As part of our end of financial year ruminating, today we bring you the 5 best ASX shares over the 12-month period.
More specifically, the 5 best ASX shares that make up part of the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO).
The All Ords, as you likely know, is home to the 500 largest Aussie listed companies, making up the lion's share of all listed companies in Australia.
And in FY21 (1 July 2020 through to 30 June 2021) the All Ords gained a whopping 25%.
Now, we need to bear in mind that those outsized gains are partly aligned to the recovery from the COVID-19 inspired market selloff late in FY20. A recovery that continued through much of the past financial year. And some of these same forces helped propel these top performing shares to hefty 1-year gains.
Notably, none of the top 5 gainers for the year pay dividends, with 3 in the resources sector and 2 in healthcare.
So, with that said, the best ASX share of the 2021 financial year was…
Best ASX share: Vulcan Energy Resources Ltd (ASX: VUL)
Over the 12-month period ending 30 June, Vulcan Energy's shares gained 1,275%. That's a 10-bagger plus quite a bit of change.
The mineral explorer is predominantly focussed on becoming a go-to lithium supplier for the fast-growing European electric vehicle (EV) markets.
With lithium being a core component in the batteries that power EVs and store grid power from renewables, demand for lithium has seen prices rising quickly. Rising commodity prices have certainly been a tailwind for Vulcan Energy's share price.
Vulcan Energy closed the financial year trading at $7.70 per share. The company has around 108.8 million shares outstanding and a market cap of $948.4 million.
AnteoTech Ltd (ASX: ADO)
Coming in at close second is AnteoTech, which delivered a 1,175% share price gain in FY21.
The biotechnology company has historically focused in developing specialty products for the energy, diagnostic, and medical device markets. But this past year saw the share price leap after AnteoTech received emergency use authorisation in the United States for its COVID-19 at-home test, initially for the US Department of Defense.
AnteoTech finished FY21 trading at 26 cents per share. The company has a market cap of $468.8 million.
Imugene Limited (ASX: IMU)
Number 3 on our best ASX shares list is Imugene, which gained 1,009% over the year.
The clinical-stage immuno-oncology company is working to defeat one of humanity's biggest scourges, cancer. And the share price was duly rewarded over the course of the year after the company reported positive progress in phase 2 trials of its gastric cancer treatment drug, HER-Vaxx.
Imugene closed on 30 June at 36 cents per share. The company is among the larger ones to make the top performers' list, with a market cap of $1.6 billion.
Piedmont Lithium Inc (ASX: PLL)
Our fourth best performer for the financial year gone by is Piedmont Lithium, which saw shares gain 1,033% over the 12-month period.
As with our number one performer, Piedmont has capitalised on the booming demand for lithium. Demand growth which many analysts expect to continue.
Among its holdings, the company's Carolina Lithium project – intended to supply the ever-growing fleet of EVs in the United States – looks to become one of the largest and lowest-cost producers of lithium hydroxide in the world.
Piedmont Lithium finished off FY21 trading at $1.02 per share. The resource company has a market cap of $552 million.
Chalice Mining Ltd (ASX: CHN)
Rounding off the list as the number 5 best ASX share is Chalice Mining, gaining 706% over the year.
The resource explorer and producer has had significant success at its Julimar project in Western Australia, where it's hunting for large deposits of nickel (Ni) and copper (Cu) ore.
Chalice Mining closed FY21 trading at $7.42 per share. It's the biggest company to make the top performers' list, with a market cap of $2.6 billion.
