The All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) has returned a very solid 16.5% over the past 12 months, with four ASX All Ords shares doing plenty of the heavy lifting.
How heavy?
Well, the laggard of the four has gained 315% in a year. Or enough to turn a $6,000 investment into $24,900.
As for the top performer, its gained an eye watering 682%. That would have seen your $6,000 investment grow into $46,920 in just 12 months.
So, which ASX All Ords shares have been shooting the lights out?
I'm glad you asked!
Four top-performing ASX All Ords shares
Starting with the 'laggard', we have gold stock Catalyst Metals Ltd (ASX: CYL).
Twelve months ago, you could have bought this ASX All Ords share for 81 cents. Today those shares are trading for $3.36 apiece. That sees the Catalyst Metals share price up 315% in a year.
One of the catalysts helping drive the Catalyst Metals share price higher has been the soaring gold price. A year ago the yellow metal was trading for US$1,978. The gold price has since soared 38% to be trading at US$2,736 today.
The miner has also benefited from strong production and a recently expanded upgrade of its ore reserve estimate.
As Motley Fool analyst James Mickleboro reported in September:
Catalyst Metal's ore reserves now total 1million ounces of gold. Importantly, it notes that these reserves provide the foundation for its three-year production guidance, which aims to double production from 100,000 ounces to 200,000 ounces.
Which brings us to investigative analytics and intelligence software provider Nuix Ltd (ASX: NXL).
One year ago, the ASX All Ords share was trading for $1.46. At the time of writing today, shares are swapping hands for $7.23 apiece. That puts the Nuix share price up 395% in 12 months.
Nuix has benefited in part from its links to the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, which could also help revolutionise its future earnings.
As for recent earnings, Nuix reported a 20.9% year on year increase in FY 2024 statutory revenue to $220.6 million. Statutory net profit of $5 million was more than double the prior year.
Moving on to the third high-flying ASX All Ords share, we have another gold stock, Ora Banda Mining Ltd (ASX: OBM).
The Ora Banda share price has risen from 16 cents 12 months ago to 88 cents today. That puts this gold stock up 450% in a year.
In addition to benefiting from a fast-rising gold price, Ora Banda has also grabbed investor interest, with management aiming to double annual gold production from 77,000 ounces to at least 140,000 ounces.
In its September quarterly results, Ora Banda reported a 40% quarter on quarter increase in gold sold to 25,536 ounces, a record for the miner.
And the top performer
Rounding off the list of shares we wish we'd bought 12 months ago (and didn't!) is buy now, pay later (BNPL) stock Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP).
The ASX All Ords share has roared from 38 cents this time last year to $2.97 today for a gain of 682%.
Investors have clearly been pleased with the company's core growth metrics.
In FY 2024, Zip increased its revenue by 28.3% from the prior year to $868 million.
And for the September quarter, on 29 October Zip reported earnings before tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBTDA) of $31.7 million, up 234% year on year.
The ASX All Ords share rocketed 11.8% on the day it released those results.
