Within the last month, the iconic Dow Jones Industrial Average, broad-based S 500, and innovation-powered Nasdaq Composite all ascended to fresh highs. While there have been pockets of strength in a variety of sectors and industries, the "Magnificent Seven" have been widely credited with lifting these major stock indexes to record levels.

Put simply, the Magnificent Seven are seven of the largest and most influential publicly traded businesses in the country. These seven juggernauts are (listed in descending order by market cap):

All seven of these companies have crushed the benchmark S 500 in the return column over the trailing decade. This outperformance is a big reason why investors -- and members of Congress -- have flocked to these businesses.

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Source Fool.com