The S&P/ASX 200 index has started the year on a very positive note. Despite a few jitters late in the month, the benchmark index recorded an impressive monthly gain of almost 5% in January.
Four shares that vastly outperformed the index last month are listed below. Here's why these were the best performers on the S&P/ASX 200 index in January:
The PolyNovo Ltd (ASX: PNV) share price was the best performer on the index in January with a gain of 42.1%. Investors were buying the medical device company's shares after a couple of positive developments in Europe for its NovoSorb BTM product. NovoSorb BTM is a dermal scaffold for the regeneration of the dermis when lost through extensive surgery or burn. In January PolyNovo revealed that it has received its first orders from PMI for use in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It also revealed that the product has just been applied to its first two patients in the UK. One patient was treated for Necrotising Fasciitis in an English NHS hospital, whereas a second patient was treated for a scalp defect.
The Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) share price was an impressive performer last month with a gain of 31.7%. The catalyst for this appears to have been a broker note out of Goldman Sachs. Goldman has tipped Afterpay to deliver an exceptionally strong first half result. According to the note, it suspects that customer additions and gross merchandise value (GMV) could exceed its estimates by around 10%. Goldman Sachs believes that Afterpay's customer base could have reached as high as 7.2 million globally at the end of December. This compares to the broker's estimate of 6.6 million. It also suggested that its GMV could be ~A$4.8 billion for the half. Goldman has previously forecast GMV of $4.3 billion for the half. The broker has a conviction buy rating and $42.90 price target on its shares.
The Silver Lake Resources Limited (ASX: SLR) share price recorded a solid 21.3% gain in January. Investors were buying the gold miner's shares after the release of its December quarterly update. That update revealed that Sliver Lake achieved record production of 68,519 ounces gold and 691 tonnes copper during the quarter. This led to the company upgrading its full year sales guidance and lowering its costs guidance.
The Saracen Mineral Holdings Limited (ASX: SAR) share price wasn't far behind with a 19.3% gain last month. As well as getting a boost from increasing demand for safe haven assets due to the coronavirus outbreak, investors responded positively to the gold miner's quarterly update. Saracen reported record quarterly gold production of 120,127 ounces for the period ended December 31 2019. It also revealed that its production guidance for FY 2020 and FY 2021 is more than 500,000 ounces and 600,000 ounces, respectively.
