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Canada's best-performing stocks: How investors can win despite a tough market


    Canadian Business magazine's Investor 500 Ranking on newsstands today.
    Visit www.canadianbusiness.com/i500 for more information.

    TORONTO, May 8 /CNW/ - If Canadian investors need any more proof that it
was a tough year on the markets, here it is. In Canadian Business magazine's
9th annual ranking of Canada's 500 largest publicly traded companies, only 235
stocks, or 47%, showed a positive return for the 12-month period ending
April 4. That's a far cry from last year's 67.6%.
    In the issue hitting newsstands today, Canadian Business ranks the Top 50
companies by profit, market capitalization, revenue and one- and five-year
return. The magazine also lists other top stocks in various categories, such
as best growth, best cash flow, and best defensive as well as how well last
year's top picks fared.Top 3 Large-Cap Companies by 1-Year Return:

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    Rank      Company                                       1-Year Return (%)
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    1.        Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc.                        169.3
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    2.        Fording Canadian Coal Trust                              138.7
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    3.        Research in Motion Ltd.                                  119.8
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    Top 3 Mid-Cap Companies by 1-Year Return:

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    Rank      Company                                       1-Year Return (%)
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    1.        Timminco Ltd.                                          1,294.2
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    2.        Petrominerales Ltd.                                      325.4
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    3.        SouthGobi Energy Resources Ltd.                          222.4
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    Top 3 Small-Cap Companies by 1-Year Return:

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    Rank      Company                                       1-Year Return (%)
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    1.        Grande Cache Coal Corp.                                1,000.0
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    2.        Noront Resources Ltd.                                    694.0
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    3.        Noveko International Inc.                                396.2
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------The most forward-looking ranking of its kind:

    Not only does Canadian Business magazine look back at the previous years'
best performers, it also provides forward-looking picks, based on screens for
different criteria suited to various investing styles, from value and growth
to income and safety. And this year, to emphasize that the I500 is more about
ideas, not recommendations, Canadian Business has expanded its offering
further, by going in-depth on some of the companies that provide the ranking's
highlights (and lowlights), and offering macro takes on sectors and trends,
from oil and gas to global currency instability.

    How we did it:

    The rankings were compiled by staff writer Calvin Leung and data manager
Phil Froats using Bloomberg. See the issue on newsstands and
www.canadianbusiness.com/i500method for a detailed explanation of methodology.

    About Canadian Business magazine:

    Founded in 1928, Canadian Business is the longest-serving, bestselling
and most trusted business publication in Canada. Canadian Business stands
alone as the business magazine in Canada with 100% paid circulation. With a
readership of almost one million, the magazine is published every second
Monday, except in January, July and August, when monthly issues are published.
Special annual issues of Canadian Business include the Investor 500, the MBA
Guide, the Rich 100 and the Best and Worst Boards. Visit
www.canadianbusiness.com/magazine.