The number of publicly traded companies reporting superprofits is multiplying, as are the sums returned to shareholders in the form of dividends or buybacks.

As fuel prices soar, the idea of taxing multinational oil companies' windfall profits has resurfaced. Yet there's heated debate over whether such a tax is actually possible.

The number of publicly traded companies reporting superprofits is multiplying, as are the sums returned to shareholders in the form of dividends or buybacks.