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Tuesday, May 20, 2008 1:09 PM

The Big Three since 2003

David Berman


The Canadian benchmark index's charge above 15,000 on Tuesday came largely from oil and gold producers. But over the longer term, the mix of winners contributing to the index have come from a slightly wider assortment of sectors.

Over the past five years, which takes into account most of the index's rebound from the devastating bear market that began in 2000, Research In Motion Ltd. has had the biggest influence on the index, rising a total of 3,363 per cent and adding 581 points to the index.

EnCana Corp. is close behind. It rose 304 per cent over the past five years and contributed 580 points to the index. Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc. rose 1,337 per cent and contributed 559 points.

The index itself has risen 8,342 points — or 124 per cent — over this period, which means that these three stocks accounted for more than 20 per cent of the gains.

In terms of percentage gains, as opposed to influence on the index, the biggest winners have generally been smaller companies. UEX Corp., a uranium company, is at the top, with a 4,422 per cent increase. Gold Eagle Mines is second, with a 4,232 per cent increase. RIM, the only truly big company in the top five, falls to No. 3.

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Markets Blog Contributors

David Berman

David Berman

David Berman has been writing about business and investing since 1995. He began his career at Canadian Business magazine, where he wrote full-length features on a range of topics, from goose slaughterers to broadcasters. Later, he moved to MoneySense magazine, where his emphasis turned to investing. More recently, he worked at the Financial Post as an investing writer and daily columnist. He has a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Toronto and studied journalism at Ryerson University.

 

David Parkinson

David Parkinson has been covering business and financial markets since 1990, and has been with The Globe and Mail since 2000. A Calgary native, he received a Southam Fellowship from the University of Toronto in 1999-2000, studying international political economics.

 
Globe and Mail Reporter Simon Avery.

Simon Avery

Simon Avery has covered telecom and technology for the Globe since 2004. Previously, he was a staff reporter for The Associated Press in Los Angeles and for The Wall Street Journal in San Francisco. He covered the boom and bust in Silicon Valley for the Financial Post between 1998 and 2001. Mr. Avery holds a Master's degree in journalism from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts in English and political science from the University of Western Ontario.