Key takeaways
- Johnson & Johnson is the top-ranked healthcare company on The Wall Street Journal’s 2026 Best Companies for the Future list.
- The Wall Street Journal’s list is based on six criteria: Artificial intelligence (AI) readiness, innovation, talent readiness, financial fitness, resilience and agility, all of which are priorities for the company.
- Evolving to meet the most pressing healthcare needs across the globe is central to Our Credo, the mission statement that has guided Johnson & Johnson for more than 80 years.
A commitment to tackling the world’s toughest health challenges—from immunology to AI-powered surgical solutions, cardiovascular disease to cancer, neuroscience to vision, cell therapies to robotics—is at the heart of everything Johnson & Johnson does.
Once again, the company is being recognized for this work, landing a spot on The Wall Street Journal’s inaugural Best Companies for the Future list for 2026, which ranked the 500 companies across the S&P 500. Johnson & Johnson ranked #1 in healthcare and #20 overall.
The list is a new index designed to recognize companies that are not only thriving today—amid rapid technological, economic and workforce changes—but are well-positioned for growth and success into the future.
What goes into becoming the best
Compiled by the technology and consulting firm Bendable Labs for the WSJ Leadership Institute, the ranking evaluated the 500 companies on the basis of six criteria that together reflect future competitiveness:
- AI readiness: How much the company has integrated AI into its operations and processes
- Innovation: Its investment in new ideas, research and discoveries
- Talent: The strength of its workforce, including skills, retention and ability to adapt
- Financial health: The company’s management of its money and resources
- Resilience: Its ability to handle challenges like economic shifts or supply disruptions
- Agility: How quickly it can respond and adapt to change
Johnson & Johnson’s ranking on the list highlights the company’s strength across all six of these key areas. It also underscores the company’s enduring focus on innovation, resilience and advancing healthcare for patients worldwide—qualities that position it to continue leading in a rapidly evolving global environment.
The company is honored to be named one of The Wall Street Journal’s Best Companies for the Future.
