Happy Friday, Foolish readers. Market volatility continued today, with the S&P/ASX 200 (INDEXASX: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) losing 0.5% to 4,953 points.
A number of shares – miners mostly – considerably outperformed the market, and here's why:
Adacel Technologies Limited (ASX: ADA) soared 16% to $2.32 after the company updated its profit guidance for the current financial year. Adacel now expects its full year profit to be 70% higher than the previous year, continuing the company's record run since listing. Although shares have skyrocketed in the past year, the company is not as expensive as readers might expect, trading on an estimated Price to Earnings (P/E) ratio of around 28.
Adacel shares are up 720% in the past year.
Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) rose 3% to $1.87 today, following on from yesterday's 9% rise, which came on the back of rising iron ore prices. Fortescue continues to focus on lowering its average cost of production, and appears to make acceptable profit margins at today's iron ore prices of around US$44 per tonne. However, readers need to be cautious that Goldman Sachs recently warned of a cut in Chinese steel production, which could have a big impact on demand for iron ore.
Fortescue shares are down 25% for the year.
BHP Billiton Limited (ASX: BHP) lifted 4% to $16.08 as bargain hunters jump into the stock after it traded below $15 per share earlier this week. A recent rise in the value of iron ore and oil also helped, as BHP is a major producer of these commodities. Investors looking enviously at the miner's 8.2%, fully franked dividend need to be wary however, as it is widely expected BHP will slash its dividend in its upcoming report.
BHP shares are down 44% for the year.
Newcrest Mining Limited (ASX: NCM) rose 4% to $14.89, along with a number of other gold miners today after the value of the precious metal rose further overnight. Gold now trades at US$1,157 per ounce, up roughly 4% in the past week or 8% since the start of the year. In its most recent quarterly report, Newcrest produced gold at an All-In Sustaining Cost (AISC) of US$757 per ounce, comfortably below gold spot prices.
Newcrest shares are up just 2% in the past 12 months.
