Woman are slowly but surely taking the reins of companies at high levels historically dominated by men
International Women's Day has come and gone, but as women continue to break barriers in corporate spaces, we would like to highlight just a few of the women CEOs from heavy-hitter companies that we mention often and note how their stock is doing. Those listed are in no particular order.
The CEO of General Motors Co (NYSE:GM), Mary Barra, is number 4 on Forbes' 2022 list of the most powerful women in the world. Barra became the first female CEO of a "big three" automaker, which typically refers to General Motors, Chrysler parent Stellantis (STLA), and Ford Motor Company (F), in December of 2013. Since the start of the year, General Motors stock is up 10%.
The CEO of CVS Health Corp (NYSE:CVS), Karen Lynch, assumed the position in February 2021, and is number 8 on Forbes' list. The healthcare giant is ranked fourth largest on the Fortune 500, and has roughly 9,000 retail locations and over 1,100 walk-in clinics. CVS Health stock has an intriguing valuation for investors at the moment, as the stock yesterday hit its lowest level since May 2021, and is down 25.6% year-over-year.
Rosalind Brewer is a well-known name in the corporate world. Currently CEO at Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) as of March 2021, she was formerly Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Group President at Starbucks (SBUX) -- where she spearheaded diversity initiatives -- and CEO of Sam's Club prior to that. The third Black woman to run a Fortune 500 company, Brewer became the only Black woman to lead an S&P 500 company upon her appointment. Dow member WBA is down 10.9% since the start of the year.
American multinational aerospace and defense technology name Northrop Grumman Corp (NYSE:NOC) has been headed by Kathy J. Warden since 2019. Warden also serves on the board of directors at Merck & Co Inc (MRK). The shares of Northrop Grumman stock are down 15.9% year-to-date, and hanging onto a 3.3% year-over-year lead.
Vicki Hollub became CEO of Occidental Petroleum Corp (NYSE:OXY) in April 2016, making her the first woman at the helm of a major American oil company. Occidental Petroleum stock is consistently on our radar as Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) continues to build stake. Year-over-year, OXY sports a mild 3.5% lead.