The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) endured an awful session this Wednesday, accelerating the market losses we saw yesterday.
The ASX 200 had a rough start this morning, but investors stepped on the gas following the release of the latest inflation figures for the Australian economy. By the time the markets closed, the index had slumped a nasty 1.3% down to 7,665.6 points.
This horrid hump day for ASX shares follows a mixed night over on Wall Street last night.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) had a disappointing time, closing 0.55% lower.
The Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) fared a lot better though, managing to pull off a 0.59% rise.
Time to get back to the local markets though to assess the damage from today's trading amongst the various ASX sectors.
Winners and losers
It was a dark day for many stocks today, with not one sector pulling off a gain.
The worst place to be in today was in consumer staples shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) was slammed with a 2.08% sell-off.
Industrial stocks also had a shocker, with the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) tanking 1.87%.
Financial shares had a horrific day too. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) cratered 1.74%.
Consumer discretionary stocks weren't much better. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) ended up plunging 1.45%.
Next up was the real estate investment trust (REIT) sector. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) sank 1.25%.
Healthcare shares weren't exactly brimming with vitality either, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ)'s 1.23% dip.
Communications stocks were just behind that. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) dove 1.22%.
Utilities shares weren't riding to the rescue, with the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) losing 1% of its value.
ASX mining stocks also counted themselves on the losers list. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) was given a 0.7% slapdown by investors today.
Energy shares were hot on miners' tails, with the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) receiving a 0.6% downgrade.
Tech stocks were yet another sore spot. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) slid 0.47% lower by day's end.
Finally, we had gold shares. But this sector didn't exactly live up to its safe haven reputation, with the All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) slipping 0.07%. Then again, perhaps it did.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Emerging out of the sea of red ink today was index winner and healthcare share Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Ltd (ASX: FPH).
Fisher & Paykel stock rose by a confident 3.69% today up to $26.39. This followed the company's latest earnings results, which clearly impressed the markets.
Here's a glance at the rest of the best shares to have owned this Wednesday:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Ltd (ASX: FPH) | $26.39 | 3.69% |
| Alumina Ltd (ASX: AWC) | $1.80 | 3.45% |
| Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD) | $1.91 | 3.24% |
| HUB24 Ltd (ASX: HUB) | $41.63 | 3.20% |
| ARB Corporation Ltd (ASX: ARB) | $37.35 | 2.47% |
| Capricorn Metals Ltd (ASX: CMM) | $4.79 | 2.35% |
| Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR) | $9.69 | 2.11% |
| Data#3 Ltd (ASX: DTL) | $7.56 | 1.89% |
| IRESS Ltd (ASX: IRE) | $7.87 | 1.81% |
| West African Resources Ltd (ASX: WAF) | $1.475 | 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.
