A number of smaller companies came screaming up the top-performers ranking this year and some of them could be contenders for top spot next year.

Cashbuild's performance was very similar to Petmin's but the Cashbuild share price is likely to mark time for a year or so while the one-time cost increases are absorbed into the company.

Fast-food operator Kingco has been threatening to do something positive for years and there are signs that it will turn a profit this year. It's coming off a low base and its share performance is likely to be a classic case of "buy on rumour, sell on fact". Its contemporaries in the fast-food industry have had good earnings and the share price has moved up in line. But Kingco hasn't and the current enthusiasm with its share price is likely to be short-lived.

Basil Read could be a winner, as its fortunes are inextricably linked to the construction industry. After enduring difficult times and now having moved up dramatically from 244 to 20, there could yet be scope to capture top spot next year.

Tenth-place Edcon still has a bit of momentum left in it, as its share price spurt only really began three years ago. But it has largely marked time in the past year, which doesn't augur well for a profound move up this particular ranking next year.

The Top Performers have tended to be small- to medium-cap shares in recent years, as they are the ones that astute investors can seek out - they're not well-researched, leaving plenty of opportunities - and capitalise on.