????華爾街的朋友們或許正在抱怨獎金縮水，但金融服務業正在經歷一場稱得上是東山再起的復蘇。2011年，該領域利潤為1,500億美元，較2010年增長19%。這遠遠低于2005年前后達到的峰值，但較之2008年危機時期的巨虧2,130億美元已有長足進步。風光不再的美國國際集團（AIG）（排第33位）全面復蘇。2011年，美國國際集團實現利潤178億美元，較上一年大增100億美元。與福特一樣，利潤增長的大部分也來自其稅務損失價值的增記。但美國國際集團也通過剝離資產和銷售股票將其長期債務從1,780億美元降到了750億美元，與此同時，在首席執行官羅伯特?本默切的領導下擴張核心的保險業務。另外，大宗商品經紀公司INTL FCStone（排第30位）也搭上了全球大宗商品價格大漲的順風車，成為500強公司中每位員工營收、每美元資產創造營收和每美元凈資產創造營收這三項指標排名第一的公司。

????在金融領域中，大型商業銀行的業務也出現了復蘇。2011年，美國銀行（Bank of America）（排第13位） 實現14億美元利潤，扭轉了上一年巨虧22億美元的局面。美國銀行得益的因素包括出售資產（包括部分建設銀行股份），以及經濟環境改善導致其信貸成本大幅下降。

????科技領域沒有像前些年那樣成為利潤機器。科技業利潤僅增長50億美元，不過1,560億美元利潤仍使之成為貢獻利潤最高的行業，略高于復蘇之中的金融業。行業的整體狀況掩蓋了蘋果（Apple）（排第17位）和微軟（Microsoft）（排第37位）這兩大巨頭的光芒。蘋果利潤激增85%至259億美元，受史上最熱銷的兩款消費電子產品iPhone和 iPad的推動，這兩款產品一起貢獻了670億美元的銷售額，是2010年數額的兩倍多。

????微軟也鴻運當頭，利潤大增23%至232億美元。利潤貢獻來自其熱銷的視頻游戲主機Xbox 360銷售額大增48%，商業軟件和服務利潤躍升23%。科技股中拖后腿的是美國電話電報（AT&T）（排第11位）。這家電信公司2010年利潤是通過出售資產而虛增的。相比之下，2011年美國電話電報公司受到兩項沉重打擊：未能完成T-Mobile 交易而支付42億美元的分手費，養老金記賬調整造成63億美元支出。

????盡管我們的大公司看起來可能龐大而無特色，它們也遵從創造性破壞的邏輯。與2010年不同，財富美國500強公司里面沒了房屋建筑商或教育公司的身影。相反，采礦、金屬和能源生產貢獻了新入圍26家公司中的7家。財富500強公司的狀況起起伏伏。但如今值得關注的是，大多數公司如此努力推動員工用更少的資源創造更多的價值。未來數年，請注意風向將轉向對員工有利。情況向來如此。這就是財富美國500強公司。

????譯者：早稻米

????Your friends on Wall Street may be complaining about smaller bonuses, but financial services are experiencing a comeback of sorts. For 2011, the sector posted $150 billion in earnings, up 19% over 2010. That's far from its peak in the mid-2000s, but a big stride from the $213 billion loss that the industry suffered in the crisis year of 2008. One tarnished name, AIG (No. 33), is enjoying a remarkable revival. AIG earned $17.8 billion in 2011, up $10 billion over the previous year. Most of that gain came, like Ford's, from a write-up in the value of its tax losses. But AIG (AIG) has also shed assets and sold stock to lower its long-term debt from $178 billion to $75 billion, while growing its core insurance franchises under CEO Robert Benmosche. Meanwhile, commodities broker INTL FCStone (No. 30) rode a global surge in commodity prices, topping the list in revenues per employee, revenues per dollar of assets, and revenues per dollar of equity.?

????The financial sector also saw a revival in the fortunes of the big commercial banks. Bank of America (No. 13) swung from a $2.2 billion loss to a $1.4 billion profit last year. BofA (BAC) benefited from selling assets, including part of its stake in China Construction Bank, and from a sharp drop in its credit costs, a gift from the improving economy.

????Technology wasn't quite the profit machine that it's been in past years. Sector earnings rose by just $5 billion, although tech remains the largest profit-maker at $156 billion, narrowly edging the resurgent financials. The overall picture masks the giant contributions of two trophy names, Apple (No. 17) and Microsoft (No. 37). Apple (AAPL) boosted earnings by 85%, to $25.9 billion, helped by two of the bestselling consumer products in history, the iPhone and the iPad, which together generated $67 billion in sales, more than double the figure in 2010.

????Microsoft (MSFT) also enjoyed a banner year, lifting earnings by 23%, to $23.2 billion. Swelling its results were a 48% gain in sales on its Xbox 360, the bestselling videogame console, and a 23% jump in its profits from business software and services. One soft spot in tech: AT&T (No. 11). The telco's 2010 profits were artificially swollen by asset sales. By contrast, AT&T's (T) 2011 earnings were hit by a $4.2 billion breakup fee for failing to complete the T-Mobile deal, and a $6.3 billion charge for a change in its pension accounting.

????Although our biggest companies may appear monolithic, they're subject to the logic of creative destruction. Unlike 2010, there are no homebuilders or education companies on the Fortune 500. By contrast, mining, metals, and energy production contributed seven of the 26 additions to the list. Good times come and go across the 500. What's remarkable is how well most companies have fared by pushing workers to create more value with fewer resources. In coming years, look for the tide to shift in the workers' favor. It always does. That's the Fortune 500 for you.