While some businesses have been falling by the wayside, fortune has been smiling on plenty of companies this year, from Netflix, which has seen its share price skyrocket, to Nintendo, which has followed up on the success of last year's Pokémon Go app and launched 2017's hottest, best-selling games console. We reveal this year's biggest winners.

Oprah Winfrey made a shrewd move in 2015 when she splashed $43 million (£32m) on Weight Watchers stock. Although the share price stayed in the doldrums throughout most of 2015 and 2016, Weight Watchers stock has soared this year. The weight loss programme increased its number of subscribers by 20% in Q2 alone, and the share price has risen by a staggering 245% since January.

Buoyed on by its thriving cloud computing and burgeoning artificial intelligence businesses, Microsoft has been raking it in over the past year. Wall Street hasn't failed to notice the firm's increasing revenues and dominance of these emerging technologies – the Microsoft share price has been climbing steadily throughout 2017 with stock currently trading at a record high.

Staff at Canadian e-commerce firm Shopify have a lot to celebrate this year. The number one cloud-based e-tailing platform for small and medium-sized businesses has been experiencing outstanding growth, consolidating its position to the max. Consequently, the Shopifty share price has increased by 125% since the start of the year.

Netflix has been enjoying a stellar 2017. Revenues and subscribers are at an all-time high and the company share price has doubled in the past year. The digital streaming service is basking in critical acclaim too. Netflix-produced shows like Orange Is the New Black and Stranger Things frequently appear on the critics' top-rated lists and have bagged award after award.

Baidu's iQiyi, which like Neflix offers video streaming services, has established itself as the market leader in China. The company's revenues have risen from $1.6 billion (£1.2bn) last year to a projected $3 billion (£2.3bn) in 2017, and Baidu is planning a US IPO early next year, which should value the company at a minimum of $8 billion (£6bn).

iQiyi's main competitor in China, Tencent Video boasts 457 million active mobile users. The video arm of internet conglomerate Tencent Holdings has been largely responsible for the increase in the group's market cap. In fact, revenues have been flooding in and the holding company's share price has risen by 88% since the start of the year.

Apart from the odd controversy, this year has been an impressive one for the ever-popular tech company with the launch of exciting new products such as the iPhone X and HomePod speaker. The firm's Q3 2017 results surpassed expectations and the Apple share price has increased considerably since this time last year.

China's answer to Amazon is this year's best-performing company in Asia, according to Forbes. Alibaba's ever-increasing revenues are smashing estimate after estimate and boosting profits no end. Unsurprisingly, the company share price has been trending upwards in a big way since the beginning of 2017.

The same Forbes ranking lists HDFC Bank as India's best-performing firm. The company's revenues and share price have been rising significantly all year and the forward-thinking enterprise, which recently introduced robot tellers in selected branches, has cemented itself as India's largest bank in terms of market cap.

Purveyors of premium tonic water and mixer drinks, London-based Fever-Tree is having an outstanding 2017. Thanks to the current global craze for posh gin and tonics, the company's products are flying off the shelves. Revenues have surged from $46.2 million (£34.7m) in 2014 to an estimated $200 million (£150m) this year and the company share price has skyrocketed to boot.

Last year, Nintendo scored a major winner with its ridiculously popular Pokémon Go augmented reality mobile game. This year, the Japanese consumer electronics and video game company has done it again and delivered another global hit, the Switch console. The fastest and best-selling console of 2017, the success of the Switch has swelled the firm's coffers and helped push its share price to a nine-year high.

Along with Nintendo, Activision Blizzard has been firing up the global gaming industry this year. The American video game developer, which is responsible for top-selling franchises such as Call of Duty and Destiny, is booming. Revenues have risen considerably and the firm's share price leapt from $36.64 (£27.59) at the beginning of January to $61.90 (£46.61) in mid-October, a rise of 69%.

Sales of electric cars have increased by more than 20% in America since this time last year and Elon Musk's Tesla rules the roost. The super-innovative automotive firm may have missed several overly ambitious delivery deadlines but that hasn't stopped it from cornering the electric car market, with sales of its flagship Model S and Model X cars super-healthy and on the up.

Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan has overseen 'responsible' low-risk growth and this prudent approach has boosted revenues considerably – the company's market cap has increased by a massive 69% since 2016. Needless to say, the Bank of America share price has been rising over the past year and profits are booming.

The confectionery and pet food giant has been busy future-proofing its supply chain of late and making it more sustainable, and profits have been flourishing as a result. Plus, earlier this year, the American conglomerate made its first forays into the growing pet hospital business by snapping up VCA Animal Hospitals in a deal worth $9.1 billion (£6.9 billion).

Warren Buffett's outrageously successful investment company hasn't disappointed investors this year. All in all, 2017 has been a lucrative year so far for Berkshire Hathaway, which has seen its market cap and share price increase, and then some. The company acquired utility firm Oncor earlier this year, as well as a major stake in Pilot Travel Centers, the largest truck stop operator in the US.

The share price of Walmart's parent company, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. has been increasing all year but it positively surged in October on the back of a never-ending supply of financial good news. As well as turning over sky-high revenues in its physical stores, the retailing giant's e-commerce business is particularly buoyant right now and the firm expects online sales to increase by 40% in the next fiscal year.

The world's favourite mobile payments provider has managed to remain the leader of the pack despite increasing competition from upstarts such as Stripe. The service, which now accepts Visa and Mastercard payments, is riding high and the PayPal share price has risen a dramatic 72% since January.

A pioneer in the treatment of cystic fibrosis, Vertex Pharmaceuticals has been one of this year's strongest stock market performers in the US – its share price has increased by 110% since January. The biotech company developed the first drug that treats the underlying causes of the condition and its two flagship products are selling exceptionally well.

The British app-based food delivery service announced in September that its revenues soared by 611% to $171 million (£129m) in 2016 on the back of massive international expansion, and though the relatively fledgling firm has reported losses and faced questions about its tax affairs and working conditions, Deliveroo recently secured $379 million (£285 million) from investors, valuing the company at a hefty $2 billion (£1.5bn).