Comcast Corp., the nation's largest cable-television company, was 66th, with 2010 revenue of $37.9 billion. In January, the Philadelphia company acquired a controlling interest in NBCUniversal; if the combined company had existed last year, its revenue would have been $54.5 billion and it would have ranked 44th in the Fortune 500.
In all, 23 Pennsylvania companies - including Rite Aid Corp., United States Steel Corp., PNC Financial Services Corp., and H.J. Heinz Co. - were on the list.
In New Jersey, 20 companies made the Fortune 500, including health-benefits company Medco Health Solutions Inc., Merck & Co., Johnson & Johnson, and Prudential Financial.
Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, held the top spot for a second year thanks to gains at its international stores. The company's U.S. division has had seven straight quarters of declines in revenue, compared with a year earlier, at stores open at least a year.
The list was filled with examples of how rising fuel prices are affecting the economy. Wal-Mart, was followed, for example, by the three largest U.S. oil companies: Exxon Mobil Corp., Chevron Corp., and ConocoPhillips.
The magazine said America's top companies had profited by boosting productivity and cutting jobs. Also, like Wal-Mart, they relied on growing operations overseas. The strategy helped them increase earnings 81 percent to $318 billion. That was the third-largest combined profit gain in the list's history.
The largest jump in profit came in 2004, when Fortune 500 companies reported a more than sixfold increase in earnings. Companies that made the list a year ago - based on 2009 revenue - increased profits more than fourfold.
