Top 20 Rank: 19
By most measures the retail giant had a rotten year: its first quarterly earnings decline in a decade, a skittish stock price, and a string of PR disasters (including a marketing chief who allegedly had an affair with a subordinate). Wal-Mart was No. 1 among the Most Admired Companies in our 2003 and 2004 rankings, then fell to No. 12 in the 2005 survey. Yet voters in our poll haven't counted the company out. It hangs on in the top 20 this year (it tied with PepsiCo at No. 19), which may be thanks in some measure to its new green strategy that includes everything from cutting back on packaging to pushing more energy-efficient light bulbs.
More: See how Wal-Mart rates in 8 key areas.
