Steelmaking is an unlikely industry for investors to reap big profits. But those courageous enough to pile into BlueScope Steel in mid-2015, and pick the cycle correctly, have rejoiced in almost a fivefold increase in the share price of Australia's biggest steelmaker.

It's come over a period where the S&P ASX200 index has been spinning its wheels and has made a paltry gain of 0.3 per cent. Other staples in blue-chip portfolios such as BHP have dropped 10 per cent. Australia's biggest bank, Commonwealth Bank of Australia has slipped 4 per cent over the same 26-month period after a rollercoaster ride where it currently finds itself in the doghouse, this time because of money laundering allegations.