ASX 200 stocks with the best performance: Return, momentum, risk-vs-reward – Week 47
ASX 200 Data Insights series brings you the latest data on key value, profitability and performance metrics for Australia’s biggest stocks.
Source: Shutterstock
Mentioned
KEY POINTS
- How good are lithium stocks again? It’s a case of hero to zero, and back to hero again for the likes of Liontown Resources (LTR), IGO (IGO), Pilbara Minerals (PLS), and Mineral Resources (MIN) – each featuring strongly in this week’s best performing lists.
- This is the first time since this series began that defence stock Droneshield (DRO) isn't on top the “Strongest” list. It's been in the worst weekly performers for a few weeks, and that's taken its toll, causing DRO’s slide…
- Orica (ORI) is an interesting one, it's been steadily rising – but hardly soaring. It's likely in this list this week because so many stocks have tumbled around it. A case of survival of the fittest!
Welcome to ASX 200 Data Insights: Performance. At Market Index we continuously maintain an extensive database of critical financial and performance data for the Australian share market. You can find much of this data in the dedicated pages in “Stock Scans” and “Popular Pages” in the main menu above, or in our Data Insights category.
In this edition of Data Insights, we aim to bring you a summary of some of the most interesting performance data we’ve collected for the stocks listed in the S&P/ASX 200. The main criteria of focus are:
KEY DATA – RETURN-BASED METRICS
1-week Share Price Performance %
1-month Share Price Performance %
1-year Share Price Performance %
KEY DATA – MOMENTUM-BASED METRICS
Share Price Performance: Furthest from 12-month low % (“Strongest”)
Share Price Performance: Furthest from 12-month high % (“Weakest”)
KEY DATA – REWARD-VS-RISK-BASED METRICS
1-yr Sortino Ratio: Best
1-yr Sortino Ratio: Worst
Don’t worry if all these datapoints seem like a different language! For each category, we’ll provide an explanation of what it does, its importance, and how to practically use it to compare stocks across the ASX 200. If a stock is highlighted in green, it means it is a new entrant to a particular list. All of our data is accurate at the time of publication, and is based on the close of trading on Thursday 20 November.
KEY DATA – RETURN-BASED METRICS
Top 20 ASX 200 Stocks by 1-week return
Top 20 ASX 200 Stocks by rolling 1-week return. All data as per close of trade Thursday 20 November.
The best performing stocks over the last 5 trading days, a momentum scan for stocks exhibiting strong very short term positive momentum.
Bottom 20 ASX 200 Stocks by 1-week return
Bottom 20 ASX 200 Stocks by rolling 1-week return. All data as per close of trade Thursday 20 November.
The worst performing stocks over the last 5 trading days, a momentum scan for stocks exhibiting strong very short term negative momentum.
1-Week Return Observations 🧐
Top 20 INS
It was a tough week for many stocks as the ASX 200 lost ground, but several previously beaten down blue chips managed to buck the trend, shrug off large 12-month declines, and post solid weekly gains. Most notable in this regard are Elders (ELD), Sonic Healthcare (SHL), James Hardie Industries (JHX), GQG Partners (GQG) and HMC Capital (HMC). Whether one strong week is the start of a new trend for each is still yet to be seen – but their resurgence could not have come at a better time considering the carnage in the broader market.
Stocks that stayed in the list for another week also deserve a special mention, as they managed to build on their gains in a tough market. Here I note super strong performances from lithium and critical minerals stocks Pilbara Minerals (PLS), Liontown Resources (LTR), IGO (IGO), Lynas Rare Earths (LYC), and Iluka Resources (ILU).
Top 20 OUTS
Given the broader market's pullback, it wasn't hard to find yourself on the outs list this week. Mainly gold stocks here (Newmont Corp. (NEM), Perseus Mining (PRU), Vault Minerals (VAU), and Evolution Mining (EVN)), but base metals stocks like Alcoa Corp. (AAI) and Nickel Industries (NIC) also failed to back up last week's strong gains.
Bottom 20 INS
The yo-yo's were clearly VAU and AAI, NIC mentioned above, but Flight Centre Travel Group (FLT) also switched from last week's best weekly gainers to this week's worst weekly losers.
Joining them were a few that unfortunately are proving to be a little sticky in the worst weekly losers list, Catapult Sports (CAT), Droneshield (DRO), Iperionx (IPX), Life360 (360) and Zip Co. (ZIP).
Top 20 ASX 200 Stocks by 1-month return
Top 20 ASX 200 Stocks by rolling 1-month return. All data as per close of trade Thursday 20 November.
The best performing stocks over the last month. Also included for your reference are the Top 20’s proximity to their 1-month high, e.g., “-2%” indicates the stock in question is currently 2% from its 1-month high (lower is generally considered better). This is a momentum scan for stocks exhibiting strong short-term momentum.
1-Month Return Observations 🧐
INS
Light & Wonder (LNW) entered this list at a commendable sixth place, rising earlier in the month after announcing better than expected third-quarter results plus a new share buyback, and more recently due to its addition to the FTSE All-World Index.
Gold stocks have demonstrated their volatility again, one week sublime – the next shocking, and this week... well it's hard to tell! But, many have made their way back into this list.
Orica (ORI) is an interesting one, it's been steadily rising – but hardly soaring. It's likely in this list this week because so many stocks have tumbled around it. A case of survival of the fittest!
OUTS
Energy stocks pulled back this week, dragging Woodside Energy Group (WDS), Beach Energy (BPT) and New Hope Corp. (NHC) out.
Top 20 ASX 200 Stocks by 1-year return
Top 20 ASX 200 Stocks by rolling 12-month return. All data as per close of trade Thursday 20 November.
The best performing stocks over the last year. Also included for your reference are the Top 20’s proximity to their 1-year high, e.g., “-2%” indicates the stock in question is currently 2% from its 1-year high (lower is generally considered better). This is a momentum scan for stocks exhibiting strong medium-term momentum.
1-Year Return Observations
INS
Just a few changes here this week, LTR is the most notable because its screaming up the performance lists (i.e., the "best" lists not the "worst" lists), whereas the other three, PRU, Ramelius Resources (RMS), and 360 are ins due to a quirk – so many other high flyers from the last 12-months have seen their gains pared back, making PRU, RMS, and 360's gains more prominent.
OUTS
Catapult Sports (CAT), Tabcorp Holdings (TAH), and Megaport (MP1) are notable outs from this list this week given they had previously spent a great deal of time in it...
KEY DATA – MOMENTUM-BASED METRICS
Top 20 ASX 200 Stocks by Furthest from 1-year low % ("Strongest")
Top 20 ASX 200 Stocks by Furthest from rolling 1-year low % (Strongest). All data as per close of trade Thursday 20 November.
More targeted than the previous 1-year return scan, it aims to highlight stocks that have staged the strongest recoveries from recent troughs and or those that have exhibited consistent momentum in the medium term. It signals investor confidence and assists in identifying market leaders and sectors that might be currently favoured by fund managers.
"Strongest" Observations
INS
LYC has been in and out of this list a couple of times over the last few weeks – this time in – and hopefully it can stay there!
Deep Yellow (DYL) snuck in largely due to its gain on Thursday as it announced Washington H. Soul Pattinson (SOL) had increased its stake in the uranium developer from around 1% to just over 11%.
OUTS
Not an out, but certainly worth noting – this is the first time since this series began that DRO isn't on top of this table. It's been in the worst weekly performers for a few weeks, and that's taken its toll, causing DRO to slide to a still commendable fourth place. Another previous 2025 market darling, or "once market darling" as it appears now, is Austal (ASB). It's no coincidence, either, given it and DRO are both defence-related stocks.
Top 20 ASX 200 Stocks by Furthest from 1-year high % ("Weakest")
Top 20 ASX 200 Stocks by Furthest from 1-year high % (Weakest). All data as per close of trade Thursday 20 November.
This scan highlights stocks trading furthest below their recent peaks, often reflecting weaker momentum, reduced investor conviction, or sector headwinds. It can help identify potential value opportunities if fundamentals remain intact, or conversely, warn of stocks and industries currently out of favour with fund managers.
"Weakest" Observations
INS
This is a list you definitely don't want to be in – nor do you want to be climbing its ranks! But that's what Iperionx (IPX), GQG, ZIP and Xero (XRO) have done (as new entrants), with Boss Energy (BOE), Telix Pharmaceuticals (TLX), Wisetech Global (WTC), and Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) moving up the list.
OUTS
Escaping the clutches of this list this week is an ever improving Domino's Pizza Enterprises (DMP), along with still-pretty-lousy-but-just-not-quite-as-lousy-this-week Ebos Group (EBO), IPH (IPH), and Pinnacle Investment Management (PNI).
KEY DATA – REWARD-VS-RISK-BASED METRICS
The Sortino Ratio is a powerful risk-reward metric. It compares excess returns to downside volatility, isolating harmful losses without penalising gains. Generally, a Sortino Ratio greater than 1.0 is considered acceptable as it signifies that the investment is generating returns above the minimum acceptable rate without taking on disproportionate downside risk. A higher Sortino Ratio is always preferred, as it signals stronger risk-adjusted performance and highlights investments delivering better returns per unit of downside risk taken.
So, rather than just pure performance (or underperformance) as per the previous lists, this is a far stronger and more relevant measure of which stocks have beaten and lagged the market on a risk-adjusted basis.
Top 20 ASX 200 Stocks by 1-year Sortino Ratio: Best
Top 20 ASX 200 Stocks by rolling 1-year Sortino Ratio: Best. All data as per close of trade Thursday 20 November.
This scan highlights the best performing ASX stocks over the last 12-months from a return vs risk perspective – i.e., these are the stocks that delivered the greatest return with the least volatility below the minimum acceptable return ("MAR") of 6% p.a.
Bottom 20 ASX 200 Stocks by 1-year Sortino Ratio: Worst
Bottom 20 ASX 200 Stocks by rolling 1-year rolling Sortino Ratio: Worst. All data as per close of trade Thursday 20 November.
This scan highlights the worst performing ASX stocks over the last 12-months from a return vs risk perspective – i.e., these are the stocks that delivered the least return with the greatest volatility below the minimum acceptable return ("MAR") of 6% p.a.
Reward vs Risk Observations
GOOD
LYC's bounce this week has seen it claw its way back into several of the "best" lists this week, but this is the "best of the best" list to be in.
Charter Hall Group (CHC) also deserves a special mention, after its share price rose sharply on Thursday due to a 5.5% upgrade to its FY26 earnings guidance.
UGLY
CAT and DRO slipped out of the best Sortino Ratio list, while EDV, Cleanaway Waste Management (CWY), and REA Group (REA) slipped into the worst Sortino Ratio list. The last two are the most interesting, as they've been featuring heavily in the ChartWatch ASX Scans "Feature Downtrends" list for several weeks now (the charts tell all!?).
Ultimately it boils down to this: If your portfolio resembles the "Best Sortino" list, then you've done a very good job of managing your money over the last 12-months. However, if your portfolio resembles the "Worst Sortino" list, then you may need to rethink your investing strategy! 😉
