An updated edition of the July 2, 2025 article.

Corporate leadership is experiencing a subtle yet significant shift as more women step into top executive roles at publicly traded companies. These leaders are not only transforming corporate cultures but also delivering strong business performance across sectors from technology to healthcare. Women-run firms are demonstrating that inclusive leadership fosters innovation, adaptability, and enduring shareholder returns. Far from token appointments, these executives are setting new benchmarks for strategic growth and operational excellence, often surpassing their industry peers. This shift is about more than meeting diversity targets — it’s about finding new ways to grow sustainably and stay profitable over the long term.

Take American Water Works Company, Inc. (AWK Quick QuoteAWK - Free Report) as an example. Serving as EVP and COO of American Water Works, Cheryl Norton has advanced infrastructure resilience, innovation, and climate preparedness, while earning multiple leadership awards and serving on influential industry and community boards. Likewise, Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s (AAPL Quick QuoteAAPL - Free Report) Senior Vice President of Retail + People, has been instrumental in shaping both the company’s global retail presence and its internal culture. Since 2019, she has overseen the expansion and redesign of flagship stores worldwide, launched new locations in key markets like India, and championed the “Today at Apple” program to foster community engagement. 

The financial market is recognizing the value of gender-diverse leadership, with ESG-focused funds prioritizing companies with women in executive roles. The BMJ Global Health review covering 137 studies highlighted that women’s transformational and democratic leadership enhances innovation, ethics, financial performance, health outcomes, and organizational culture. Women entrepreneurs now own 42% of all U.S. businesses, employing 9.4 million workers and generating $1.9 trillion in revenues annually.

Despite this progress, securing adequate funding remains a primary obstacle for women entrepreneurs. Research indicates that women-led startups receive only about 2% of venture capital funding in the United States and Europe. This disparity is partly due to biases in the investment community, where investors often pose "prevention-oriented" questions to female entrepreneurs, focusing on potential risks, whereas male entrepreneurs receive "promotion-oriented" questions that highlight opportunities. Additionally, women entrepreneurs are less likely to seek financing, with only 25% pursuing loans compared to 33% of male business owners.

Despite funding challenges, women-led companies continue to drive innovation and resilience, making them attractive investment opportunities. If you want to capitalize on it, our Women Run Companies Screen will help you spot high-potential stocks in this space. Investors looking to capitalize on this growing sector should consider Newmont Corporation (NEM Quick QuoteNEM - Free Report) in the gold mining industry, Ralph Lauren Corporation (RL Quick QuoteRL - Free Report) in the apparel and luxury goods sector, Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP Quick QuoteADP - Free Report) in the human capital management and payroll services industry, and Casey's General Stores, Inc. (CASY Quick QuoteCASY - Free Report) in the convenience store and fuel retailing sector. These companies exemplify strong leadership and strategic vision, positioning them for long-term success.

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4 Women-Run Company Stocks to Buy Now

Newmont: Natascha Viljoen’s elevation to president and COO in May 2025 underscores her growing influence in steering Newmont’s operational and strategic direction. Amid the immense task of integrating the Newcrest portfolio, her oversight of global operations, project development, and ESG functions positions her at the crux of operational excellence. CEO Tom Palmer emphasized her strong leadership, safety-first approach, and the deep rapport she cultivates across teams—attributes vital for navigating the complexity of merging major assets like Cadia and Lihir.

Under Viljoen’s operational leadership, the second quarter of 2025 marked a standout performance. Newmont delivered adjusted earnings per share of $1.43, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Revenue came in around $5.32 billion, notably ahead of forecasts. The company generated a record $1.7 billion in quarterly free cash flow, produced approximately 1.5 million ounces of gold, and maintained strong liquidity with $6.2 billion in cash and $10.2 billion in total liquidity. All-in sustaining costs rose marginally to about $1,593 per ounce, while gold output dipped 8%, reflecting strategic asset divestments post-Newcrest acquisition. The company also announced a $3 billion share buyback authorization and declared a 25-cent dividend per share, maintaining its shareholder return strategy.

Viljoen’s deep-rooted mining experience—from her former CEO role at Anglo American Platinum to her metallurgical engineering foundation—supports her capability to drive disciplined execution. As Newmont — a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) company — presses ahead with its 2025 guidance and operational synergies, her focus on cost control, safety, and ESG integration is poised to sustain financial momentum and foster long-term shareholder value. Her leadership is central to converting Newmont’s expanded asset base into enhanced productivity, cash generation, and resilient growth. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Ralph Lauren: Since joining Ralph Lauren as Regional CEO for North America in March 2025, Mercedes Abramo has been tasked with steering strategic development, brand elevation, and revenue growth across retail, e commerce, wholesale, and licensing channels. Her luxury retail pedigree—honed through leadership roles at Cartier, including deputy chief commercial officer and CEO of Cartier North America—brings proven brand-building and operational acumen to the region. Investors expect that under her helm, North America will bolster growth momentum and contribute meaningfully to enterprise-wide performance.

Ralph Lauren’s recent first-quarter fiscal 2026 results showed a 14% year-over-year revenue increase overall, including an 8% uptick in North America—highlighting the region’s gradual rebound and potential under Abramo’s leadership. Although her tenure has just begun, the company’s stock remains resilient—trading at approximately $302 per share as of Aug. 14, 2025—reflecting continued investor optimism on operational execution and renewed strategic direction. Analysts and the market appear cautiously bullish that Abramo’s expertise in cultivating emotional brand connections and luxury consumer relationships will translate into stronger, sustainable regional performance.

Abramo’s appointment marks a strategic inflection point: her mandate centers on reinvigorating North America’s performance—which historically delivers a large share of group revenue—through omni-channel synergies and brand differentiation. Her luxury retail background should prove valuable in optimizing customer experiences and elevating profitability margins. Monitoring key performance indicators—like same-store-sales growth, e-commerce penetration, and licensing expansion—will be vital in assessing her impact. If executed effectively, her leadership could not only drive regional revenue acceleration but also serve as a template for global best practices, thereby enhancing this Zacks Rank #1 company’s overall valuation thesis.

Automatic Data Processing: Since becoming CEO in January 2023, Maria Black has led ADP with a people-centric, innovation-driven strategy that has supported consistent financial momentum. In fiscal 2025, ADP delivered revenue growth of 7%, a 50-basis-point expansion in adjusted EBIT margin, and 9% adjusted earnings per share (EPS) growth, reflecting its ability to navigate macroeconomic headwinds while maintaining operational efficiency and disciplined cost management. Her leadership emphasizes aligning product innovation with client needs, while sustaining the company’s long-standing record of shareholder returns.

Operationally, Black has prioritized the modernization of ADP’s product suite, particularly through investments in Workforce Now, Lyric, and other NextGen platforms. These initiatives have driven client retention improvements, productivity gains, and satisfaction levels across segments.

Looking ahead, Black has provided ADP’s fiscal 2026 guidance for 5–6% revenue growth, 50–70 basis points of margin expansion, and 8–10% adjusted EPS growth. She has also initiated early rollouts of Generative AI tools such as ADP Assist, aimed at driving long-term productivity gains and deepening client engagement. By combining disciplined financial management with forward-looking technology investments, Maria Black continues to position this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company as a resilient and growth-oriented leader in the human capital management space, reinforcing its competitive positioning and ability to deliver sustained shareholder value.

Casey's: Ena Williams, as chief operating officer, plays a pivotal role in translating Casey’s strategic vision into operational excellence. She oversees store operations, operations support, real estate, construction & maintenance, asset protection, continuous improvement, and IT. With extensive prior experience—such as serving as CEO of National HME and holding senior international roles at 7 Eleven managing merchandising, logistics, marketing, and expansion—she brings a wealth of operational leadership to Casey’s.

Under her operational stewardship, Casey’s delivered another record-breaking fiscal 2025. The company achieved $15.9 billion in revenues—an increase from the prior year—and generated $546.5 million in net income, up from $502 million in fiscal 2024. The company also built or acquired 270 stores—its most in a single year—boosting footprint through the Fikes/CEFCO acquisition and reinforcing the infrastructure that underpins its growth. These results underscore strong execution of the three-year strategic plan, especially in areas tied to operations, such as same-store sales, inside-sales growth, and fuel volume enhancements.

Williams’s operational leadership directly supports robust profitability and shareholder returns. In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, Casey’s reported EPS of $2.63, despite a 14.5% increase in operating expenses, partly due to new store rollouts. These operational gains contributed to a record high stock price, a dividend boost, and expectations of 10–12% EBITDA growth in fiscal 2026. Williams’s ability to manage rapid expansion while sustaining margin performance is integral to maintaining this Zacks Rank #2 company’s momentum.