13. Newmont Mining
2010 Fortune 500 rank: 295
2009 profit growth: 52.1%
2009 revenue growth: 24.8%
CEO since 2007: Richard T O'Brien
In July 2007, with gold at $660 an ounce, Newmont CEO Richard O'Brien canceled his company's short positions on the precious metal and then watched gold zoom past $1,200 in 18 months. He also cut costs by 4% and boosted production.
The result: Sales were up 25% last year, to $7.7 billion, and profits rose 52%, to $1.3 billion.
Now Moynihan is betting that currency weaknesses, budget deficits, and low interest rates will continue to enhance gold's luster.
NEXT: 14. Ross Stores
