They’re the pantheon of tech giants, their names etched in silicon and whispered in algorithms. The tech world worships at the altar of the Magnificent Seven: AAPL, MSFT, GOOG, AMZN, META, NVDA, TSLA. 

Apple, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Meta, Nvidia, Tesla. The Magnificent Seven. The gatekeepers of our digital lives, shaping communication and entertainment, and even the future of our sustainability efforts and transportation. 

• Apple, with its sleek iPhones and design-driven ecosystem, has redefined consumer electronics. Market cap? $3 trillion.
• Microsoft, the veteran of the bunch, has weathered storms and reinvented itself as a cloud computing powerhouse. $2.775 trillion in value, including substantial AI holdings.
• Google, the search engine turned information empire, maps our digital journeys and connects us with the world. With its $1.675 trillion market cap and new AI fascination, Alphabet and Google are still ahead of the curve.
• Amazon, the e-commerce behemoth with a $1.55 trillion market cap, has transformed retail and delivery, blurring the lines between physical and virtual stores. They also have their fingers in every pie, from on-demand medical and grocery services to their AI experiments and the all-powerful AWS, which underpins the web as we know it.
• Meta, the $861B social media giant, shapes our online interactions and communities, as well as peer-to-peer selling and the developing megamarket of social commerce.
• Nvidia, the king of graphics cards, powers the world’s most advanced gaming rigs, which they’ve been known for in terms of decades. Now, their new artificial intelligence and hardware applications are best in class. $1.2 trillion market cap.
• Tesla, the electric car pioneer, has redefined transportation with its sleek vehicles and vision for a sustainable future. Market capitalization is $806B — for now, with the caveat that brand safety is currently under discussion for Tesla and its sister companies.

These are the titans of the digital realm and the benchmark for any challenger seeking to join. They’re behemoths that dominate our screens, our wallets and our imaginations. But in our forever-churning technology environment, there’s a quiet question: 

Who is next to join the pantheon?

The Contenders

Broadcom Inc. (AVGO)

This chipmaker extraordinaire, with its laser focus on semiconductors and enterprise software, sits poised on a $320 billion throne. Its tentacles reach into the heart of every device, from smartphones to servers. Its hunger for growth, fueled by strategic acquisitions, could propel it to unimaginable heights. Could Broadcom be the one to crack the Magnificent Seven’s exclusive club?

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)

Healthcare giants, too, flex their muscles in the race for tech dominance. J&J is a titan with a diversified arsenal of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, and wields a $420 billion market cap. Its R&D engine churns out innovation, promising to keep it at the forefront of human health. But can it translate medical prowess into tech supremacy?

Eli Lilly & Co. (LLY)

Innovation is the lifeblood of the tech world, and Lilly (Eli) & Co. (LLY), a pharmaceutical powerhouse, bleeds with it. Its focus on cutting-edge drugs and a robust R&D pipeline promise a market cap of $350 billion by 2024. But the healthcare battlefield is littered with rivals. Can Lilly’s ingenuity carve a path to the tech Olympus?

Exxon Mobil (XOM)

The old guard, too, refuses to fade into the distance. Exxon Mobil (XOM), the oil and gas behemoth, may seem like a relic from a bygone era, but with its $380 billion market cap and potential for adaptation in the face of energy transition, it could surprise us all. Can this fossil fuel giant reinvent itself to become a future-tech titan?

Walmart (WMT)

And finally, who can forget the king of retail? Walmart, with its sprawling network and omnichannel mastery, commands a $400 billion market cap. Its digital transformation is already a retail force to be reckoned with, but will that be enough to break into the exclusive tech club?

The Battle Begins

Imagine a tech coliseum where these contenders face off in a series of gladiatorial duels. In one corner, Broadcom, wielding its silicon sword, clashes against JNJ, its medical prowess a shield and a weapon. Sparks fly as algorithms clash with DNA, and the crowd roars.

 

Meanwhile Lilly, the agile alchemist, dances around XOM, the lumbering giant, dodging its oil-slicked attacks with a flurry of innovative drugs. Can the phoenix of renewable energy rise from the ashes of XOM’s fossil fuel past? And will Walmart, the retail champion, adapt its physical prowess to the digital battlefield, outmaneuvering Broadcom’s silicon blades?

 

Each contender brings unique strengths and vulnerabilities to the arena. Broadcom’s chip-fueled dominance could crumble against JNJ’s ever-evolving healthcare ecosystem. Lilly’s innovation might falter in the face of Broadcom’s strategic acquisitions. XOM’s reinvention could be a mirage, while Walmart’s physical might might prove irrelevant in the digital realm. 

Let’s look into a few final showdowns.

A Clash of Healthcare Titans

In the healthcare arena, two titans stand poised for a clash: Lilly (LLY) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ). Lilly, the pharmaceutical powerhouse, wields a potent arsenal of innovative drugs, from diabetes treatments to cancer therapies. Its R&D pipeline is a treasure trove of potential breakthroughs, promising to push the boundaries of medicine. 

JNJ, on the other hand, is a diversified healthcare giant, a juggernaut with a vast portfolio of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and consumer health products. Its reach extends from Band-Aids to cutting-edge biotechnology, making it a household name synonymous with wellness.

Lilly’s advantage lies in its laser focus on innovation. Its nimble structure allows it to adapt quickly to changing market demands and chase promising new drug targets. JNJ, however, boasts a wider moat, its diversified portfolio offering a degree of stability and resilience. 

Can Lilly’s innovative slingshot pierce JNJ’s armor, or will JNJ’s diversified defenses prove too strong? In this breakdown we’re betting on LLY’s market-responsive agility and thirst for innovation. But can Lilly make it all the way?

Healthcare vs. Compute

What holds more sway, the power of healthcare or the might of computing? Healthcare touches every life, offering the promise of longer, healthier lives. Computing power, on the other hand, fuels innovation across industries, shaping everything from communication to entertainment to scientific breakthroughs.

Advocates for healthcare argue that its impact on human well-being is unparalleled. Companies like Lilly and JNJ hold the keys to unlocking cures for diseases, improving quality of life, and extending lifespans. In a world grappling with aging populations and emerging pandemics, healthcare’s importance seems self-evident.

Those who champion computing power counter that its influence is far-reaching and transformative. Companies like Broadcom and Nvidia provide the essential infrastructure for the digital age, powering everything from artificial intelligence to virtual reality. Their innovations drive economic growth, reshape industries, and even influence scientific discovery. In a world increasingly reliant on technology, computing power’s significance is undeniable.

Notes Toward the Future

Ultimately, the weight given to healthcare versus computing power will depend on the specific context and the evolving needs of society. 

In the long term, the true victor will be the company that bridges the gap, leveraging both healthcare advancements and computing prowess to create a healthier, more technologically advanced future.

Conclusion

The race for the eighth spot in the tech pantheon is a thrilling spectacle, a David-and-Goliath clash where established giants and rising stars battle for dominance. 

Taking as a given the tech bubbles continuously rising and bursting, market capitalization will outpace earnings faster on AI-related stocks like Broadcom’s chips. Even more important are the health concerns of an aging and pandemic-dazed populace, so I can see Eli Lilly giving AVGO a run for its money.

Who will claim the coveted eighth seat? Will it be a healthcare champion like Lilly, a computing powerhouse like Broadcom, or a company that defies categorization altogether? 

The true answer lies in the unfolding story of innovation, where the lines between healthcare and technology are blurring and the potential for breakthroughs is limitless. For my money, I’m betting on Broadcom for the next mega-huge contender.