Top performing stocks of 2006

These 20 stocks produced the largest total returns to shareholders in 2006. For this list, we included only Fortune 500 companies that traded for at least $2.

By Katie Benner, David Ellis, Steve Hargreaves, Rob Kelley and Keisha Lamothe

AK Steel Holding (<a href='http://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=AKS'>AKS</a>)

3 of 20

AK Steel Holding (AKS)

Total return: 112%

Fortune 500 rank: 378

AK Steel's stellar 2006 stock performance could be due in large part to soaring steel prices and industry consolidation, even as labor problems and a drop in shipments bedeviled the company.

But some fundamentals look good. AK Steel reached an agreement with its union and lowered its strike-related costs. The company is expanding production capacity and demand for its flagship flat-rolled steel products is rebounding. Emerging economies are also keeping steel prices sky-high, but no one knows if this will be good or bad for AK Steel. If prices go too high, the company may not be able to offset costs for its raw materials with more price increases.

See more Fortune 500 data for AK Steel Holding

Full list: Fortune 500

Allegheny Terex AK Steel OfficeMax Level 3 CarMax Continental Big Lots Agco Cablevision DirecTV GameStop Nucor Emcor Oneok Group 1 Automotive General Motors Lexmark Comcast Manpower

Total return to investors includes both price appreciation and dividend yield to an investor in the company's stock. The figures shown assume sales at the end of 2006 of stock owned at the end of 2005.

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