The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) surpassed a major milestone for the first time in nearly two months today. The index lifted 0.58% to close at 6,999.3 points.
However, it reached a high of 7,012.4 in intraday trade, marking the first time the ASX 200 has surpassed 7,000 points since mid-September and a fourth consecutive gain.
Its day in the green followed a decent session on Wall Street as the United States market anticipated the outcome of the nation's midterm election.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) rose 1% overnight while the S&P 500 Index (SP: .INX) lifted 0.6% and the Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) gained 0.5%.
The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) led the way on the Aussie bourse on Wednesday. It gained 2.5% despite falling iron ore prices.
Iron ore futures slumped 2.1% to US$85.33 a tonne while gold futures lifted 2.1% to US$1,716 an ounce.
The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ), meanwhile, underperformed, falling 0.1%.
The Brent crude oil price slipped 2.6% to US$95.36 a barrel overnight while the US Nymex crude oil price fell 3.1% to US$88.91 a barrel.
All in all, three of the ASX 200's 11 sectors closed higher today. But which share outperformed all others to take out today's crown? Keep reading to find out.
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Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
The best-performing ASX 200 share on Wednesday was gold miner St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM). Its stock jumped 13% despite no news having been released by the company.
Today's biggest gains were made by these shares:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM) | $0.565 | 13% |
| Regis Resources Limited (ASX: RRL) | $1.78 | 12.66% |
| De Grey Mining Limited (ASX: DEG) | $1.22 | 9.42% |
| Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) | $2.35 | 9.3% |
| Perseus Mining Limited (ASX: PRU) | $2.05 | 9.04% |
| Capricorn Metals Ltd (ASX: CMM) | $4.17 | 8.88% |
| West African Resources Ltd (ASX: WAF) | $1.145 | 8.02% |
| Gold Road Resources Ltd (ASX: GOR) | $1.53 | 7.75% |
| Orica Ltd (ASX: ORI) | $15.07 | 6.96% |
| Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM) | $19.41 | 6.88% |
Our top 10 shares countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary to let you know which companies were making big moves on the day. Check in at Fool.com.au after the weekday market closes to see which stocks make the countdown.
