2011 total shareholder return: 93.6%

A takeover and a huge bet on the future of natural gas sent El Paso shares surging last year. In October 2011, Kinder Morgan struck a $21.1 billion deal to buy El Paso. The sale, which was approved by shareholders and is expected to be finalized later this year, combines the two biggest natural gas pipeline operators in North America, making it the continent's fourth-largest energy company. 

By Nin-Hai Tseng