What a day it has been for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) this Thursday. The flagship ASX index closed at a flat 8,447 points yesterday afternoon. This morning, the ASX 200 opened at that same 8,447-point level before rising as high as 8,515.7 points.
That happens to be a new 52-week high for the ASX 200. It's also a new all-time record high, making this a momentous day for the Australian share market indeed.
Of course, ASX investors won't find this too surprising. The ASX 200 Index hit a bevy of new all-time highs over the course of last year. The latest occurred only back in December, when the index hit a high of 8,514.5 points, just a whisker below today's fresh high.
At the time of writing, the ASX 200 has pulled back a little from this morning's latest record but remains up a comfortable 0.68% at 8,505.5 points.
At present, this puts the index up a healthy 4.7% over 2025 to date, as well as up a robust 11.9% over the past 12 months. Interestingly, the index has now put on a decent 5.2% since 20 December, which was a low point last month. Check this all out for yourself below:
Image source: Getty Images
Which ASX 200 shares are pushing the index to a new record today?
If we dig into which ASX 200 shares are responsible for the index's latest all-time high, we only need to turn to the usual suspects. All four of the big ASX bank stocks are pushing decisively higher this Thursday. Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) has gained 0.76% at the time of writing, and is back above $160 a share.
National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) is standing out with a 1.1% rise, while ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ) is the laggard with a 0.4% gain.
The big four banks alone account for more than 20% of the ASX 200's weighting right now, so this is undoubtedly helping.
BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), the second-largest stock in the index, is also having a great day. Its shares are presently enjoying a 1.3% lift to $39.64 a share.
CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL), currently the ASX 200's bronze medallist, is also enjoying a 1% rise this Thursday, putting the company at around $280 a share.
So, with all of these major ASX 200 holdings rising so decisively, it's no surprise to see the ASX 200 hitting this new high today. Let's see if it can gain even more ground tomorrow.
