The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) had another shaky day on Tuesday. Yesterday seemed to show that investors couldn't decide what they wanted out of the markets, with stints on both positive and negative territory.
We saw the exact same thing happen today. Fortunately, the outcome was similar, with the ASX 200 recording a rise of 0.2% by market close, leaving it at 7,206.9 points.
This tentatively positive performance came after an upbeat night of trading over on the US markets overnight.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) recorded a solid gain of 0.25% for the US Monday session. The Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) fared far better though, galloping ahead with a rise of 1.14%.
Let's get back to the local markets now though, with a look at the various ASX sectors and how they tracked this Tuesday.
Winners and losers
Despite the gains of the broader market, we still had a fairly even split between winners and losers when it came to the different ASX sectors.
At the forefront of the losers club this Tuesday was the energy sector, and by a mile too. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) had a nasty time today, falling by a heavy 1.43%.
But that was about as bad as it got. The next-worst sector ended up being communications shares. The S&P/ASX Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) ended up going backwards by 0.57%.
Utilities were another sore spot on the markets, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: UJ) shedding 0.21%.
Coming in slightly better were real estate investment trusts (REITs). The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) ended up with a loss of 0.06%.
Financials weren't in vogue either, with the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) inching 0.06% lower.
But that's about it for the losers.
Turning the tables to the winners, it was ASX mining shares that were delighting investors the most today. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) rose by a healthy 0.89% by the end of trading.
Healthcare shares were just behind that, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ)'s 0.78% lift.
Gold was another bright spot on the ASX boards. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) rose by a solid 0.63%.
ASX consumer staples and discretionary shares both had solid days as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) and the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) managed gains of 0.31% and 0.29% respectively.
Tech stocks were relatively tame today though. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) barely made a ripple with its rise of 0.08%.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
It was a decent, if muted, day for our top ten shares today. Leading the charge was financial administration share Link Administration Holdings Ltd (ASX: LNK). Link shares jumped by a healthy 5.99% to $1.42 each, despite nothing in the way of news or announcements from the company.
Here's how the rest of today's top ten brought it in:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Link Administration Holdings Ltd (ASX: LNK) | $1.415 | 5.99% |
| Imugene Ltd (ASX: IMU) | $0.062 | 5.08% |
| Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) | $4.60 | 4.31% |
| Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: TLX) | $11.70 | 3.45% |
| Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) | $11.11 | 3.35% |
| Ingenia Communities Group (ASX: INA) | $4.26 | 3.15% |
| Bapcor Ltd (ASX: BAP) | $6.85 | 2.39% |
| Champion Iron Ltd (ASX: CIA) | $6.08 | 2.36% |
| Ramsay Health Care Limited (ASX: RHC) | $50.59 | 2.14% |
| Orica Ltd (ASX: ORI) | $16.11 | 1.9% |
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.
