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100 Best ESG Companies 2021: Top Stocks For Environmental, Social And Governance Values

This is IBD's list of the 100 Best ESG Companies of 2021. Tech giants Microsoft (MSFT), Nvidia (NVDA), Salesforce.com (CRM) and Accenture (ACN) all made the grade, as well as non-tech companies like Linde (LIN), J.B. Hunt (JBHT) and Gildan Activewear (GIL).

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Finding companies with strong stocks and growth needn't be a trade-off with environmental, social and governance values. All of these top ESG companies mix profitability with ethical and social responsibility. To come up with this list, we first screened Dow Jones ESG data, which includes more than 6,000 companies.

We looked for the top 15% of the 2,360 companies whose stock price was $10 or higher and traded in the U.S. Then, we screened for companies with IBD Composite Rating of 85 or better. Then, to break the tie at 100, we screened for Relative Strength Rating and EPS Rating. Finally, we ranked them by Dow Jones ESG data.*

Besides these ratings, the list below shows dividend yield, earnings and sales growth rates, return on equity and SMR Rating, which combines sales, profit margin and ROE performance in one measure.

Make sure to also visit our IBD 50, which is updated daily, to see which of these stocks still qualify for our flagship screen of leading growth stocks.


View Our Full ESG Investing Special Report


Best ESG Stocks

Use this list to find stocks that fit your investing criteria.

Note: At the bottom of the table, be sure to scroll to the right to see all the data. 

Rank Company Symbol Industry ESG Score Comp Rtg RS Rtg EPS Rtg SMR Rtg 3-Yr EPS Growth Rate ROE Last Qtr Sales % Chg Last Qtr EPS % Chg Div Yld
1 Microsoft MSFT Computer Software-Desktop 76.30 99 84 94 A 25% 47% 21% 49% 0.7
2 Linde LIN Chemicals-Specialty 76.00 94 66 85 B 16 9 19 42 1.3
3 Accenture ACN Computer-Tech Services 75.95 97 84 81 A 9 33 21 26 1.0
4 J.B. Hunt JBHT Transportation-Trucking 74.14 89 68 81 B 6 21 36 41 0.7
5 Xylem XYL Machinery-Tools & Resources 73.89 87 87 79 B -8 13 16 65 0.8
6 Texas Instruments TXN Electronics-Semiconductor Mfg 73.14 88 57 90 A 6 58 41 78 2.1
7 Salesforce.com CRM Computer Software-Enterprise 72.92 94 56 87 A 33 12 23 3 n.a.
8 Gildan Activewear GIL Apparel-Clothing Mfg 72.84 87 88 65 C n.a. -2 225 169 n.a.
9 Metropolitan Bank MCB Banks-Northeast 72.68 96 96 93 A 23 12 18 21 n.a.
10 IHS Markit INFO Financial Services-Specialty 72.60 93 84 75 A 11 13 15 17 0.7
11 STMicroelectronics STM Electronics-Semiconductor Mfg 72.37 96 79 96 B 1 14 43 340 0.3
12 Nvidia NVDA Electronics-Semiconductor Fabless Mfg 72.19 99 93 97 A 27 43 68 89 0.1
13 Rogers ROG Electronics-Semiconductor Mfg 72.08 93 85 82 B -1 10 23 52 n.a.
14 Oracle ORCL Computer Software-Database 71.14 93 86 83 A 14 163 8 28 1.4
15 Motorola Solutions MSI Telecom Services-Integrated 70.81 89 87 88 .. 9 0 22 49 1.2
16 Qualcomm QCOM Electronics-Semiconductor Fabless Mfg 70.53 91 51 76 A 25 92 65 123 1.9
17 Sherwin-Williams SHW Chemicals-Paints 70.45 91 76 87 A 17 58 17 12 0.7
18 TE Connectivity TEL Electronics-Parts 70.38 94 79 78 A -5 14 51 203 1.3
19 Hewlett-Packard HPE Computer - Tech Services 70.26 87 76 72 C 7 12 12 70 3.1
20 Exponent EXPO Commercial Services-Consulting 70.12 95 86 89 A 7 20 30 66 0.7
21 Adobe ADBE Computer Software-Desktop 70.06 98 87 94 A 26 41 23 24 n.a.
22 Matson MATX Transportation-Shipping 69.68 99 87 95 A 44 22 67 388 1.5
23 Stellantis STLA Auto Manufacturers 69.22 89 87 73 B -13 16 291 275 n.a.
24 Crown Holdings CCK Containers/Packaging 68.66 89 66 88 A 11 41 34 61 0.7
25 Deere DE Machinery-Farm 68.58 91 83 97 A 14 23 29 107 1.1
26 ASML ASML Electronics-Semiconductor Equipment 68.41 98 94 96 A 26 27 28 49 0.3
27 West Fraser Timber WFG Building-Wood Products 68.38 92 77 74 A n.a. 30 310 1183 1.0
28 Cabot CBT Chemicals-Specialty 68.10 86 51 73 B -11 14 77 2029 2.6
29 Moelis & Co. MC Finance-Investment Banks 67.76 93 91 81 A 3 45 126 1182 3.9
30 Advansix ASIX Chemicals-Plastics 67.76 89 95 73 B -11 11 88 273 n.a.
31 Advanced Micro Devices AMD Electronics-Semiconductor Fabless Mfg 67.67 99 84 99 A 82 36 99 250 n.a.
32 Nike NKE Apparel-Shoes & Related Mfg 67.34 90 82 69 A -2 55 96 282 0.7
33 Artisan Partners APAM Finance-Investment Management 67.10 95 56 88 A 11 168 50 80 7.1
34 Ball Corp. BLL Containers/Packaging 67.05 91 60 85 A 15 32 23 32 0.8
35 Eaton ETN Diversified Operations 66.95 85 85 75 B -4 12 35 98 1.8
36 Tradeweb Markets TW Financial Services-Specialty 66.90 96 82 87 A 21 8 23 30 0.4
37 Applied Materials AMAT Electronics-Semiconductor Equipment 66.89 94 88 91 A 12 41 41 79 0.7
38 Fabrinet FN Electronic-Contract Mfg 66.86 91 84 83 B 12 17 26 36 n.a.
39 Vista Outdoor VSTO Leisure-Products 66.80 89 90 72 A 953 37 38 241 n.a.
40 Qiagen QGEN Medical-Products 66.73 92 64 89 A 26 19 28 22 n.a.
41 ASGN ASGN Commercial Services-Staffing 66.73 90 82 77 B 3 17 17 25 n.a.
42 Dover DOV Machinery-General Industrial 66.65 96 86 92 A 11 26 36 82 1.1
43 Thermo Fisher TMO Medical-Research Equipment & Services 66.65 95 79 94 A 33 24 34 44 0.2
44 American Financial Group AFG Insurance-Property & Casualty 66.54 91 93 87 B 0 10 6 257 1.4
45 CNH Industrial CNHI Machinery-Construction/Mining 66.53 85 85 76 A -17 0 60 700 n.a.
46 Jabil JBL Electronic-Contract Mfg 66.52 95 89 97 B 19 24 14 251 0.5
47 Lam Research LRCX Electronics-Semiconductor Equipment 66.47 90 75 94 A 12 71 48 69 1.0
48 Eli Lilly LLY Medical-Diversified 66.43 94 92 88 A 16 163 23 29 1.3
49 ON Semiconductor ON Electronics-Semiconductor Mfg 66.27 98 88 91 B -22 10 38 425 n.a.
50 Altair Engineering ALTR Computer Software-Design 66.27 94 85 86 B -6 9 22 75 n.a.
51 Apple AAPL Telecommunications-Consumer Products 66.15** 97 76 95 A 17 74 36 100 0.6
52 Arcelor Mittal MT Steel-Producers 66.15 92 93 65 C n.a. -2 76 1253 n.a.
53 Fortinet FTNT Computer Software-Security 66.07 98 97 92 A 39 51 30 14 n.a.
54 Alphabet GOOGL Internet-Content 65.76 99 91 98 A 15 17 62 189 n.a.
55 Simon Property Group SPG Finance-Property REIT 65.40 85 88 56 B -23 40 18 127 4.5
56 Steel Dynamics STLD Steel-Producers 65.39 99 93 95 A -7 14 113 623 1.5
57 Owens Corning OC Building-Construction Products/Misc. 65.36 89 60 91 B 11 13 38 186 1.1
58 Brinks BCO Security/Safety 65.34 89 73 90 A 6 119 27 62 1.0
59 NetApp NTAP Computer-Data Storage 65.33 89 91 75 A 0 198 12 58 2.2
60 Ternium TX Steel-Producers 65.26 99 97 77 B -21 9 125 4867 n.a.
61 Gartner IT Commercial Services-Market Research 65.20 99 96 93 B 19 43 20 87 n.a.
62 Textron TXT Aerospace/Defense 65.06 86 89 81 C -10 8 29 523 0.1
63 Avery Dennison AVY Office Supplies Mfg 64.98 97 87 92 A 12 44 38 77 1.2
64 Five Below FIVE Retail-Discount & Variety 64.86 87 86 85 A 3 14 198 190 n.a.
65 Chemours Co. CC Chemicals-Specialty 64.58 90 77 73 A -32 44 51 567 3.0
66 Mattel MAT Leisure-Toys/Games/Hobby 64.54 90 82 58 A n.a. 40 40 112 n.a.
67 Kimco Realty KIM Finance-Property REIT 64.38 86 84 53 A 26 19 21 -85 3.1
68 Workday WDAY Computer Software-Enterprise 64.30 96 72 95 A 47 25 19 46 n.a.
69 Yum Brands YUM Retail-Restaurants 64.30 88 76 86 n.a. 7 0 34 41 1.5
70 Asbury Automotive ABG Retail/Wholesale-Auto 64.10 97 81 98 A 30 32 79 209 n.a.
71 Northern Oil & Gas NOG Oil & Gas-US Exploration & Production 64.03 90 95 74 B -30 57 n.a. 338 1.1
72 Alexandria Real Estate Equities ARE Finance-Property REIT 63.89 92 76 75 A 26 7 17 43 2.2
73 Crane CR Diversified Operations 63.75 89 84 79 B -10 15 24 205 1.7
74 Mohawk Industries MHK Building-Construction Products/Misc. 63.59 91 87 76 B -9 8 44 1103 n.a.
75 Costco COST Retail-Major Discount Chains 63.52 94 81 87 B 20 26 22 20 0.7
76 Abbott Labs ABT Medical-Diversified 63.51 98 66 94 A 16 21 40 105 1.4
77 Arista Networks ANET Computer-Networking 63.50 97 85 88 A 9 23 31 29 n.a.
78 First Industrial Realty FR Finance-Property REIT 63.25 87 79 81 B 7 11 8 43 1.9
79 Agilent A Medical-Research Equipment/Service 63.23 99 91 90 A 13 21 26 41 0.4
80 Waste Management WM Pollution Control 63.21 92 80 79 A 3 24 26 44 1.5
81 Danaher DHR Medical-Diversified 63.20 98 90 92 A 26 13 36 71 0.3
82 Darling Ingredients DAR Agricultural Operations 63.16 95 89 96 A 77 12 41 200 n.a.
83 Keysight Technologies KEYS Electronics-Scientific/Measuring 63.07 96 90 93 A 22 29 23 29 n.a.
84 Goldman Sachs GS Banks-Money Center 62.93 93 91 94 A 24 13 9 71 1.9
85 Facebook FB Internet-Content 62.86 99 83 97 A 20 25 56 101 n.a.
86 Wesco International WCC Electronics-Parts 62.81 95 93 89 B 10 10 120 99 n.a.
87 Xilinx XLNX Electronics-Semiconductor Fabless Mfg 62.81 94 80 73 A 0 29 21 46 1.0
88 Cadence Design Systems CDNS Computer Software-Design 62.69 95 85 93 A 23 34 14 30 n.a.
89 Semtech SMTC Electronics-Semiconductor Fabless Mfg 62.56 94 51 78 A -2 17 28 51 n.a.
90 EBAY EBAY Retail-Internet 62.46 89 88 76 A 22 75 14 0 0.9
91 American Tower AMT Finance-Property REIT 62.32 95 78 95 A 23 37 20 65 1.7
92 Sun Communities SUI Finance-Property REIT 62.29 95 84 88 B 14 3 99 61 1.6
93 Centerspace CSR Finance-Property REIT 62.27 88 90 53 C n.a. 1 6 436 2.8
94 Hologic HOLX Medical-Systems/Equipment 62.26 98 79 96 A 58 44 42 77 n.a.
95 Flex FLEX Electronic-Contract Mfg 62.25 88 71 83 B 13 25 23 100 n.a.
96 Tractor Supply TSCO Retail/Wholesale Building Products 62.21 89 78 87 A 27 46 13 10 1.1
97 Chipotle CMG Retail-Restaurants 62.12 99 89 98 B 21 16 39 1765 n.a.
98 Zoetis ZTS Medical-Ethical Drugs 62.06 95 80 91 A 14 57 26 34 0.5
99 Gentherm THRM Auto/Truck Original Equipment 61.95 92 88 77 A 12 14 96 383 n.a.
100 Ameriprise AMP Finance-Investment Banks 61.89 89 84 79 A 2 31 25 100 1.7

READ MORE ABOUT THE BEST ESG COMPANIES:

This Is Why Microsoft Is The Best ESG Company Now

ESG Is An 'Effective And Sustainable' Investing Strategy Right Now

This Why Nvidia Is Among The Best ESG Companies Now

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*All data from IBD and Dow Jones is as of 8/31/2021.
**Note: On 10/22/2021, the ESG score for Apple was updated by Dow Jones to 68.68 based on new information from Apple.