| Index of coverage | Top Ten 1. Teradyne Inc. 2. Analog Devices Inc. 3. LTX Corp. 4. EMC Corp. 5. Helix Tech. Corp. 6. ACT Manufacturing 7. Millipore Corp. 8. Talbots Inc. 9. Cytyc Corp. 10. FleetBoston Year's Best Company of year Highest Market Value Fastest Growth Biggest Stock Gain Comeback of the Year Highest Sales Contents Overall performance Banking Biotech Growth   1. ACT Manuf.   2. Provant Inc.   3. Analog Devices   4. Sapient Corp.   5. Foilmark Inc. Bulls and Bears   Bulls   1. J. Jill Group   2. Inverness Medical   3. Reebok Intl.   4. Bostonfed Bancorp   5. John Hancock   Bears   1. Aztec Tech.   2. Engage Inc.   3. CMGI Inc.   4. Telaxis Comm.   5. NaviSite Inc. Employment IPOs Profitability Sales The Globe 100 Market value 100 Sales 100 Return on equity 100 Growth 50 Highest leveraged Top employers Most productive Industry summary Biggest profits Biggest losses The Bulls The Bears Top profit margins Debt-free companies Street's darlings Street's wallflowers 2000 Mass. IPOs Recoveries Nose Dives All the charts for this year's Globe 100    | 2000 Globe 100 | Search the Globe: Today Yesterday

4. SAPIENT CORP. The ride slows as dot-coms slide 5/22/2001     Growth Growth's rewards prove tough to sustain A look at this year's Growth 50 list shows that in the new economy -- whatever that may come to mean -- growth is unpredictable and hard to maintain. Continued 1. ACT Manufacturing Inc. 2. Provant Inc. 3. Analog Devices Inc. 4. Sapient Corp. 5. Foilmark Inc. The Growth 50 he strength of 1999 and early 2000 earnings put Sapient at the fourth spot on this year's Globe 100 growth list, based on average two-year increases in sales and profits. Between 1999 and 2000, consolidated revenue jumped 82 percent, to $503 million, while net earnings rose 55 percent, to $47 million, according to the company's annual report. 2000 was also a good year for the Cambridge-based consulting company, because it became the first Internet services firm to make it onto the Standard & Poor's 500 index, and it ranked number one in an e-commerce report from Forrester Research. But those developments fail to describe what's been happening more recently for the company, as it suffers along with others hurt by the dot-com meltdown. For instance, based on a one-year review of change in profit margin, revenue, change in revenue, and return on average equity, Sapient slipped in its overall Globe 100 ranking, falling from 18th last year to 42d this year. And based on the first quarter of 2001, this year looks to be even more difficult. After charges for restructuring, stock-based compensation, and other items, Sapient's first-quarter net loss totaled $48.3 million, or 39 cents a share. ''While we are satisfied that our results were in line with previous guidance, it is clearly a challenging market, and our financial performance reflects that,'' said chief financial officer Edward G. Goldfinger in a statement made when earnings were announced May 3. ''The combination of our strong balance sheet and the restructuring actions we took will allow us to continue to invest in our core strategic initiatives.'' The company employs about 2,600 people in offices around the world, from London to Milan to Tokyo. Its clients have included the American Cancer Society, Fidelity, and Lucent Technologies. DOLORES KONG

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