The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was on form in January and pushed higher. The benchmark index rose 1.8% over the month.
While this was positive, some ASX 200 shares rose significantly more. Here's why these were the best performers on the index in January:
Deep Yellow Ltd (ASX: DYL)
The Deep Yellow share price was the best performer in January with a gain of 54%. This was driven by the release of a solid quarterly update and improving sentiment in the uranium sector. For similar reasons, fellow uranium producers Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) and Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) rallied strongly in January. They recorded gains of 44% and 33%, respectively.
Codan Ltd (ASX: CDA)
The Codan share price was on form and raced 34% higher in January. This metal detector and communications products company's shares jumped following the release of a trading update. Codan revealed that it expects to report a 29% increase in revenue to $394 million for the first half of FY 2026. And thanks to margin expansion, its profit after tax is expected to grow at the even quicker rate of 52% to at least $70 million. This strong growth was underpinned by "outstanding results achieved by the metal detection business and ongoing strong performance in the communications segment."
Iperionx Ltd (ASX: IPX)
The Iperionx share price wasn't far behind with a gain of 31% during the month. A catalyst for this was news that the titanium metal and critical materials company received a prototype purchase order valued at US$300,000 from American Rheinmetall. The order is for 700 lightweight titanium components for US Army heavy ground combat systems. IperionX's CEO, Taso Arima, said: "This purchase order demonstrates the practical application of IperionX's recycled titanium technologies on important U.S. ground combat platforms. As the only domestic producer of commercial primary titanium, IperionX is uniquely positioned to support domestic defense priorities with secure, low-carbon, and cost-competitive titanium products manufactured entirely in the United States."
South32 Ltd (ASX: S32)
The South32 share price was on form and raced 30% higher in January. This was driven by the release of the mining giant's first half update. South32 revealed a 3% increase in alumina production, a 2% lift in aluminium production, and a 58% jump in manganese production. The miner's CEO, Graham Kerr, said: "We continued to deliver consistent operating results, with FY26 production guidance maintained across our operated assets and first half operating unit costs tracking in line with guidance."
