The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has once again given investors a headache this Wednesday, as the index recorded yet another day in the red.
Following yesterday's sell-off, the ASX 200 stepped down again today, recording a loss of 0.11%. That leaves the index sitting at 7,030.3 points.
This display of skittishness on the Australian stock market follows a horrid night on Wall Street overnight.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) had a stinker, tanking by a nasty 1.14%. It was even worse for the Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) which cratered by a depressing 1.57%.
But let's get back to the local markets now, and see what the damage was in the various ASX sectors today.
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Winners and losers
Kicking off with the losers, it was the 'safe haven' gold sector that was leading the charge off the proverbial cliff. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) had a terrible time of it this Wednesday, sinking by a significant 2.02%.
Tech shares were next up. Although this sector's losses were less than half of gold, the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ)'s fall of 0.96% probably wasn't comforting anyone.
Next on the losers list are ASX healthcare stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) also has a Wednesday to forget, retreating by 0.69%.
Then there's the energy sector. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) was close behind healthcare shares, slipping by 0.42%.
ASX consumer discretionary stocks are our next red zone. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) ended up losing 0.21% of its value.
That was followed by mining shares, with the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) sliding 0.06% lower.
Industrials stocks and communications shares were two more losers today. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) ended up dropping 0.1%, while the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) fell 0.09%.
Then there were ASX consumer staples shares. Doing better than their discretionary counterparts, the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) ended up closing 0.03% lower.
Turning to the winning sectors today, none were making investors happier than real estate investment trusts (REITs). The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) had a corker, shooting up 0.38%.
Financials shares were another source of gains, with the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) inching 0.07% higher.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Leading today's top ten shares was healthcare stock ResMed Inc (ASX: RMD).
The Resmed share price shot up by 4.17% to $22.99, despite no fresh news from the company. Perhaps investors are being buoyed by some recent ASX broker love for Resmed shares.
Here's a breakdown of the rest of today's best ASX stocks:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| ResMed Inc (ASX: RMD) | $22.99 | 4.79% |
| Tabcorp Holdings Ltd (ASX: TAH) | $0.995 | 3.11% |
| Neuren Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: NEU) | $10.80 | 3.05% |
| Dexus (ASX: DXS) | $7.37 | 2.79% |
| Charter Hall Long WALE REIT(ASX: CLW) | $3.35 | 2.13% |
| Healius Ltd (ASX: HLS) | $2.42 | 2.11% |
| IPH Ltd (ASX: IPH) | $7.37 | 1.94% |
| Reliance Worldwide Corporation Ltd (ASX: RWC) | $3.75 | 1.9% |
| Coronado Global Resources Inc (ASX: CRN) | $1.915 | 1.86% |
| Waypoint REIT Ltd (ASX: WPR) | $2.37 | 1.72% |
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.
