The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) enjoyed a solid session this Tuesday, recording a healthy rise that pulled the index back over 7,200 points for the first time since September.
By market close, the ASX 200 had climbed a rosy 0.5% to close at 7,235.3 points.
These happy rises follow a decent night of trade up on the American markets to kick off the week.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) recorded a strong rise of 0.43%.
Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) didn't quite keep up, but still managed to lift by 0.2%.
But let's get back to the local markets now with a look at how the different ASX sectors fared today.
Winners and losers
We only had two sectors that failed to make ground today.
First amongst those was gold shares. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) once again led the losers but dropped by just 0.15%.
Mining stocks were the other unlucky sector today. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) also got left behind with its fall of 0.14%.
But that's it for the red sectors.
Turning now to the winners, and we saw ASX tech shares vault to the top of the markets today. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) had a cracker, surging by 2.12%.
Next was the consumer staples space. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) had a great time today as well, shooting up 1.37%.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) were close behind. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) swelled by 1.07%.
Then there were healthcare shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) was making investors happy, rising by 1.03%.
Communications stocks were back in favour too. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) rose by 0.68% by the closing bell.
Industrial shares weren't left out either, with the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) clocking a rise of 0.53%.
The same can be said of financial shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) lifted by a solid 0.46%.
Utilities shares returned to positive form today. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) ended up gaining 0.37%.
Consumer discretionary stocks were another bright spot. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) ended the day 0.33% higher.
Finally, energy stocks joined the party as well, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ)'s rise of 0.21%.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Today's index winner was healthcare stock Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: TLX). The Telix share price vaulted an impressive 4.71% higher today to $10.01 a share.
That was despite no news out of the company today, or indeed throughout December thus far.
Here's how the rest of today's winners brought it home:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: TLX) | $10.01 | 4.71% |
| Xero Limited (ASX: XRO) | $108.33 | 3.79% |
| Silver Lake Resources Ltd (ASX: SLR) | $1.145 | 3.62% |
| Virgin Money UK plc (ASX: VUK) | $3.03 | 3.06% |
| WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) | $70.00 | 2.94% |
| Dexus (ASX: DXS) | $7.56 | 2.86% |
| Costa Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: CGC) | $3.04 | 2.7% |
| Regis Resources Ltd (ASX: RRL) | $1.945 | 2.64% |
| Qube Holdings Ltd (ASX: QUB) | $3.15 | 2.61% |
| REA Group Ltd (ASX: REA) | $167.74 | 2.56% |
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.
