It was a happy hump day indeed for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) and most ASX shares this Wednesday.
After the rough start to the trading week that we had on Monday, the ASX 200 continued to recover today, recording a rise of 0.22%. That leaves the index at 7,729.4 points.
This happy hump day follows a decent session over on Wall Street last night.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) had a strong day, leaping 0.61% higher.
The Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) did even better, surging by a whopping 1.54%.
But let's now get back to the ASX with a checkup of how the various ASX sectors went this Wednesday.
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Winners and losers
Despite the gains of the broader market, there were still a handful of sectors that suffered during today's trading.
Headlining those was the gold sector. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) had a shocker, plunging 2.2%.
Mining shares also had a rough time today. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) saw its value cut by 0.75%.
Industrial stocks didn't get off easy either. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) retreated by 0.41%.
Joining the pity party were ASX energy shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) slid down 0.35%.
Healthcare shares were on the nose too, as you can see from the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ)'s loss of 0.28%.
But that's it for the losers.
Turning to the winners now, it was consumer discretionary stocks that topped the tables today. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) had a happy day indeed, surging 1.3%.
Just behind that was the real estate investment trust (REIT) space. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) had a strong session as well, vaulting 1.05% higher.
Financial shares weren't left out, with the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) lifting 0.85%.
Nor were tech stocks, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ)'s rise of 0.41%.
Communications shares proved to be another bright spot, with the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) lifting by 0.32%.
Utilities were also a comfortable place for investors to hang out. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) recorded a rise of 0.28%.
Our final winners were consumer staples stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) inched 0.1% higher over the day's trading.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Coming in at the top of the pole this Wednesday was lithium stock Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR).
Liontown shares had a wonderful time today, rocketing 6.08% up to $1.395 a share. This followed the happy news that the company has been successful in obtaining a new debt facility.
Here's a look at the rest of today's top stocks:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR) | $1.395 | 6.08% |
| Nine Entertainment Co Holdings Ltd (ASX: NEC) | $1.695 | 3.35% |
| Magellan Financial Group Ltd(ASX: MFG) | $9.65 | 2.99% |
| IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL) | $19.70 | 2.66% |
| Premier Investments Limited (ASX: PMV) | $30.17 | 2.62% |
| Webjet Ltd (ASX: WEB) | $7.44 | 2.34% |
| Strike Energy Ltd (ASX: STX) | $0.235 | 2.17% |
| Elders Ltd (ASX: ELD) | $8.96 | 2.17% |
| Lendlease Group (ASX: LLC) | $6.64 | 2.15% |
| Aristocrat Leisure Ltd (ASX: ALL) | $48.86 | 2.07% |
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.
