It's been a good day for Australian investors with the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) having risen 0.5% late in the session. The big four banks are leading the charge, offsetting the losses experienced by companies such as BlueScope Steel Limited (ASX: BSL) and UGL Limited (ASX: UGL).
Here are four companies that are truly smashing the market's returns today.
Lynas Corporation Limited (ASX: LYC) has jumped 18% to 5.9 cents, representing a gain of 0.9 cents per share. It's likely that the stock is jumping as a result of news released by rival rare-earths miner Northern Minerals Ltd (ASX: NTU). While you can read more about that here, Lynas Corporation remains a risky gamble, and one that Foolish investors ought to avoid altogether.
Greencross Limited (ASX: GXL) has risen 7.8% after the leading provider of veterinary services reported an 81% lift in its half-year net profit after tax (NPAT), driven by a 34% increase in revenue. Indeed, the company is quickly gaining market share locally, but is still targeting 20% market dominance, up from roughly 8% today. While the stock has risen more than 27% over the last couple of months, there could still be some enormous gains left to be made by investors who buy today.
Japara Healthcare Ltd (ASX: JHC) shares have lifted 3.5% to be trading at $2.36 today, giving the stock a total gain of 29% over the last month or so. Japara Healthcare is one of the dominant players in Australia's aged care industry and stands to benefit from the nation's rapidly expanding and ageing population. Its rivals, Estia Health Ltd (ASX: EHE) and Regis Healthcare Limited (ASX: REG) have both delivered strong reports recently, and investors are likely hopeful of a similarly strong result from Japara when it reports.
ASX Ltd (ASX: ASX) has extended its strong rally, rising another 2.7% taking its total gain since mid-December to 23%. The stock is now trading at $43.14 which just so happens to be its highest price in seven years. Earlier in the month, the owner and operator of the Australian Securities Exchange reported a 4.7% lift in net profit on the back of a 5.9% jump in revenues. It also confirmed that it has experienced a strong start to the second half of the year with double-digit gains experienced in both January and February.
