An updated edition of the August 7, 2026 article.

Women are taking on a growing role in corporate leadership, with more female executives guiding publicly traded companies across diverse industries. Their influence extends well beyond representation, as many are helping shape strategy, improve operational execution and strengthen capital allocation. By driving innovation, enhancing competitive positioning and maintaining a focus on sustainable growth, these leaders are contributing to stronger business models and long-term shareholder value.

The latest reports paint a nuanced picture: women are becoming a structural force in U.S. entrepreneurship, even as funding and systemic gaps persist. One of the clearest takeaways is scale. Women now own more than 40% of all U.S. businesses, employing roughly 12.6 million people and generating $2.8 trillion in revenues. Growth has also been faster than that of male-owned firms, with women-owned businesses expanding nearly twice as quickly between 2022 and 2025. This shift signals that female entrepreneurship is no longer niche—it is central to the U.S. small- and mid-sized business ecosystem, particularly in services, consumer, healthcare and increasingly tech-enabled sectors. The data suggests women are not just starting companies, but building durable, employment-generating enterprises, a key driver of long-term economic resilience.

Female founders are increasingly gaining traction in AI and next-generation technology markets, which have become the primary destinations for venture capital. This indicates a shift from traditional sectors into high-value, innovation-driven markets, positioning women at the center of future growth themes. According to PitchBook's 2025 Female Founders report, U.S. female-founded startups raised a record $73.6 billion in venture capital in 2025, representing 27.7% of total U.S. VC deal value, the highest share on record. Importantly, AI accounted for roughly two-thirds of all venture dollars invested in female-founded startups.

At the same time, capital is becoming more concentrated in fewer, larger deals—often in AI—suggesting that while top-tier female-led companies are scaling rapidly, broader participation remains uneven.

Despite meaningful progress, female founders continue to face significant challenges in accessing venture capital. Funding disparities remain pronounced, even as women-led businesses have demonstrated strong capital discipline, efficient use of resources and the ability to generate competitive investment outcomes.

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 opportunities across diverse sectors may consider biopharmaceutical giant Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMY Quick QuoteBMY - Free Report) , biotechnology and drug-delivery specialist Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. (HALO Quick QuoteHALO - Free Report) , general merchandise retailer Target Corporation (TGT Quick QuoteTGT - Free Report) , cancer diagnostics provider NeoGenomics, Inc. (NEO Quick QuoteNEO - Free Report) and off-price apparel and home-fashion retailer Ross Stores, Inc. (ROST Quick QuoteROST - Free Report) . These companies demonstrate strong leadership and strategic vision within their respective industries, positioning them for long-term growth and value creation.

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5 Women-Run Company Stocks to Buy Now

Bristol: Wendy Short Bartie, executive vice president and chief corporate affairs officer at Bristol, plays an important role in supporting the company’s broader strategy beyond drug development and commercialization. Bartie oversees strategic communications, corporate social responsibility, corporate marketing and brand reputation, and patient advocacy, while also overseeing the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation. These responsibilities are particularly relevant for a global biopharmaceutical company that must maintain trust among patients, healthcare providers, regulators and other stakeholders while communicating the value of an evolving product portfolio.
 
Bartie also brings substantial commercial experience to the role. Before assuming her current position, she led Bristol’s oncology commercialization activities and previously held senior leadership roles across U.S. Oncology, Hematology and Cell Therapy, in addition to serving as chief of staff to the CEO. This background should help connect BMY’s corporate messaging and patient-engagement efforts with its commercial priorities, particularly as the company shifts toward newer medicines to offset pressure on mature products. Her experience in oncology is especially relevant given the importance of oncology and hematology products across BMY’s growth portfolio.

That strategic transition gained momentum in the second quarter of 2026. Bristol’s revenues increased 6% year over year to $12.97 billion, while Growth Portfolio revenues reached $7.56 billion, supported by newer products. Non-GAAP earnings per share (EPS) rose to $2.04 from $1.46, prompting BMY to raise its 2026 revenue guidance to approximately $49-$50 billion and adjusted EPS guidance to $6.75-$7.00. Although Bartie does not directly control financial performance, her role in strengthening corporate reputation, patient advocacy and strategic communications supports BMY’s ability to position its expanding growth portfolio and navigate a period of significant portfolio transition. Currently, Bristol sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Halozyme: Helen Torley has been central to Halozyme’s strategic evolution since becoming president and CEO in January 2014. Under Torley's leadership, Halozyme has increasingly built its business around drug-delivery technologies and a capital-efficient partnership model, with ENHANZE at the core. She also oversaw the 2022 acquisition of Antares Pharma, which added auto-injector capabilities and commercial products, followed by the expansion into hyperconcentration technologies through acquisitions such as Elektrofi. These moves have broadened Halozyme beyond a single technology platform and strengthened its ability to offer pharmaceutical partners multiple approaches for more convenient subcutaneous drug delivery. 

The financial results increasingly reflect this strategy. In the second quarter of 2026, Halozyme’s revenues surged 48% year over year to $481 million, while royalty revenues climbed 50% to $307.7 million, primarily benefiting from greater uptake of ENHANZE-enabled partner products. Adjusted EBITDA increased 46% to $328.8 million, while non-GAAP EPS rose to $2.28 from $1.54. Following the record quarter, management raised its 2026 guidance to revenues of $1.835-$1.910 billion and adjusted EBITDA of $1.225-$1.280 billion.

Torley has also focused on extending Halozyme’s growth runway through additional partnerships and disciplined capital allocation. The company signed five new ENHANZE and Hypercon collaborations through July 2026, including agreements with Vertex, Oruka, GSK and Incyte, already exceeding its full-year deal target. Meanwhile, Halozyme repurchased about $333 million of shares during the second quarter. Torley’s contribution lies in building a scalable, high-margin royalty model while expanding the technology portfolio to create additional long-term revenue opportunities beyond existing ENHANZE products. Currently, Halozyme carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Target: Lisa Roath has become a key figure in Target’s operational turnaround since assuming the role of executive vice president and chief operating officer in February 2026. She oversees more than 2,000 stores, the global supply-chain network, fulfillment operations including Shipt, enterprise services and properties. Her broad experience across merchandising, marketing, stores and supply chain positions her to connect Target’s product strategy with execution. Management has tasked Roath with improving speed, efficiency and consistency while extending Target’s style-and-design focus across the operating platform.

Roath’s contribution is increasingly visible in Target’s efforts to improve inventory availability and the guest experience. During the second quarter of 2026, her teams helped execute Target’s largest volume of store-space transformations in more than a decade, opened 17 stores, advanced more than 100 remodels and prepared more than 600 locations for Target Beauty Studio. Target also reported multi-year highs in overall inventory reliability, while nearly 30% more same-day and next-day units were fulfilled year over year. Roath is also overseeing greater coordination among stores, merchandising and supply chain, supported by technology such as Proxima, Target’s digital-twin inventory-planning tool.

These operational improvements are occurring alongside stronger financial momentum. Second-quarter net sales rose 5.3% to $26.5 billion, comparable sales increased 3.8% and traffic grew 3.6%. Digital comparable sales advanced 8.7%, aided by more than 25% growth in same-day delivery. EPS reached $4.11, although tariff refunds provided a sizable benefit; excluding them, EPS increased about 20% year over year. From an investment perspective, Roath’s ability to improve inventory reliability, fulfillment speed and store execution is important to Target’s effort to translate its merchandising strategy into sustainable sales growth and better profitability. Currently, Target carries a Zacks Rank #2.

NeoGenomics: Elizabeth Floegel, chief digital and information officer of NeoGenomics, plays an important role in strengthening the company’s technology infrastructure and advancing its digital transformation. Floegel is responsible for helping NeoGenomics leverage artificial intelligence, automation and data-driven tools to improve operational efficiency and patient outcomes. She brings substantial experience in healthcare technology, having previously led digital and cybersecurity transformation at Numotion and held senior technology positions at Allergan, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Baxter Healthcare. She also served on NeoGenomics’ board before joining the management team in August 2025, giving her prior familiarity with the company’s strategy and governance. 

Floegel’s contribution is particularly relevant as NeoGenomics looks to scale its cancer diagnostics platform while improving productivity and margins. Greater use of AI, automation and integrated data systems can help streamline laboratory workflows, strengthen digital interactions with customers and support the growing complexity of advanced oncology testing. Her expertise in cybersecurity, compliance technology and enterprise transformation is also important for a diagnostics company handling sensitive clinical information and operating in a highly regulated healthcare environment.

The company’s recent performance provides a favorable backdrop for these initiatives. Second-quarter 2026 revenues increased 11% year over year to $202 million, with clinical revenues rising 14% and next-generation sequencing revenues advancing 26%. Adjusted EBITDA increased 36% to $14 million, while adjusted gross margin expanded 260 basis points to 48%. NeoGenomics also raised its 2026 revenue and adjusted EBITDA guidance. While these improvements cannot be attributed solely to Floegel, her focus on automation, AI and digital efficiency should support NeoGenomics’ efforts to scale advanced testing, improve operating leverage and sustain profitable growth over time. Currently, NeoGenomics carries a Zacks Rank #2.

Ross: Karen Fleming plays a central role in Ross’ merchandising strategy as president and chief merchandising officer of Ross Dress for Less, the company’s largest banner. Having joined Ross in 1999, Fleming has held numerous merchandising positions and brings extensive experience in off-price buying and assortment management. Her responsibilities are particularly important to Ross’ value proposition, which depends on sourcing fashionable, brand-name merchandise at compelling discounts while maintaining a constantly changing assortment that encourages repeat customer visits.

Fleming’s contribution is increasingly visible in Ross’ efforts to strengthen merchandise quality, widen brand selection and improve assortment across categories. The company has prioritized delivering broader assortments on time and offering more brands at compelling values, while leveraging its inventory position to place more merchandise on selling floors. These initiatives are helping Ross attract new shoppers while increasing engagement among existing customers. Management noted that second-quarter 2026 performance was broad-based across merchandise categories and geographies, with home and cosmetics particularly strong.

Recent results underscore the importance of merchandising execution. Fiscal second-quarter 2026 sales increased 13% year over year to $6.3 billion, while comparable-store sales jumped 10%, primarily on stronger customer traffic. Management specifically cited compelling merchandise offerings, alongside marketing and store improvements, as key drivers of performance. EPS reached $2.66 compared with $1.56 a year earlier, although tariff refunds provided a significant benefit. While these gains reflect companywide execution, Fleming’s leadership in assortment, sourcing and value positioning remains an important element of Ross’ efforts to gain market share and sustain profitable growth. Currently, Ross carries a Zacks Rank #2.