In early afternoon trade the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is following the lead of US markets and charging higher. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is up a sizeable 1.1% to 6,738.1 points.
Four ASX shares that are climbing more than most today are listed below. Here's why these shares are storming higher:
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Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT)
The Afterpay share price is up 6% to $144.25. Afterpay and other popular tech shares are racing higher today after a particularly strong night of trade on Wall Street on Monday. The tech-focused Nasdaq index was a very strong performer, rising a sizeable 2.55%. The S&P/ASX All Technology Index (ASX: XTX) has followed its lead and is up 2.75% this afternoon.
Credit Corp Group Limited (ASX: CCP)
The Credit Corp share price is up 5% to $30.87. Investors have been buying the debt collector's shares following the release of its half year results. For the six months ending 31 December, Credit Corp posted a 2% decline in revenue to $188 million and a 10% lift in net profit after tax to $42.3 million. The latter came in ahead of the market's expectations. Credit Corp also lifted its guidance for the full year.
Healius Ltd (ASX: HLS)
The Healius share price has jumped 7% to $4.19. The catalyst for this was a broker note out of UBS this morning. According to the note, the broker has upgraded the healthcare company's shares to a buy rating with a $4.40 price target. It believes Healius is well-placed to benefit from strong demand for diagnostic services.
Volpara Health Technologies Ltd (ASX: VHT)
The Volpara share price has surged 5% higher to $1.56. Investors have been buying Volpara's shares following the announcement of the acquisition of CRA Health for US$18 million. CRA Health is a breast cancer risk assessment company. Its cloud-based software is tightly integrated into major electronic health record (EHR) systems and receives patient information, including breast density, and returns the risk of breast cancer alongside appropriate recommendations.
