Growth, profits and dividends: a case study with global and centenary companies acting in the equipment large markets

Companies throughout history consider that growth is one of their main goals and doing it profitably is another of the goals to be achieved. The question they face is how to keep the investor interested in making the balance between the payment of growing dividends and/or favouring gains on invested capital. This article presents a performance analysis of some large corporations with similar global presence and significant market share in the manufacturing of electrical and electronic equipment intended for infrastructure projects. To perform the analysis the survey has considered the financial data of three conglomerates published in the New York stock market considering a 20‐year period to minimise the effects of any crisis. So the goal is to find a pattern in the performance of these successful companies that can serve as a model for extremely competitive markets.