Stock Exchange: NASDAQ
Stock Symbol: NVDA
Nvidia is a global leader in artificial intelligence computing, providing a majority of the specialized hardware, software and algorithms necessary to power AI systems and accelerated computing. The company’s portfolio spans high-performance GPUs for gaming and creative work, advanced networking solutions for data centers and AI platforms for industries ranging from robotics to autonomous vehicles.
Headquarters: Mountain View, California
Stock Exchange: NASDAQ
Stock Symbol: GOOG
Google is a global technology leader that works to organize information and make it useful through products like Google Search, Gmail and Google Workspace. It also focuses on advancing the frontier of computer science, specifically through the development of AI models and tools for tackling complex problems and daily tasks.
Headquarters: Cupertino, California
Stock Exchange: NASDAQ
Stock Symbol: AAPL
Apple designs and manufactures an ecosystem of personal electronics, including the iPhone, Mac, iPad and Apple Watch. Beyond hardware, the company also provides integrated software experiences and a suite of digital services such as Apple TV+, Apple Music and Apple Pay.
Headquarters: Redmond, Washington
Stock Exchange: NASDAQ
Stock Symbol: MSFT
Microsoft develops a broad ecosystem of software, hardware and services, ranging from the Windows operating system and Microsoft 365 productivity suite to Xbox gaming and Surface devices. It is largely focused on pioneering artificial intelligence by integrating Copilot AI across its platforms and providing advanced cloud solutions through Microsoft Azure.
Headquarters: Seattle, Washington
Stock Exchange: NASDAQ
Stock Symbol: AMZN
Amazon is a technology and retail giant that provides a variety of services, including its Amazon marketplace, Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud computing and digital streaming through Prime Video. The company also focuses on creating consumer technologies such as Alexa AI, Kindle e-readers and Fire TV.
Headquarters: Menlo Park, California
Stock Exchange: NASDAQ
Stock Symbol: META
Meta is a technology company that develops popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp. It also develops advanced hardware and software solutions, including Meta Quest virtual reality headsets and Meta AI glasses, to enable more immersive and integrated digital experiences.
Headquarters: Palo Alto, California
Stock Exchange: NASDAQ
Stock Symbol: AVGO
Broadcom is a global technology company that designs and supplies a range of semiconductor and enterprise software solutions. Its product portfolio powers infrastructures across markets such as cloud, data centers, networking, cybersecurity and wireless connectivity.
Headquarters: Austin, Texas
Stock Exchange: NASDAQ
Stock Symbol: TSLA
Tesla is an automotive and clean energy company that designs and manufactures electric vehicles, including passenger cars and heavy-duty trucks. In addition to vehicles, the company provides scalable clean energy solutions such as solar panels, solar roofs and large-scale battery storage systems for residential and commercial use.
Headquarters: Santa Clara, CA
Stock Exchange: NASDAQ
Stock Symbol: PANW
Palo Alto Networks offers several cloud-based cybersecurity solutions, including zero trust security, cloud security, threat detection and more. Businesses can also address any malware threats with Palo Alto Networks’ advanced firewalls, which apply both deep learning and machine learning. The company also offers AI-based continuous security to help users keep track of their IoT devices, granting network access to only valid personnel.
Headquarters: Palo Alto, California
Stock Exchange: NYSE
Stock Symbol: RBRK
Rubrik provides businesses with Zero Trust Data Security solutions for effectively addressing cyber attacks, malicious insiders and operational disruptions. Its platform is designed to help IT and security teams bolster organizational resilience by streamlining risk discovery and mitigation. The company counts 33 percent of Fortune 500 companies among its customers.
Headquarters: San Diego, California
Stock Exchange: NASDAQ
Stock Symbol: QCOM
Qualcomm makes semiconductors and other tech components for a variety of audio devices, smartphones and smart home gadgets, with a particular focus on 5G hardware and network access. In 2022, the company created the world’s first 5G AI processor, combining its 5G and artificial intelligence capabilities. In addition to its work in semiconductors, 5G and wireless technology, Qualcomm is also one of many innovators in the VR and extended reality space.
Headquarters: Boston, Massachusetts
Stock Exchange: NYSE
Stock Symbol: TOST
Toast’s platform, which features a combination of SaaS products and financial technology solutions, is designed to power restaurant and retail operations. It also provides businesses with 24/7 support and integrations with other popular software tools from more than 200 partners. The company has been public since September 2021.
Headquarters: Santa Clara, California
Stock Exchange: NASDAQ
Stock Symbol: AMAT
Applied Materials provides the equipment, services and software needed to manufacture semiconductor chips used in a variety of electronics, flat panel displays for computers, smartphones, televisions and solar products. The company claims it modifies materials at an “atomic level” and on an industrial scale in order to shorten product development cycle.
Headquarters: Mooresville, North Carolina
Stock Exchange: NYSE
Stock Symbol: LOW
Lowe’s aims to support home improvement projects by connecting consumers with products ranging from roofing and flooring supplies to appliances like dishwashers, refrigerators, ovens and water heaters. Through its more than 1,700 store locations, Lowe’s supports roughly 16 million customer transactions every week.
Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia
Stock Exchange: NYSE
Stock Symbol: GPN
As its name indicates, Global Payments facilitates payment operations for companies around the world, offering B2B money transfers, cash management services and financial electronic data interchange. It also has tools made specifically for domestic and international acquisition, as well as payroll and data analytics. And sales teams can use Global Payments to analyze their user data, manage their team’s onboarding and payroll and even start loyalty programs for customers.
Headquarters: San Fransisco
Stock Exchange: NYSE
Stock Symbol: FIG
Figma develops a collaborative design tool used for prototyping websites, mobile apps and software products. UX and UI designers use the platform to iterate before developers build the site through code. Recently, the company has looked to streamline the development process by allowing users to publish websites directly from their designs without needing to code.
Headquarters: New York, New York
Stock Exchange: NASDAQ
Stock Symbol: FLNT
Fluent specializes in creating tailored digital experiences for brands using first-party data collected through their proprietary network of lead-generating websites. Through opt-in surveys and targeted campaigns, Fluent connects businesses with their desired audience, driving sales and engagement across various channels. With a focus on mobile acquisition, lead generation, subscription marketing and inbound call marketing, the company leverages its massive consumer database to effectively market to specific customers.
Headquarters: Remote
Stock Exchange: NASDAQ
Stock Symbol: COIN
Coinbase is a crypto exchange that made its debut on the Nasdaq in April 2021. Its solutions serve individuals, businesses and institutions, helping to increase economic freedom by expanding cryptoeconomy participation on a global scale. Coinbase’s platform allows users to securely buy, sell and manage a diverse range of cryptocurrencies.
Headquarters: San Jose, California
Stock Exchange: NASDAQ
Stock Symbol: CSCO
Cisco develops networking hardware like routers and wireless access points for enterprise businesses, as well as cloud and cybersecurity equipment with software to help manage their secure networks. Cisco also makes it easy for businesses to connect, manage and secure their IoT devices using AI and machine learning.
Headquarters: San Francisco, California
Stock Exchange: NYSE
Stock Symbol: XYZ
As the parent company of Square, Cash App, Spiral, Tidal and TBD, Block is a leader in the finance industry. Square and Cash App are likely its most familiar offerings, providing business software and mobile banking services, respectively. Spiral and TBD are focused on cryptocurrency, specifically Bitcoin. And Tidal is a music streaming platform designed to bring fans closer to artists through unique content and experiences.
Headquarters: Stamford, Connecticut
Stock Exchange: NYSE
Stock Symbol: SPB
Spectrum is a connectivity company under the banner of Charter Communications. It provides small business and residential consumers with television, internet and telephone services. The company says it’s always hiring for tech professionals.
Headquarters: Aurora, Canada
Stock Exchange: NYSE
Stock Symbol: MGA
Magna International is a mobility company that aims to respond quickly to change in the automotive industry. Boasting a team of 179,000 entrepreneurial-minded employees, the company spans 343 manufacturing operations and 105 product development, engineering and sales centers in 28 countries. Magna International began trading on the NYSE in October 1992.
Headquarters: Palo Alto, California
Stock Exchange: NYSE
Stock Symbol: HPQ
HP is perhaps best known for its laptops, desktops and printers. But over the years it has rolled out several other products as well, including VR headsets for both the workplace and gaming, and industrial 3D printers, which are used across the aerospace, consumer goods and electronics industries. The company has even created its own autonomous robot that can generate accurate construction site layouts.
Headquarters: New York, New York
Stock Exchange: NASDAQ
Stock Symbol: GEMI
Gemini is a cryptoexchange founded by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, two tech investors and founders of the VC firm Winklevoss Capital. Through the platform users can trade over 70 digital assets, including Bitcoin and Ethereum. It also focuses on security by providing cold storage solutions and insurance coverage for holdings.
Headquarters: Moline, Illinois
Stock Exchange: NYSE
Stock Symbol: DE
John Deere provides the agriculture and construction industries with software, hardware and services. It has begun to incorporate artificial intelligence advancement into its products in recent years. The company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DE.
Headquarters: Boston, Massachusetts
Stock Exchange: NYSE
Stock Symbol: DT
Dynatrace’s AI-powered observability platform is used across industries ranging from financial services to education to power analytics and automated workflows. The company, which today employs more than 5,200 professionals across its global footprint, went public in August 2019 with its debut on the New York Stock Exchange.
Headquarters: Pleasanton, California
Stock Exchange: NYSE
Stock Symbol: VEEV
Veeva is a cloud computing company that provides data and software solutions for the fast-evolving healthcare industry. Its suite of products are used to manage all the content and data gathered across the clinical research, regulatory and commercial medical fields, making it easier to bring new medicines to market. Veeva counts several big names in healthcare as customers, including Moderna, Bayer and Sophia Genetics.
Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois
Stock Exchange: NYSE
Stock Symbol: ENVA
Enova International is a fintech company that offers its “Colossus” platform powered by machine learning for online financial services. It serves both businesses and non-prime consumers with a mission to make credit accessible to millions. The company also offers its services and technology to traditional banks.
Headquarters: New York, New York
Stock Exchange: NYSE
Stock Symbol: YOU
CLEAR is a third-party identity verification platform that works with airlines, private venues and government agencies including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Using biometric data, it pre-screens travelers and entrants, allowing for improved efficiency, decreased friction and enhanced security.
Headquarters: San Francisco, California
Stock Exchange: NYSE
Stock Symbol: FRGE
Forge offers access to pre-IPO investment opportunities through its marketplace for buying and selling shares in private companies. Its solutions are designed to enhance private market transparency and make capital more accessible for high-growth companies. Forge has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since March 2022.
Headquarters: New York, New York
Stock Exchange: NYSE
Stock Symbol: CRCL
Circle is a stablecoin issuer, including dollar and euro-backed currencies. Stablecoins can offer the stability of fiat currency, but with many of the benefits associated with cryptocurrencies, such as faster payments and enhanced transparency. Besides stablecoins, Ciricle also provides organizations access to the Arc blockchain, which can help with cross-border payments and on-chain credit and lending, among other solutions.
Headquarters: New York, New York
Stock Exchange: NYSE
Stock Symbol: ZETA
Zeta Global is a technology company focused on building marketing solutions. Its cloud-based platform features tools for targeting known and anonymous users, tailoring customer experiences and accessing business intelligence based on consumer and market trends. The company, which has been around since 2007, made its debut on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2021.
Headquarters: Santa Clara, California
Stock Exchange: NYSE
Stock Symbol: ANET
Arista Networks sells multilayer network switches for large data centers, cloud computing, high-performance computing and high-frequency trading environments, making it easier for businesses to manage and sort through their large quantities of data. In addition to its various data-driven products, the company also offers cloud solutions allowing organizations to better store, analyze and secure their information.
Headquarters: Conshohocken, Pennsylvania
Stock Exchange: NYSE
Stock Symbol: COR
Cencora is a pharmaceutical solutions organization centered on improving the lives of people and animals everywhere. Cencora empowers patient-centered care in more than 50 countries with its end-to-end pharmaceutical commercialization solutions portfolio. It began trading on the NYSE in August 2023.
Headquarters: Santa Clara, California
Stock Exchange: NYSE
Stock Symbol: NOW
ServiceNow’s cloud-based platform helps businesses better manage their employee, customer and IT workflows, build and deploy their own mobile applications, and automate repetitive tasks. The company also offers a variety of perks for its employees, including annual tuition reimbursement for both bachelor’s degrees and MBAs.
Headquarters: Milipitas, California
Stock Exchange: NASDAQ
Stock Symbol: KLAC
Operating mainly in the IoT and automotive industry, KLA offers process control and process-enabling solutions for manufacturing wafers and reticles — two semiconductor parts. The company also offers software solutions to semiconductor manufacturers for modeling and design, as well as the collection and analysis of their production data.
Headquarters: Livingston, New Jersey
Stock Exchange: NASDAQ
Stock Symbol: CRWV
CoreWeave began as a crypto mining company but has since transitioned to be an AI-focused cloud computing firm. It is known as an AI hyperscaler that provides organizations with efficient infrastructure for all their artificial intelligence needs. It operates differently from other infrastructure provided by using GPUs instead of CPUs to deliver the computational power needed for AI development.
Headquarters: New York, New York
Stock Exchange: NYSE
Stock Symbol: STUB
StubHub is a ticket exchange and resale platform where users can purchase tickets for live events, including for sports games and concerts. Additionally, they can use StubHub as a secure platform to sell their tickets to other individuals.
Headquarters: Denver, Colorado
Stock Exchange: NYSE
Stock Symbol: IBTA
Ibotta offers a performance marketing solution that enables brands to deliver digital promotions to consumers through its network of publishers. The Ibotta Performance Network allows marketers to influence the purchasing behavior of hundreds of millions of consumers, and brands only pay Ibotta when campaigns result in a sale. The company, founded in 2011, began trading on the NYSE in April 2024.
Headquarters: Washington, DC
Stock Exchange: NASDAQ
Stock Symbol: CSGP
From offices to apartment buildings to open land, CoStar Group covers the entire real estate landscape, allowing users to analyze and gain insights into commercial property values, market conditions and more. The company has a wide range of brands under its umbrella, including Apartments.com, ForRent.com and LoopNet.
Headquarters: San Francisco, California
Stock Exchange: NASDAQ
Stock Symbol: GTLB
GitLab is a comprehensive AI-powered DevSecOps platform that allows organizations to deliver software more efficiently and securely. The platform approach streamlines the full software development lifecycle. The company boasts more than 30 million registered users worldwide.
Headquarters: George Town, Cayman Islands
Stock Exchange: NYSE
Stock Symbol: BLSH
Bullish is a crypto exchange geared towards institutional clients. The platform enables Bitcoin, Ethereum and stablecoin trading, but also offers enhanced features for trades with tight spreads and margin trading.
Headquarters: New York, New York
Stock Exchange: NYSE
Stock Symbol: TPR
Tapestry is the holding company for the popular luxury brands Kate Spade New York and Coach. It builds up its brands’ e-commerce sites with digital tools and features that aim to elevate shoppers’ experiences. For instance, the company implemented the Coach (Re)Loved program to sell used bags directly on its own website in response to the rising popularity of secondhand Coach bags.
Headquarters: San Fransisco
Stock Exchange: NASDAQ
Stock Symbol: CHYM
Chime is a financial technology company that partners with FDIC-insured banks to provide financial services. For example, it provides no-fee checking and savings accounts along with member bonuses like free tax filing and personalized deals. Chime is headquartered in San Francisco but also has an office in Chicago.
Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois
Stock Exchange: NASDAQ
Stock Symbol: SEAT
Vivid Seats operates an online platform that facilitates ticket buying and selling for a variety of live events, including concerts, comedy shows and NFL games. It also offers a buyer guarantee that ensures tickets are authentic and buyers will be compensated if an event is cancelled. The company was founded in 2001 and made its Nasdaq debut in October 2021.
Headquarters: San Jose, California
Stock Exchange: NASDAQ
Stock Symbol: PYPL
Co-founded by billionaire businessman Peter Thiel in 1998, PayPal was one of the first companies of its kind, making it possible for people to quickly exchange money with each other electronically, as opposed to with cash or money orders. Now, in addition to normal currency, the platform supports the transfer of Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash Ethereum and Litecoin. U.S. users can move their cryptocurrency between PayPal and external crypto wallets or exchanges, as well as fellow PayPal users, without any additional fees.
Headquarters: San Francisco, California
Stock Exchange: NASDAQ
Stock Symbol: ADSK
Autodesk is an architectural software company that handles everything from the planning and execution of construction projects to the creation of animated films and video games. It has also taken a leading role in the development of robotics, virtual and augmented reality and 3D printing.
Headquarters: San Francisco, California
Stock Exchange: NYSE
Stock Symbol: IOT
Samsara provides Internet of Things, or IoT, solutions for fleet operations. It leverages hardware, software and cloud technology to enhance client safety and streamline operations. Its AI-infused Connected Operations Cloud caters to industries such as transportation, construction, utilities, manufacturing and retail, offering strategic workflows based on real-time IoT data.
Headquarters: San Francisco, California
Stock Exchange: NYSE
Stock Symbol: DOCS
Doximity’s digital solutions are designed to support telemedicine interactions and streamline medical practice workflows. For example, providers can use the Doximity app to call patients from a mobile device without revealing their private number. The platform also offers HIPAA-compliant faxing capabilities directly from an iPhone or Android device.
Headquarters: Durham, North Carolina
Stock Exchange: NYSE
Stock Symbol: IQV
Based in the fast-growing tech hub of Durham, North Carolina, IQVIA enables pharmaceutical teams to organize their scattered information into simplified data sets, automate their repetitive tasks, and conduct virtual and hybrid trials so they can complete their clinical research faster and more efficiently. It also leverages AI and machine learning to identify ideal patients for specific trials.
Headquarters: New York, New York
Stock Exchange: NASDAQ
Stock Symbol: MGNI
Magnite is an independent sell-side advertising company that works to help people stay informed, entertained and connected. Publishers use its technology to monetize their content across all screens and formats including CTV, online video, display and audio. Its tech fuels billions of transactions per day. The company was created from the merger of Rubicon Project and Telaria in April 2020. On its first day as a combined company, Magnite’s stock entered the NYSE at $5.47 per share.
Headquarters: Austin, Texas
Stock Exchange: NASDAQ
Stock Symbol: CRWD
Crowdstrike offers a variety of cybersecurity services, including threat intelligence, ransomware blocking, cloud security, antivirus management, identity protection and much more. It also combines machine learning, artificial intelligence and behavioral analytics to execute proactive threat hunting — searching for any cyber threats that are hiding and collecting data within a business’ digital ecosystem. Crowdstrike’s services are commonly used for election security, finance, healthcare and retail.
Headquarters: Boston, Massachusetts
Stock Exchange: NASDAQ
Stock Symbol: SOPH
SOPHiA GENETICS provides healthcare professionals with data solutions, specializing in biopharmacy, inherited diseases and oncology. Its SOPHiA DDM platform uses biological, radiomics, genomics and clinical data sets to gain multimodal insights. The healthtech company believes that data-driven medicine should be the standard of care.
Headquarters: Stockholm, Sweden
Stock Exchange: NYSE
Stock Symbol: KLAR
Klarna is a fintech company that helped popularize the buy-now-pay-later model. Through its platform, users can shop for products, and depending on the price of the item, split up the purchase into multiple smaller payments. Besides financial services, Klarna also partners with retailers to access its shopping platform and users.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a publicly traded company?
A publicly traded company is a company that lists and issues shares of itself on a public stock exchange or market. Those who buy or receive shares of a public company — known as shareholders — own a portion of the company's assets and profits.
In the United States, a publicly traded company also must disclose relevant financial and business information to the public on a regular basis.
What is an example of a publicly traded company?
Nvidia, Google, Apple and Microsoft are a few examples of publicly traded companies.
What is the difference between NYSE and Nasdaq?
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is an auction market where traders buy and sell stocks amongst each other, while the Nasdaq is a dealer market where participants trade stocks through a market maker. Traditionally, the NYSE is home to many older, established “blue-chip” companies, while the Nasdaq is known for its high concentration of technology and growth-oriented companies.
Why do companies choose to go public?
Companies may choose to go public to raise large amounts of capital for expansion, research or debt repayment by selling shares to the general public. Additionally, being a public company increases brand visibility and provides liquidity for early investors and employees through the trading of their stock.
What industries have the most publicly traded companies?
The financial services, technology and healthcare sectors typically have the highest number of publicly traded companies due to their massive scale and constant need for capital. Other prominent industries with publicly traded companies include consumer discretionary and industrials, which feature various global manufacturing and retail corporations.
