3 ASX stocks that beat the index on Thursday

A good day or our market – and a better one for these three companies

Mike King

Mike King is a Fool.com.au Investment Analyst and Writer. He caught the investing bug more than a decade ago, at a time when the U.S. had invaded Iraq and fear reigned in the markets. His initial success as the markets took off encouraged his passion and thirst for knowledge. With 13 years behind him at one of Australia's largest domestic banks, Mike's passion for stocks led him to join a boutique funds management firm, where he stayed for four years. A seven-year stint in equity research at one of the largest investment banks in the world followed that, giving Mike a thirst to pursue his passion further. Mike holds a Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment and a Graduate Certificate in Financial Planning. His passion is to help retail investors invest better, and that passion was one of his primary reasons for joining The Motley Fool Australia in late 2011. Mike has written thousands of articles since joining, including for Fairfax Media, Yahoo!7, Ninemsn and has also appeared on ABC's The Business. You can see all of Mikes' holdings here

Published June 9, 2012 12:30 pm AEST

The S&P / ASX 200 Index (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) rose 1.3% to close at 4,108.6 on Thursday, as investors bet on further stimulus from global central banks, and local news that employers added 39,000 jobs in May, mainly thanks to the mining boom.

These three stocks climbed by more than 5.5%, out-performing the index by a decent margin.

Dart Energy Ltd (ASX: DTE) rocketed up 8.1% to 20 cents, as the company received Federal and NSW government approval to drill pilot coal seam gas wells, north-east of Newcastle. The company suggested that it could lead to further gas sales and an increase in reserves.

Aquarius Platinum Limited (ASX: AQP) jumped 7.4% to close at $1.085, continuing its rise from a 52 week low of 91.5 cents set this week, as mining stocks recover somewhat from the hammering they have taken over in the last year. Aquarius Platinum's share price has tanked since June 2011, falling from above $5, as production of platinum declined by 14%, compounded by a 21% fall in the price of platinum, global economic uncertainty and regulatory issues.

Charter Hall Group (ASX: CHC) rose 5.8% to close at $2.36. The property fund manager has recently completed an off-market buy-back, purchasing and cancelling close to 12m shares since December 2011. The company has also been active in the industrial property market, buying Woolworths Limited's (ASX: WOW) Masters Hardware National Distribution Centre in Melbourne for $39.4m last week.

It wasn't all good news though, with Brambles Limited (ASX: BXB) sliding 5.5% to $6.42, as the company reported that it had only raised $333m from its institutional share placement instead of the $448m it was seeking. Qantas Limited (ASX: QAN) continued to fall, diving by 5.8% to an all-time low of $1.06, following its profit downgrade earlier in the week.

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Motley Fool contributor Mike King doesn't own shares in any companies mentioned. The Motley Fool's purpose is to help the world invest, better. Take Stock is The Motley Fool's free investing newsletter. Packed with stock ideas and investing advice, it is essential reading for anyone looking to build and grow their wealth in the years ahead. Click here now to request your free subscription, whilst it's still available. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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