The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) had gotten through a bumpy, but overall positive day of trading this Wednesday. After spending time in both positive and negative territory today, the ASX 200 ended the session with a rise of 0.3%, leaving the index at 7,077.6 points.
This happy hump day for ASX shares comes after a similarly shaky night up on the US markets last night.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) also bounced around but ultimately ended up inching 0.039% higher. The Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) also had stings above and below the breakeven line, but, unlike the Dow, closed 0.25% lower by close of business.
Let's get back to the ASX though, and check out what was happening amongst the various ASX sectors this Wednesday.
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Winners and losers
Leading the market losers today were utility shares, of all sectors. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) finished the trading day with a hefty loss of 0.95%.
Next was the consumer discretionary sector. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) didn't fare nearly as bad as utilities though, dropping by 0.51%.
ASX tech stocks were another ASX sore spot this session. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) retreated by 0.44% today.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) were close behind that. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) closed down 0.29%.
Communications stocks also let investors down, with the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) slipping by 0.13%.
Turning to the winners, we had energy shares leading the charge higher this Wednesday. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) rocketed a happy 2.47% today.
Gold stocks were also a winner today, with the All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) rising 1.7%.
Also making investors happy were healthcare shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) banked a pleasing 0.85%.
Mining stocks were hot on healthcare's tail, represented by the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ)'s rise of 0.46%.
Financials shares came in next. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) finished the day with a rise of 0.24%.
Consumer staples stocks were our last bright spot on the markets, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) jumping 0.22%.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Coal miner Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC) took out the best-performing stock on the index today.
Whitehaven shares jumped by an impressive 11.49% to $7.57 each after it emerged that the company was in line to acquire some major coal mines from BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP).
Here are today's other top stocks:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC) | $7.57 | 11.49% |
| Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD) | $1.535 | 7.34% |
| Weebit Nano Ltd (ASX: WBT) | $3.11 | 6.87% |
| Capricorn Metals Ltd (ASX: CMM) | $4.75 | 6.03% |
| Neuren Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: NEU) | $11.57 | 5.28% |
| Treasury Wine Estates Ltd(ASX: TWE) | $12.23 | 4.98% |
| De Grey Mining Ltd (ASX: DEG) | $1.285 | 4.05% |
| Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) | $3.59 | 3.76% |
| Bellevue Gold Ltd (ASX: BGL) | $1.47 | 3.16% |
| Silver Lake Resources Ltd (ASX: SLR) | $1.01 | 3.06% |
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.
