The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is up 0.4% in afternoon trade on Wednesday, with three big-name ASX 200 shares jumping to new 52-week-plus highs.
Here's what's happening.
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BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP)
BHP is cementing its position as the biggest stock on the ASX today.
Shares in the Aussie mining giant are up 0.4% at the time of writing, changing hands for $65.48 apiece.
That's not only a new 52-week high for BHP but, if the ASX 200 share holds these gains to close, it will mark a new all-time closing high.
BHP shares look to be benefiting from an overnight uptick in global copper prices. The red metal is currently fetching US$13,774 per tonne.
Amid the resilient iron ore price and surging copper prices, BHP shares have been on fire over the past 12 months, up 75.6%. And that doesn't include the two fully-franked dividends totalling $1.96 a share the miner paid eligible stockholders over this time.
BHP shares trade on a 3% fully-franked trailing dividend yield.
Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG)
Macquarie shares are also setting a new high-water mark today.
Shares in the diversified financial stock are up 0.9% at the time of writing, trading for $251.28 each.
If these gains are held to close, that will also mark a new all-time high for this ASX 200 share.
The Macquarie share price is now up 18.5% since this time last year. Atop those capital gains, Macquarie shares also trade on a 2.8% partly franked trailing dividend yield.
Which brings us to…
Sims Ltd (ASX: SGM)
Joining Macquarie and BHP shares in the new 52-week-plus high club is metal and electronics recycler Sims.
Sims shares are up 1.5% in afternoon trade today, swapping hands for $29.87 each.
You'd have to go back to September 2008 to find this ASX 200 share trading at higher levels than that.
The Sims share price has surged 91.4% over the past 12 months. Sims also trades on a 0.9% fully-franked trailing dividend yield.
The stock caught fresh tailwinds today following a positive trading update.
Among the highlights stoking ASX investor interest, Sims lifted its FY 2026 underlying earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) guidance to the range of $420 million to $435 million.
That was up from prior earnings guidance in the range of $350 million to $400 million.
Management credited the improved full-year earnings outlook to strong operating performances across both Sims' North America Metals and SA Recycling businesses.
