It was another rough day for ASX shares and the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) this Wednesday. After a steep fall yesterday, the sellers evidently weren't done today.
By the time the closing bell rang, the ASX 200 had retreated by 0.51%, leaving the index at 7,715.5 points.
This depressing hump day comes after a mixed night up on Wall Street last night.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: DJI) was also in a bad mood, losing 0.31% of its value.
It was better for the Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) though, which rose by a confident 0.88%.
But let's get back to ASX shares now, and check out what the different ASX sectors were up to during today's trading.
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Winners and losers
It was another horrid session for most Australian shares, with only one sector managing to pull out a gain. But more on that in a moment.
The biggest losers from today's trading were utilities shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) was hammered down by 1.08%.
Tech stocks also got a shellacking, with the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) tanking 0.97%.
As did industrial stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) walked back 0.87% by the end of trading.
Consumer discretionary shares came in next. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) cratered 0.87% this session.
Healthcare stocks were also on the nose, as is evident from the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ)'s plunge of 0.84%.
Mining shares had a day to forget as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) ended up losing 0.69% of its value.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) fared similarly, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ)'s loss of 0.42%.
Financial stocks were another sore point. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) was hit with a 0.38% downgrade.
Gold shares had another rough day, but the All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD)'s drop of 0.34% was a lot tamer than yesterday's ~5% belting.
Communications stocks weren't spared either. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) ended up slipping 0.07% lower.
Our final losers were consumer staples shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) slid down 0.2%.
Turning now to the only winners for the day: energy stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) had a ball this Wednesday, vaulting a happy 1.01% higher.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Today's best performer was healthcare stock Healius Ltd (ASX: HLS). Healius shares soared by a huge 8.61% up to $1.45 today.
That was despite no obvious news or announcements out of the company that might have catalysed this move.
Here's how the other top shares from today's trading looked:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Healius Ltd (ASX: HLS) | $1.45 | 8.61% |
| Emerald Resources N.L. (ASX: EMR) | $3.66 | 6.09% |
| Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR) | $1.14 | 5.07% |
| Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) | $27.79 | 2.58% |
| Sigma Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SIG) | $1.205 | 2.12% |
| Champion Iron Ltd (ASX: CIA) | $6.73 | 1.97% |
| JB Hi-Fi Ltd (ASX: JBH) | $60.85 | 1.86% |
| James Hardie Industries plc (ASX: JHX) | $46.73 | 1.59% |
| Pro Medicus Limited (ASX: PME) | $130.10 | 1.59% |
| Auckland International Airport Ltd (ASX: AIA) | $7.04 | 1.29% |
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.
