Business & Industry is one of Jeopardy!'s largest and most consequential topics, with 2,956 total clues and a massive 160 Final Jeopardy appearances. That 5.4% FJ ratio means this topic appears in Final Jeopardy more often than almost any other subject on the show. If you are preparing for Jeopardy, Business & Industry deserves serious study time.
The round breakdown is fairly standard: 1,748 Jeopardy clues (59%) and 1,291 Double Jeopardy clues (44%), with those 160 FJ clues rounding things out. Correct rates are solid at 85.5% in the J round and 84.0% in DJ, suggesting most business clues are accessible to well-read contestants. But 134 Daily Doubles at only 63.6% correct tell a different story -- when real money is on the line, business knowledge has significant gaps. The era peak is the 1990s with 1,087 clues, reflecting the dot-com boom and intense corporate media coverage of that decade.
The topic draws from 219 distinct raw categories. The core category BUSINESS & INDUSTRY accounts for 1,068 clues alone, but STOCK SYMBOLS (144 clues) is a critical sub-genre -- essentially a 144-question quiz on ticker symbols that demands its own preparation. BUSINESS BIGGIES (97), CORPORATE AMERICA (81), LABOR (79), and BUSINESS (75) round out the major categories.
The gimmes: Coca-Cola (21 clues, 100%), IBM (17, 100%), McDonald's (15, 100%), American Express (13, 100%), General Motors (13, 100%), Gillette (12, 100%), Federal Express (12, 100%), Nike (11, 100%), Johnson & Johnson (11, 100%), Kodak (10, 100%), Hallmark (10, 100%), Apple (10, 100%), Volkswagen (9, 100%), Mattel (9, 100%), General Electric (9, 100%), Ford (8, 100%), DuPont (8, 100%), Disney (8, 100%), 3M (8, 100%), Microsoft (7, 100%), Sony (7, 100%), Amazon (7, 100%), Campbell's (5, 100%), Starbucks (6, 100%).
The stumper zone: Montgomery Ward (80% wrong), Time Warner (50%), AT&T (50%), Western Union (40%), U.S. Steel (40%), Ralston Purina (40%), RadioShack (40%), Del Monte (40%), Michelin (37.5%), Standard Oil (33.3%), Nestle (33.3%), Estee Lauder (33.3%), Toyota (28.6%), Xerox (25%), Sears (25%), Chrysler (25%).
Study strategy: This guide is organized into five content sections plus a stock symbols reference and a Final Jeopardy analysis. Start with the stock symbols -- 144 clues is a sub-topic unto itself, and ticker symbols are pure memorization that rewards preparation. Then work through the company sections, focusing on founding stories, founders' names, and corporate origins. Final Jeopardy overwhelmingly tests who founded what, when, and why -- origin stories are the single most important pattern in this topic.
The single most-tested answer in all of Business & Industry, and a perfect gimme. The clue angles cycle through a reliable set of facts: pharmacist John S. Pemberton invented it in Atlanta in 1886; Asa Candler bought the formula and built the company; the stock symbol is KO (for the original spelling "Kola"); the disastrous 1985 "New Coke" reformulation forced a return to "Classic Coke" just 79 days later; and its iconic contour bottle was designed in 1915 by the Root Glass Company of Terre Haute, Indiana. The Coca-Cola Company is headquartered in Atlanta and is the world's largest beverage company. The name comes from two original ingredients: coca leaves and kola nuts.
In FJ, Coca-Cola clues test the deeper history -- Pemberton's profession (pharmacist), the New Coke timeline, or the contour bottle's design origin. But at the J and DJ level, this is as close to free money as Jeopardy gets.
Another perfect gimme. Ray Kroc, a milkshake-mixer salesman, met the McDonald brothers in San Bernardino, California, in 1954 and franchised their restaurant concept nationwide. The golden arches are the company's iconic symbol. Corporate headquarters moved to Oak Brook, Illinois (later to Chicago in 2018). Slogans include "You deserve a break today" and "I'm lovin' it." McDonald's is the world's largest restaurant chain by revenue. The Hamburger University training center is in Oak Brook. In FJ, the Kroc origin story is the primary angle.
A gimme with a favorite FJ fact: the company's iconic red-and-white label was adopted in 1898 after an executive attended a Cornell-Penn football game and admired Cornell's red-and-white uniforms. Andy Warhol's 32 paintings of Campbell's soup cans (1962) cemented the brand in pop culture. Founded in 1869 in Camden, New Jersey. The "Mmm Mmm Good" slogan dates to the 1930s. Campbell's has appeared as an FJ answer twice, with the Cornell label story being the go-to clue.
~6 clues · 83.3% correct
A frequent FJ answer with three Final Jeopardy appearances -- one of the most repeated FJ answers in the topic. The FJ angles: Betty Crocker (a fictional character created in 1921 as a composite), Wheaties ("The Breakfast of Champions" since 1927), and Cheerios (originally "CheeriOats," introduced in 1941). The company was formed in 1928 from a merger of regional flour mills. Headquarters in Golden Valley, Minnesota. Know the three FJ angles cold -- Betty Crocker, Wheaties, Cheerios.
Watch out: General Mills (3 FJ appearances) is one of the most frequently tested FJ answers in this entire topic. The clues always approach from a product angle -- name the parent company of this iconic brand. If an FJ clue describes a cereal, a fictional spokeswoman, or a sports-themed breakfast product, think General Mills.
~6 clues · 83.3% correct
A two-time FJ answer with a notable stumper rate (33.3% wrong overall). Henri Nestle founded the company in Vevey, Switzerland, in 1866, originally making infant formula. The company later merged with the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company. Nestle is the world's largest food company by revenue. Products include Nescafe, Kit Kat (outside the US), and Stouffer's. FJ clues test the Swiss origins and the founder's name. The accent on the final e (Nestle) and the founder's German-Swiss background are details worth knowing.
~12 clues · 90.0% correct
A two-time FJ answer. William Procter (a candlemaker from England) and James Gamble (a soapmaker from Ireland) were married to sisters and founded the company in Cincinnati in 1837. Stock symbol PG. P&G pioneered the concept of the "soap opera" by sponsoring radio dramas in the 1930s. Major brands include Tide, Ivory soap ("99 and 44/100% pure"), Pampers, Gillette, and Crest. The founding story -- two brothers-in-law, candles and soap, Cincinnati -- is the standard FJ angle.
~2 clues + FJ
Henry J. Heinz founded the company in Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1869. The "57 Varieties" slogan was adopted in 1896, even though the company already made more than 57 products -- Heinz just liked the number. Two FJ appearances. Pittsburgh is the long-time headquarters.
~8 clues · 87.5% correct
Milton S. Hershey founded his chocolate company in 1894 in Derry Township, Pennsylvania, which was later renamed Hershey, Pennsylvania. The town's street lamps are shaped like Hershey's Kisses. Hershey's Kisses got their name from the sound the machine made depositing chocolate. Milton Hershey was a noted philanthropist who founded the Milton Hershey School for orphaned children.
A perfect gimme. Joyce C. Hall founded Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1910. The slogan "When you care enough to send the very best" dates to 1944. Hallmark is also known for the Hallmark Hall of Fame television series, the longest-running primetime series in TV history.
Named after Starbuck, the first mate in Herman Melville's Moby-Dick. The first store opened in Seattle's Pike Place Market in 1971. The green siren logo is derived from a 16th-century Norse woodcut of a twin-tailed mermaid. Howard Schultz transformed the company from a coffee bean retailer into a coffeehouse chain after visiting Milan's espresso bars in 1983.
Anheuser-Busch (15 clues, 80.0%) -- Eberhard Anheuser and Adolphus Busch founded the brewery in St. Louis. The Budweiser Clydesdales are a famous advertising icon. Stock symbol BUD.
Mattel (9 clues, 100%) -- Ruth Handler created the Barbie doll in 1959 and named it after her daughter Barbara. Hot Wheels launched in 1968. Founded in a garage in Southern California.
IKEA (FJ, 2x) -- The name is an acronym: founder Ingvar Kamprad's initials (I.K.) plus Elmtaryd (his family farm) and Agunnaryd (his village). This etymology is the standard FJ angle and has appeared twice. Swedish flat-pack furniture giant.
Watch out: Nestle (33.3% wrong) and Anheuser-Busch (20% wrong) are stumpers despite being huge brands. The clues that trip people up tend to involve the founders' nationalities or the companies' European origins.
A perfect gimme and a three-time FJ answer -- tied with General Mills for the most FJ appearances in this topic. FJ angles: Michael Moore's 1989 documentary Roger & Me (about GM plant closings in Flint, Michigan); GM's removal from the S&P 500 in 2009 during its bankruptcy; and Mary Barra, who became GM's CEO in 2014 (and the first woman to lead a major automaker). Stock symbol GM. Founded in 1908 by William C. Durant in Flint, Michigan. Headquarters in Detroit's Renaissance Center. The "Big Three" automaker alongside Ford and Chrysler (now Stellantis). Alfred P. Sloan's management philosophy ("a car for every purse and purpose") shaped the modern corporation.
~13 clues · 75.0% correct
A notable stumper at 25% wrong. Walter P. Chrysler founded the company in 1925. Stock symbol was C. Lee Iacocca famously rescued the company from near-bankruptcy in 1979-1980 with a federal loan guarantee of $1.5 billion. The minivan (1984 Dodge Caravan/Plymouth Voyager) was Chrysler's saving grace. The Chrysler Building in New York (1930) was briefly the world's tallest building. Chrysler merged with Daimler-Benz in 1998 and later with Fiat in 2014 to form FCA, now part of Stellantis.
Watch out: Chrysler at 25% wrong is a significant stumper. The clues that trip contestants up involve the corporate history -- the Iacocca rescue, the Daimler merger, or Walter Chrysler himself. When a clue mentions a federal loan guarantee or Lee Iacocca, think Chrysler.
Henry Ford founded the Ford Motor Company in 1903 in Dearborn, Michigan. The Model T (1908-1927) revolutionized manufacturing with the assembly line. Ford's $5-a-day wage (1914) doubled the typical auto worker's pay. The company went public in 1956 in what was then the largest IPO in history. The Edsel (1957-1960) is the iconic business failure -- named after Henry Ford's son.
~12 clues · 91.7% correct
FIAT stands for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (Italian Automobile Factory of Turin). Founded in 1899 in Turin, Italy. The Agnelli family controlled Fiat for decades. Fiat merged with Chrysler in 2014 to form Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA).
The name means "people's car" in German. Ferdinand Porsche designed the original Beetle at the behest of Adolf Hitler in the 1930s. The Beetle became the best-selling car in history. VW replaced Toyota as the world's largest automaker in 2015 -- but then the diesel emissions scandal ("Dieselgate") caused its stock to drop by a third. That rise-and-fall story is an FJ clue. The Bus (Type 2) became a counterculture icon.
~7 clues · 28.6% wrong
A major stumper. The company was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda in 1937 -- the name was changed from "Toyoda" to "Toyota" because it takes eight brush strokes in Japanese, considered a lucky number. The Toyota Production System (lean manufacturing, just-in-time) revolutionized global manufacturing. Headquarters in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The Corolla is the best-selling car nameplate in history.
~17 clues · 87.5% correct
The second most-tested answer in the topic (tied with IBM). Stock symbol BA. William Boeing founded the company in 1916 as Pacific Aero Products Company in Seattle. The Everett, Washington factory is the world's largest building by volume. The 747 (first flight 1969) was the first wide-body commercial jet. Boeing merged with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Clue patterns: stock symbol BA, the Everett factory, the 747, and the founding name "Pacific Aero Products."
Originally the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, founded in 1902 in Two Harbors, Minnesota, to mine corundum (an abrasive mineral). The mining venture failed, but the company pivoted to sandpaper and then to adhesive products. Post-it Notes (invented accidentally by Spencer Silver in 1968, developed by Art Fry in 1974) are the most famous product. Scotch tape is another flagship brand. The founding-as-a-mining-company story is a favorite FJ angle.
Eleuthere Irenee du Pont founded the company in 1802 near Wilmington, Delaware, originally as a gunpowder mill. The du Pont family had fled revolutionary France. DuPont later became famous for synthetic materials: nylon (1935), Teflon (1938), Kevlar (1965), and Lycra/Spandex. The slogan "Better Things for Better Living... Through Chemistry" ran from 1935 to 1999.
~5 clues · 80.0% correct
Stock symbol CAT. Headquartered in Peoria, Illinois (the origin of the expression "Will it play in Peoria?"). The world's largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment. The company's yellow-painted machinery is iconic on construction sites worldwide.
~6 clues · 40% wrong
A notable stumper. Stock symbol X -- one of the most distinctive ticker symbols on the NYSE and a favorite stock symbol clue. J.P. Morgan created the company in 1901 by merging Andrew Carnegie's steel operations with other producers. It was the first billion-dollar corporation in history. The "X" ticker symbol and the Morgan-Carnegie founding are the two key clue patterns.
Goodyear (7 clues, 77.8%) -- Named after Charles Goodyear, who vulcanized rubber (but never had any connection to the tire company). The Goodyear Blimp is the famous advertising vehicle. Headquartered in Akron, Ohio.
Michelin (7 clues, 62.5%) -- A stumper at 37.5% wrong. The Michelin Guide restaurant ratings started in 1900 as a way to encourage driving (and tire wear). The Bibendum (Michelin Man) mascot dates to 1898. French company headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand.
Standard Oil (6 clues, 66.7%) -- John D. Rockefeller's monopoly, broken up by the Supreme Court in 1911 into 34 companies. Descendants include ExxonMobil, Chevron, and BP (via Amoco). The 1911 antitrust case is the standard clue angle.
Tied with Boeing as the second most-tested answer. A perfect gimme. Known as "Big Blue" for its blue logo and corporate culture. Stock symbol IBM. Originally founded in 1911 as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR); Thomas J. Watson Sr. renamed it International Business Machines in 1924. The IBM Selectric typewriter (1961) revolutionized office work with its golf-ball-shaped typeball. Deep Blue defeated chess champion Garry Kasparov in 1997. Watson (named after the founder) won on Jeopardy! in 2011. FJ clues tend to focus on the CTR founding name, the "Big Blue" nickname, or Watson's role in the company's early history.
Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne (who sold his 10% stake for $800) founded Apple in a Cupertino garage in 1976. The Macintosh (1984) introduced the graphical user interface to mainstream computing. The "1984" Super Bowl commercial, directed by Ridley Scott, is one of the most famous ads ever. The iPod (2001), iPhone (2007), and iPad (2010) transformed the company from a computer maker into the world's most valuable corporation. FJ clue: Bill Fernandez introduced Jobs and Wozniak and became Apple's first full-time employee.
Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft in 1975 in Albuquerque, New Mexico (not Seattle -- a potential trick). The company moved to Bellevue, Washington, in 1979 and later to Redmond. MS-DOS (1981) and Windows (1985) became the dominant PC operating systems. Gates was the world's richest person for much of the 1990s and 2000s.
Jeff Bezos founded Amazon in 1994 in his Bellevue, Washington, garage. Originally an online bookstore, Bezos chose the name because the Amazon River is the world's largest river -- he wanted "earth's biggest bookstore." That naming origin is a two-time FJ angle. The company's logo has an arrow from A to Z, suggesting it sells everything. Amazon Web Services (AWS) became the world's largest cloud computing platform.
George Eastman founded the Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, New York, in 1888. The name "Kodak" was invented by Eastman because he liked the letter K -- it was "strong and incisive." The Brownie camera (1900) made photography affordable for the masses. The slogan "You press the button, we do the rest" dates to 1888. Kodak filed for bankruptcy in 2012, unable to adapt to digital photography despite having invented the first digital camera in 1975.
~7 clues · 75.0% correct
A stumper at 25% wrong. Chester Carlson invented xerography (dry copying) in 1938. The name comes from the Greek xeros (dry) and graphein (to write). Xerox PARC (Palo Alto Research Center) developed the mouse, graphical user interface, and Ethernet in the 1970s -- technologies Steve Jobs saw and adapted for the Macintosh. The company's name became so synonymous with photocopying that it launched campaigns asking people not to use "xerox" as a verb.
~6 clues · 83.3% correct
Edwin Land founded Polaroid and invented instant photography. The first Polaroid camera, the Land Camera Model 95, went on sale in 1948. Land held 535 patents, second only to Thomas Edison at the time. The company went bankrupt in 2001, unable to compete with digital photography.
Founded in 1946 in Tokyo by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita. The name "Sony" comes from the Latin sonus (sound) and the American slang "sonny boy." The Walkman (1979) created the portable music category. The PlayStation (1994) made Sony a dominant force in gaming. The Trinitron TV and the Betamax VCR (which lost to VHS) are also frequently tested products.
~6 clues · 50.0% correct
A major stumper at 50% wrong. Stock symbol T -- the single-letter ticker reflects its status as the original telephone monopoly. Alexander Graham Bell's telephone patent (1876) led to the founding of the Bell Telephone Company, which became American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T) in 1885. The 1984 breakup of AT&T into the "Baby Bells" was the largest corporate divestiture in history. The rebuilt AT&T (after acquiring SBC Communications) is now the largest telecommunications company.
Watch out: AT&T (50% wrong) is the biggest stumper among major technology companies. Clues often describe the Bell System, the 1984 breakup, or the single-letter stock symbol "T" -- contestants struggle to connect these historical details to the modern AT&T brand.
Federal Express / FedEx (12 clues, 100%) -- Fred Smith founded Federal Express in 1971, reportedly writing the business plan as a Yale term paper (for which he allegedly received a C grade). FedEx introduced overnight delivery as a mainstream service. Headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee.
Western Union (6 clues, 40% wrong) -- A stumper. Founded in 1851, it was the dominant telegraph company. Sent the first transcontinental telegram in 1861. Despite its name recognition, contestants struggle with clues about 19th-century telecommunications.
RadioShack (5 clues, 40% wrong) -- Another stumper. The name originally referred to a room on a ship housing radio equipment. Founded in 1921 in Boston to sell radio equipment to ham radio operators.
Disney (8 clues, 100%) -- Walt Disney founded the company in 1923. Disneyland opened in Anaheim, California, in 1955. Walt Disney World opened in Orlando, Florida, in 1971. The company's animated features, theme parks, and media acquisitions (ABC, Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, 21st Century Fox) make it one of the most diversified entertainment conglomerates.
~12 clues · 75.0% correct
A stumper at 25% wrong. Richard Warren Sears started selling watches by mail in 1886; he partnered with Alvah Curtis Roebuck, a watchmaker, in 1893. The Sears catalog ("The Big Book") was a cultural institution from the 1890s through 1993. The Sears Tower in Chicago (now Willis Tower) was the world's tallest building from 1973 to 1998. Stock symbol was S. Sears filed for bankruptcy in 2018. The founding story (watches by mail) and the tower are the main clue angles.
Frank Winfield Woolworth opened his first successful "five-and-dime" store in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1879. The Woolworth Building in New York (1913) was the world's tallest building until the Chrysler Building surpassed it in 1930; it was called the "Cathedral of Commerce." The Greensboro, North Carolina, Woolworth's lunch counter sit-in (February 1, 1960) was a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement.
Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman (a University of Oregon track coach) founded Nike in 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports. Bowerman famously made the first waffle-sole running shoe using his wife's waffle iron. The Nike name comes from the Greek goddess of victory. The Swoosh logo was designed by Portland State University graphic design student Carolyn Davidson for $35 in 1971. "Just Do It" debuted in 1988. Stock symbol NKE. Headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon.
~7 clues · 83.3% correct
Levi Strauss, a Bavarian immigrant, founded his dry goods business in San Francisco during the Gold Rush in 1853. Jacob Davis, a tailor, proposed using copper rivets to strengthen pants -- they received a joint patent in 1873. The 501 jean is the flagship product. "Levi's" became synonymous with denim jeans worldwide.
A perfect gimme. Stock symbol AXP. Founded in 1850 in Buffalo, New York, as an express mail company. The company invented the traveler's check in 1891 -- a major innovation in safe travel funds before credit cards. The "Don't leave home without it" slogan was voiced by Karl Malden. The Centurion Card ("Black Card") is one of the most exclusive credit cards. American Express is a Dow Jones Industrial Average component.
~5 clues · 80.0% correct
Warren Buffett's conglomerate, headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. Originally a textile manufacturing company, Buffett took control in 1965 and transformed it into a holding company. Berkshire Hathaway Class A shares are the most expensive stock on the NYSE (trading above $600,000 per share). Buffett is known as the "Oracle of Omaha." Charlie Munger was his longtime business partner and vice chairman.
FJ, 2x
A two-time FJ answer. Not technically an insurance company but an insurance market -- a marketplace where syndicates of underwriters pool and spread risk. It originated in Edward Lloyd's coffeehouse in the 1680s, where merchants, ship owners, and underwriters gathered to arrange marine insurance. Lloyd's insured the Titanic and has famously insured unusual items (Betty Grable's legs, Keith Richards' hands). The coffeehouse origin story is the standard FJ angle.
~3 clues · 33.3% wrong
A stumper. Estee Lauder (born Josephine Esther Mentzer) founded her cosmetics company in 1946. She pioneered the "gift with purchase" marketing strategy. The Lauder family still controls the company. Time magazine named her one of the 20 most influential business geniuses of the 20th century.
Goodyear (7 clues, 77.8%) -- See Auto & Manufacturing section.
Avon (FJ) -- David McConnell founded the California Perfume Company in 1886; it was renamed Avon in 1939, after Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare's birthplace. The Shakespeare connection is an FJ fact. "Avon calling!" is the iconic slogan.
Mary Kay (FJ) -- Mary Kay Ash founded Mary Kay Cosmetics in 1963. The pink Cadillac is the signature reward for top salespeople.
Montgomery Ward (80% wrong) -- The biggest stumper in the topic. Aaron Montgomery Ward founded the first mail-order business in 1872, predating Sears. The company closed in 2001. Clues about the origins of mail-order retail often have "Montgomery Ward" as the answer, but contestants default to Sears.
Watch out: Montgomery Ward (80% wrong) is the single biggest stumper in all of Business & Industry. If a clue asks about the first mail-order catalog, the answer is Montgomery Ward, not Sears. Sears came later (1886). This is a classic Jeopardy trap -- the more famous brand is the wrong answer.
STOCK SYMBOLS accounts for 144 clues in Business & Industry -- a massive sub-category that functions almost as a standalone quiz. These clues follow a simple pattern: the show gives a ticker symbol (or a description of the symbol) and asks for the company, or vice versa. This is pure memorization, and it rewards preparation disproportionately.
These symbols appear most frequently and are virtually guaranteed to come up:
| Symbol | Company | Clues | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| KO | Coca-Cola | Multiple | "K" from original "Kola" spelling |
| IBM | IBM | Multiple | Symbol matches the name |
| BA | Boeing | Multiple | First two letters of company name |
| GM | General Motors | Multiple | Initialism |
| AXP | American Express | Multiple | "A" + "XP" for express |
| T | AT&T | Multiple | Single letter -- the original phone company |
| NKE | Nike | Multiple | Phonetic approximation |
| JNJ | Johnson & Johnson | Multiple | Initials of the ampersand name |
| PG | Procter & Gamble | Multiple | First letters of each founder |
| X | U.S. Steel | Multiple | Single letter -- a favorite trick symbol |
| S | Sears | Multiple | Single letter |
| C | Chrysler | Multiple | Single letter |
| WU | Western Union | Multiple | Initialism |
| DLM | Del Monte | Multiple | Abbreviation |
| CAT | Caterpillar | Multiple | Also the animal |
| BUD | Anheuser-Busch | Multiple | Budweiser's nickname |
The single-letter ticker symbols are a favorite sub-pattern. The NYSE historically assigned single letters to its most prominent, oldest companies:
When a clue says "This company trades under a single letter on the NYSE," run through this list.
The show loves symbols that double as common words or abbreviations:
Stock symbol clues come in several formats:
Memorize the 16 must-know symbols above. Then learn the single-letter symbols and the "spells a word" symbols. Together, these cover the vast majority of the 144 stock symbol clues. This is one of the few areas in Jeopardy where pure flashcard memorization is the optimal strategy.
Watch out: AT&T's symbol "T" and U.S. Steel's symbol "X" are the trickiest single-letter symbols. Both companies are historical giants that many younger contestants may not immediately associate with their single-letter tickers. Del Monte (DLM) at 40% wrong is another stock symbol stumper.
Business & Industry has 160 Final Jeopardy appearances -- one of the largest FJ presences of any topic on the show. This alone makes it one of the most important topics to study for FJ preparation. With roughly 2,956 total clues, the FJ ratio is about 5.4%, meaning this topic punches well above its weight in the final round.
These companies have appeared as FJ answers multiple times -- memorize them:
| Company | FJ Appearances | Key FJ Angles |
|---|---|---|
| General Mills | 3 | Betty Crocker, Wheaties, Cheerios |
| General Motors | 3 | Roger & Me, S&P 500 removal, Mary Barra |
| Procter & Gamble | 2 | Brother-in-law founders, Cincinnati, soap operas |
| Nestle | 2 | Henri Nestle, Swiss origins, infant formula |
| AT&T | 2 | Bell System, 1984 breakup, symbol "T" |
| Campbell's | 2 | Cornell football uniforms, red-and-white label |
| Lloyd's of London | 2 | Edward Lloyd's coffeehouse, insurance market |
| General Electric | 2 | Thomas Edison connection, "We bring good things to life" |
| Heinz | 2 | "57 Varieties," Henry J. Heinz |
| Amazon | 2 | Named after the river, "earth's biggest bookstore" |
| Armand Hammer | 2 | Occidental Petroleum CEO, name coincidence with Arm & Hammer |
| IKEA | 2 | Acronym: Ingvar Kamprad + Elmtaryd + Agunnaryd |
The single most common FJ pattern in Business & Industry asks contestants to identify a company from its founding story -- who started it, when, where, and under what original name:
If the FJ category is Business & Industry and the clue describes an origin story, mentally run through this list.
The show loves surprising corporate origin stories: - Campbell's label from Cornell football uniforms - Avon named for Shakespeare's birthplace - 3M founded to mine corundum (an abrasive) - IKEA is an acronym for a Swedish boy's initials, farm, and village - Starbucks named after a Moby-Dick character - Kodak: George Eastman liked the letter K - Amazon: Jeff Bezos wanted the name of the biggest river
| Answer | Clues | Wrong % | What trips contestants up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery Ward | 5 | 80% | Contestants say "Sears" -- Ward came first (1872) |
| AT&T | 6 | 50% | Bell System history, 1984 breakup details |
| Time Warner | 4 | 50% | Media merger history is confusing |
| Western Union | 5 | 40% | 19th-century telegraph company feels archaic |
| U.S. Steel | 5 | 40% | Symbol "X," J.P. Morgan/Carnegie founding |
| Ralston Purina | 5 | 40% | Pet food parent company obscured by brand names |
| RadioShack | 5 | 40% | Ship radio room origin forgotten |
| Del Monte | 5 | 40% | Stock symbol DLM, canned goods conglomerate |
| Michelin | 7 | 37.5% | Restaurant guide origin, French headquarters |
| Standard Oil | 6 | 33.3% | Rockefeller, 1911 breakup, successor companies |
| Nestle | 6 | 33.3% | Swiss origins, Henri Nestle, infant formula |
| Estee Lauder | 3 | 33.3% | Born Josephine Mentzer, "gift with purchase" pioneer |
| Toyota | 7 | 28.6% | Toyoda-to-Toyota name change, 8 brush strokes |
| Xerox | 7 | 25% | Greek roots, PARC inventions, Chester Carlson |
| Sears | 12 | 25% | Clues about catalogs/towers, not the store itself |
| Chrysler | 13 | 25% | Iacocca rescue, merger history, Walter Chrysler |
Master the founding stories. FJ overwhelmingly tests origin stories -- who founded the company, when, where, and what was the original name or inspiration. This is the single most productive area of study.
Memorize the stock symbols. The 144-clue STOCK SYMBOLS sub-genre is pure memorization. Learn the 16 must-know symbols, the single-letter symbols, and the "spells a word" symbols from the Stock Symbols section.
Know the FJ repeat answers. General Mills (3x), General Motors (3x), P&G (2x), Nestle (2x), AT&T (2x), Campbell's (2x), Lloyd's of London (2x), GE (2x), Heinz (2x), Amazon (2x), Armand Hammer (2x), and IKEA (2x) account for a disproportionate share of FJ appearances.
Study the stumpers. Montgomery Ward (not Sears) for mail-order firsts. AT&T for Bell System history. U.S. Steel for the symbol X. These are high-value answers that separate prepared contestants from the pack.
Focus on the 1990s era. With 1,087 clues from the 1990s, the show has a deep well of dot-com boom, corporate merger, and globalization content from that decade.
Learn the business figures. Armand Hammer, Ray Kroc, Lee Iacocca, Warren Buffett, Mary Kay Ash, Henry Ford -- these names come up repeatedly. Know what company each is associated with and their signature accomplishment or story.
Memorize these and recognize 13.2% of all Business & Industry clues.
| # | Answer | Count | Sample Clue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coca-Cola | 21 | Asa Candler bought out John Pemberton & his partners & established this company in Georgia in 1892 |
| 2 | McDonald's | 17 | This company's 1st restaurant in China served nearly 40,000 people the day it opened, April 23, 1992 |
| 3 | IBM | 17 | After taking over this company, Thomas Watson ordered "THINK" signs placed in every company room |
| 4 | Boeing | 16 | It's the company that made the 717 for mass passengers as well as the F-22 Raptor for very, very specific passengers |
| 5 | General Motors | 14 | In 1992 Hughes Aircraft Co., a division of this automaker, agreed to buy part of General Dynamics |
| 6 | American Express | 13 | Henry Wells & William Fargo co-founded this company known for its credit card; "Don't leave home without it" |
| 7 | Johnson & Johnson | 12 | Band-Aid & Tylenol are now under the parent company Kenvue, spun off from this healthcare company in 2023 |
| 8 | Gillette | 12 | This company introduced its Trac II twin-blade razor in 1971 & the Good News disposable razor 5 years later |
| 9 | Fiat | 12 | Comau, a subsidiary of this Italian company, makes the robots that build its cars |
| 10 | Federal Express | 12 | On April 17, 1973 this company began operations with the launch of 14 small aircraft from Memphis International Airport |
| 11 | Anheuser-Busch | 12 | BUD is the New York Stock Exchange symbol for this brewing company |
| 12 | Procter & Gamble | 11 | Cincinnati company that is #1 TV advertiser, spending $½ billion per yr. |
| 13 | Nike | 11 | This athletic wear company best known for its shoes began in Oregon as Blue Ribbon Sports |
| 14 | Hallmark | 11 | A crown symbolizes this company that produces 10,000 new & redesigned greeting cards a year |
| 15 | Henry Ford | 11 | In 1916 he said, "The only history that is worth a tinker's damn is the history we make today" |
| 16 | Sears | 10 | This company's first retail store opened on February 2, 1925 at Homan Avenue & Arthington Street in Chicago |
| 17 | Kodak | 10 | In 1986 this company was forced out of the instant camera market, having violated 7 Polaroid patents |
| 18 | Chrysler | 10 | Most recent merger between 2 U.S. automakers involved the takeover of AMC by this company |
| 19 | Apple | 10 | Bill Fernandez, who in 1971 introduced to each other the 2 founders of this California company, became its first full-time employee in 1977 |
| 20 | Volkswagen | 9 | This foreign car company opened a Pennsylvania plant in 1978, only to close it 10 years later |
| 21 | Microsoft | 9 | In 1995 NBC & this giant software company announced plans for an all-news television channel |
| 22 | Mattel | 9 | Barbie accounts for about 40% of this toymaker's revenue |
| 23 | Goodyear | 9 | In 1898 Frank Seiberling founded this tire company named for the inventor of vulcanized rubber |
| 24 | General Electric | 9 | The light bulb was one of the first products by this conglomerate that also has financial & media divisions |
| 25 | Campbell's | 9 | On Sept. 29, 2008 every stock in the S&P 500 dropped except this maker of comforting food, founded in 1869 |
| 26 | AT&T | 9 | T—give them a jingle |
| 27 | UPS | 9 | This package delivery firm was founded in 1907 as the American Messenger Company |
| 28 | Woolworth | 8 | Utica, NY was the site of his first 5 & 10¢ store |
| 29 | Walmart | 8 | To become "more nimble", this retailer cut 450 jobs from its Bentonville, Ark. headquarters in 2015 |
| 30 | Sony | 8 | The name of this Japanese electronics company comes from the Latin word for "sound" |
| 31 | Michelin | 8 | Legend has it that the design of this company's Monsieur Bibendum logo was inspired by a pile of rubber tires |
| 32 | Japan | 8 | Country that manufactures the most cars per year |
| 33 | Gerber | 8 | Babies are no longer this food maker's "only business"; it's also in insurance |
| 34 | General Mills | 8 | Minneapolis has flour power as the headquarters of Pillsbury & this "General" company |
| 35 | Gallo | 8 | Last name of little ole winemakers Ernest & Julio |
| 36 | Black & Decker | 8 | In 1946 this tool company marketed its first electric drill for home use |
| 37 | H.J. Heinz | 8 | Today this company markets more than 100 times the number of products found in a slogan it used in 1896 |
| 38 | Xerox | 7 | This company's revenues soared after the introduction of its model 914 copier in 1959 |
| 39 | Toys "R" Us | 7 | In January 2018 (after Christmas, thank goodness) this retail chain that kids love said it would close about 180 stores |
| 40 | Ted Turner | 7 | He's the T of TBS |
| 41 | Levi Strauss | 7 | '49er who found he could make more money making trousers for the other miners |
| 42 | Kimberly-Clark | 7 | This company introduced Kleenex in 1924 |
| 43 | Hewlett-Packard | 7 | An audio oscillator was the first product from this company, founded by 2 Stanford classmates in 1939 |
| 44 | Hershey | 7 | In the 1880s he developed Crystal A Caramels; a product under his own name came out in 1900 |
| 45 | Disney | 7 | In 1990 this entertainment company opened its first mall restaurant—Mickey's Kitchen |
| 46 | 7-Eleven | 7 | With over 13,000 worldwide, it's the world's largest chain of convenience stores |
| 47 | 3M | 7 | Scotch Tape is just one of 50,000 products made by this company |
| 48 | Wendy's | 6 | NBA Sixth Man Junior Bridgeman became the second man among franchisees of this chain with 160 restaurants |
| 49 | Wells Fargo | 6 | With assets of more than $1.6 trillion, there's no more traveling by coach for this U.S. banking leader |
| 50 | U.S. Steel | 6 | X, a company no longer part of USX |
These appear 8+ times. Memorize these first.
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