Total return: 64%
Fortune 500 rank: 3
Still not quite a fairytale story in Detroit, GM nonetheless made healthy progress in digging itself out of a hole in 2006, sending shares climbing over 60 percent on the year. In its fourth-quarter earnings, the company neared the breakeven point, compared to a $1.4 billion loss in the year-ago period.While Japanese competitors still pulled down even greater U.S. market share in 2006, GM did get a boost from renewed interest in sport-utility vehicles. Long-term, though, the firm is still burdened with high union wages and big retirement obligations for its workers.
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