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4. General Electric
Fortune rank: 4
2008 profit: $17.41 Billion
CEO Jeff Immelt called 2008 "brutal.'' GE's earnings were dragged down 22% by losses in its biggest business: GE Capital.

Once an earnings generator, the financial services segment's missteps in residential mortgages and commercial real estate forced GE to get a capital infusion from Warren Buffett and cut its dividend.

NEXT: Wal-Mart Stores
Last updated April 20 2009: 11:09 AM ET
2009 Fortune 500
Top 50
Top 50
Exxon Mobil pushes Wal-Mart aside to retake the No. 1 slot this year. Which other companies made the top 50 this year? More
They're hiring!
They're hiring!
As many big companies are announcing mass layoffs, these Fortune 100 employers have at least 150 openings each. More
The biggest losers
The biggest losers
Companies from AIG to United Airlines, from ConocoPhillips to Motorola lost billions of dollars last year. Who lost the most? More
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