In 2024, research by 3BL revealed that companies featured on the 100 Best Corporate Citizens list outperformed the S&P 500, demonstrating a clear link between strong sustainability practices and financial success. Yet, with increasing market volatility in the U.S. and shifting political dynamics, a question emerges: are the country’s largest corporations still prioritizing and reporting on sustainability—and if so, is it boosting or hindering their financial performance?
Since its launch in 1999, the 100 Best Corporate Citizens ranking has evaluated major publicly traded U.S. companies based on their transparency and achievements in sustainability. The criteria are updated annually to align with evolving stakeholder expectations and industry standards, covering areas such as climate action, workforce relations, human rights, and governance. The 2025 findings highlight consistent improvement, with average scores rising by 2.5% compared to last year.
The latest analysis also underscores the market relevance of these efforts. Between January 2022 and July 2025, companies included in the ranking generated annualized returns 2.2% higher than the S&P 500.
The advantage is even more striking among recurring honorees:
106% cumulative returns from 2022 to 2025 (compared to 37% for the S&P 500) 40% cumulative returns when excluding outliers (versus the S&P’s 36.6%) Since its launch in 1999, the 100 Best Corporate Citizens ranking has evaluated major publicly traded U.S. companies based on their transparency and achievements in sustainability. The criteria are updated annually to align with evolving stakeholder expectations and industry standards, covering areas such as climate action, workforce relations, human rights, and governance. The 2025 findings highlight consistent improvement, with average scores rising by 2.5% compared to last year.
The latest analysis also underscores the market relevance of these efforts. Between January 2022 and July 2025, companies included in the ranking generated annualized returns 2.2% higher than the S&P 500.
The advantage is even more striking among recurring honorees:
Why does this matter? Transparent sustainability reporting not only satisfies investor demand for data that helps mitigate risk but may also signal long-term financial resilience. However, whether these disclosures hold equal influence over consumer behavior is still uncertain.