Five S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) stocks are defying the broader market retrace on Monday and charging to new 52-week highs. Or more.
In early afternoon trade, the ASX 200 is down 0.3%, with the Aussie market following the lead of US markets lower.
The S&P 500 Index (SP: .INX) closed down 1.0% on Friday, and the Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) slid 1.4% as a resilient US economy spurs fears that the US Federal Reserve may hold fire on further interest rate cuts over the coming months.
Returning to today's trading in Australia, here are five ASX 200 stocks (in order of their market cap) that are hitting fresh highs.
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ASX 200 stocks notching new one-year-plus highs
The first company hitting not just a new 52-week high but setting a fresh all-time high today is Computershare Ltd (ASX: CPU).
The ASX 200 stock is up 1.5% on no fresh news at $35.74 a share. That sees shares in the financial administration company up 42% in 12 months.
The second large-cap Aussie company notching new highs today is Perth Mint Gold (ASX: PMGOLD).
Shares in the exchange-traded fund (ETF), which invests in physically vaulted gold bullion, are up 0.4% today at $45.67. That brings the Perth Mint Gold share price up 46.3% in a year and also to new record highs.
The ETF has been benefiting from the soaring gold price. The yellow metal is up 41.7% (in US dollars) and currently trades for US$2,869.23 per ounce.
Which brings us to the third ASX 200 stock hitting new highs today, Ansell Ltd (ASX: ANN). Shares in the health and safety products company are up 6.4% on Monday to $37.16.
This sees the Ansell share price up 54.6% in a year and trading at the highest level since August 2021.
Investors reacted positively today to Ansell's half-year financial results. Highlights included a 12.5% year on year increase in sales on an organic constant currency-basis to $1.02 billion. And earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) leapt 20.9% to $127 million.
New highs for financial shares
Moving on to the fourth ASX 200 stock shrugging off the market retrace today to set new highs, we have Insignia Financial Ltd (ASX: IFL).
Shares in the financial services company are up 0.2% today at $4.64. That small gain is enough to see Insignia Financial shares up 109.2% in a year and trading at their highest level since September 2021.
Insignia Financial has been benefiting from an ongoing bidding war from three different suitors to acquire all of its shares. All three interested parties are offering $4.60 cash per share.
Rounding off the list of ASX 200 stocks hitting new highs is Helia Group Ltd (ASX: HLI).
Shares in the lenders mortgage insurance provider are up 0.4% at $4.97 on no fresh news. That's the highest level we've seen since February 2015.
