Revealing the top performers in the small, mid and large cap spaces over the last year, Canadian Business magazine released its Investor 500 annual ranking of Canada's 500 largest publicly traded companies this week.
The magazine notes that the average annual return amongst the 500 constituents was -32.8%, compared to last year’s return of 13.6%, while only 51 stocks show a positive return for year ending April 3, and 37 stocks had double-digit gains or better.
However, several stocks did have exceptional years, according to results. Calgary-based oil and gas explorer and producer TransAtlantic PetroleumCorp. (TSX: T.TNP, Stock Forum) was the top small cap performer, with a one-year return of 320.3%, followed by Romarco Minerals (TSX: T.R, Stock Forum) with returns of 250% and RuggedCom Inc. (TSX: T.RCM, Stock Forum) at 129.3%.
In the mid-cap space, SXC Health Solutions Corp. (TSX: T.SXC, Stock Forum) finished in first place, with returns of 121.8%, with Gabriel Resources Ltd. (TSX: T.GBU, Stock Forum) second at 57.1% and Alamos Gold Inc. (TSX: T.AGI, Stock Forum) coming in third with one-year return of 50.8%.
Finally, among large caps, George Weston Ltd (TSX: T.WN, Stock Forum) came out on top, with returns of 20.1%, followed by Fairfax Financial Holdings (TSX: T.FFH, Stock Forum) at 6.9% and Loblaw Cos. Ltd. (TSX: T.L, Stock Forum) at 2.4%.
The results also look at categories such as best growth, best value, best turnaround, best defensive and best managed.