Methodology

To create the list, Fortune partnered with Korn Ferry to evaluate 1,500 companies, including the 1,000 largest U.S. companies ranked by revenue and the international companies included in Fortune's Global 500 database. The list was then further narrowed to the companies with the highest revenue in 51 industries. Overall, top-rated companies were selected from 685 companies in 29 countries.

To identify the most admired companies, Korn Ferry asked executives, directors, and analysts to rate organizations within their own industry in nine different areas, including investment value, quality of management and products, social responsibility, and ability to attract talent. To be included in the list, a company's score had to rank among the top half of its industry survey.

The top 50 companies were named as the "50 All-Stars." To select these "All-Star" companies, Korn Ferry asked 3,000 executives, directors, and securities analysts to choose the 10 companies they admired the most. The companies were chosen from a list of companies that ranked in the top 25% in last year's surveys, as well as those that finished in the top 20% of their industry. For the "All-Stars" list, respondents were allowed to vote for any company in any industry.

Only the top 50 companies had overall rankings. Other companies were ranked within their respective industries but listed alphabetically in the overall list.

The most admired companies in healthcare

Overall, 36 healthcare companies made Fortune's list of "Most Admired Companies" for 2026.

The healthcare companies among the "50 All-Stars" were:

• Eli Lilly* (No. 16)
• Johnson & Johnson* (No. 29)
• Danaher (No. 39)
• Pfizer* (No. 46)

Healthcare: Pharmacy and other services

• Charles River Laboratories International
• CVS Health
• IQVIA Holdings
• Labcorp Holdings*
• Quest Diagnostics*
• Veeva Systems

Healthcare: Medical facilities

• DaVita
• Encompass Health*
• Ensign Group
• Fresenius
• HCA Healthcare*
• Tenet Healthcare*
• Universal Health Services

Medical products and equipment

• ·Abbott Laboratories
• Boston Scientific*
• GE Healthcare Technologies
• Henry Schein*
• Medtronic*
• Stryker*
• Thermo Fisher Scientific

* Denotes an Advisory Board member

** Advisory Board is a subsidiary of Optum, a division of UnitedHealth Group. All Advisory Board research, expert perspectives, and recommendations remain independent.