Today, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) weakened under the weight of escalation between Russia and Ukraine. At the end of the session, the benchmark index finished 1% lower at 7,161.3 points.
There was a clear flocking of funds to the more typical 'safe haven' assets on Tuesday. Gold mining shares firmed alongside consumer staples. However, it was the oil and gas portion of the market that delivered the greatest returns today. Fears of tightening supply from Russia in the event of a conflict bolstered the price of oil today.
At the other end of the market, tech consumer discretionary shares suffered the steepest falls. These sectors experienced falls of 3.2% and 2.7% respectively.
However, the question is: which shares delivered the biggest returns to investors on the ASX today? Here are the top ten stocks that came through for investors:
Top 10 ASX shares countdown today
Looking at the top 200 listed companies, Cochlear Ltd (ASX: COH) was the biggest gainer today. Shares in the hearing device maker surged 9.00% after the company reported a solid half-year result. Find out more about Cochlear here.
The next biggest gaining ASX share today was Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST). The second-largest ASX-listed gold mining company gained 4.63% today amid rising instability on the geopolitical front. Uncover the latest Northern Star Resources details here.
Today's top 10 biggest gains were made in these ASX shares:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Cochlear Ltd (ASX: COH) | $207.37 | 9.00% |
| Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) | $10.16 | 4.63% |
| Lendlease Group (ASX: LLC) | $10.77 | 4.46% |
| Woodside Petroleum Ltd (ASX: WPL) | $29.25 | 3.76% |
| Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) | $1.53 | 3.38% |
| Meridian Energy Ltd (ASX: MEZ) | $4.90 | 3.38% |
| Endeavour Group Ltd (ASX: EDV) | $7.41 | 3.20% |
| Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) | $7.09 | 3.20% |
| Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) | $17.27 | 3.17% |
| Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) | $4.34 | 2.84% |
Our top 10 ASX shares today countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary to ensure you know which companies were making big moves on the day. Check-in at Fool.com.au after the market has closed during weekdays to see which stocks make the countdown.
