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
