As Straw people are putting forward their picks for 2025, this came up in my news feed from the ABC:

This reporting from Reuters:

Here are the five best-performing ASX All Ordinaries shares in terms of capital growth for 2024.

1 . Mesoblast Ltd (ASX: MSB)

ASX All Ordinaries biotech share Mesoblast shot the lights out in 2024, rising a staggering 900% to close at $3.10 apiece on  December 31.

Mesoblast is a clinical-stage biotech that develops allogeneic cellular medicines for complex diseases.

2. Zip Co Ltd   (ASX: ZIP)

Zip was easily one of the greatest comeback stories of the year in 2024. The ASX All Ordinaries financial share soared 352.5% higher to close at $2.96 on Tuesday.

The buy now, pay later company has inspired new confidence among investors after abandoning plans for global expansion to instead focus on profitability.

3. Appen Ltd (ASX: APX)

ASX All Ords tech share Appen ripped 319.1% higher in 2024 to close at $2.64 on Tuesday.

Appen is benefitting from the rising artificial intelligence (AI) investment megatrend.

4. IperionX Ltd (ASX: IPX)

This ASX All Ordinaries materials share soared 295.68% to finish the year at $5.50 per share.

IperionX's mission is to be a leading developer of sustainable critical mineral and material supply chains in the US to help facilitate the transition to a circular, low-carbon global economy.

5. Nuix Limited (ASX: NXL) 

The Nuix share price rocketed 232.63% higher in 2024 to close at $6.32 per share on December 31.

Nuix provides specialised software for analysing large data sets.

Blackwattle Investment Partners rates Nuix shares "the best exposure to the AI thematic on the ASX".

Now on with 2025

Onward and upward!!!