Unless there's a miraculous rally in the latter days of the year, the S&P/ASX 200 (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) looks set to post a disappointing decline in 2018.
The good news is this hasn't stopped some shares from making stellar gains this year. Here are three big movers that caught my eye:
The Afterpay Touch Group Ltd (ASX: APT) share price has risen a massive 97% in 2018. This gain is all the more impressive when you consider that its shares have fallen a sizeable 49% since peaking at $23.00 earlier this year. The main driver of this gain has been the successful launch of the Afterpay platform in the U.S. market. The start the company has made in the United States is reminiscent of its launch in Australia and appears to demonstrate that it has global potential. Although its shares have nearly doubled this year, I think they could be a good option in 2019. Though, only for investors with a high tolerance for risk.
The Altium Limited (ASX: ALU) share price has stormed 52% higher since the start of the year. This electronic design software company really caught the eye this year after it delivered a very strong full year result in FY 2018. Altium achieved record revenue growth of 26% to US$140.2 million and a 34% increase in net profit after tax to US$37.5 million. Pleasingly, management remains confident that FY 2019 and FY 2020 will produce more of the same. It believes the company is "firmly on track to achieve its 2020 revenue target of US$200 million with strong margin expansion." I think Altium is a great buy and hold investment option even after this stellar gain.
The Bravura Solutions Ltd (ASX: BVS) share price has been the best performer on the ASX 200 in 2018 with a year to date gain of 117%. Investors have been fighting to get hold of the shares of the provider of software products and services to clients operating in the wealth management and funds administration industries following another year of solid growth. Bravura Solutions posted a 15% increase in revenue to $221.5 million and a 27% lift in underlying net profit after tax to $27 million. And thanks to its increasingly popular Sonata platform, I believe it is well positioned for more of the same in FY 2019. Which potentially makes its shares great value at just under 30x trailing earnings.
