It was another poor session for ASX shares and the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) this Thursday.
After dropping yesterday, the ASX 200 only just kept up the selling pressure this session, dipping a minuscule 0.0039% by the closing bell. That leaves the index at 7,769.4 points.
This lacklustre Thursday for ASX shares follows a more upbeat session over on Wall Street in overnight trading (our time).
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: DJI) had a pleasant time of it, banking a rise of 0.15%.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) wasn't quite as enthusiastic but still managed to scrape a 0.029% gain.
Let's now return to the local markets for a checkup of what the different ASX sectors were up to today.
Winners and losers
There were winners and losers on both sides of the aisle this session.
Starting with the losers, somewhat ironically, it was healthcare stocks that were the most on the nose today. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) had a shocker, tanking by 0.98%.
Tech shares also had a day to forget, as you can see from the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ)'s 0.52% drop.
Consumer staples stocks were shunned, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) was sent home 0.41% lighter.
Communications shares weren't far behind, with the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) shedding 0.29%.
Miners didn't escape unscathed, either. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) slid 0.04% lower by the end of the day.
But that's it for the losers today. Turning now to the winning sectors, it was real estate investment trusts (REITs) leading the charge. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) managed to score a 0.51% upgrade this Thursday.
Gold stocks also had a strong day, with the All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) adding 0.43% to its value.
Financial shares were also in demand. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) managed a 0.33% improvement.
Then we had utilities stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) was given a 0.23% bump by investors.
ASX consumer discretionary shares came in with a solid result, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ)'s lift of 0.11%.
Energy stocks fared decently, if unspectacularly, as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) crawled up 0.03%.
Finally, industrial shares counted themselves amongst the winners, if only just. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) inched 0.01% higher by market close.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
This Thursday's winner, by a mile, was mortgage insurance stock Helia Group Ltd (ASX: HLI). Helia shares ballooned by a whopping 16.17% today, up to $3.88 a share.
To be fair, this comes after Helia lost more than 20% of its value yesterday on the news that it might be losing its valuable contract with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA). Investors clearly had a rethink today.
Here's the rest of today's market winners:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Helia Group Ltd (ASX: HLI) | $3.88 | 16.17% |
| Strike Energy Ltd (ASX: STX) | $0.215 | 7.50% |
| Regis Resources Ltd (ASX: RRL) | $1.81 | 3.72% |
| Lovisa Holdings Ltd (ASX: LOV) | $33.27 | 3.48% |
| Ventia Services Group Ltd (ASX: VNT) | $3.89 | 3.18% |
| Gold Road Resources Ltd (ASX: GOR) | $1.67 | 2.77% |
| Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX: MFG) | $8.43 | 2.55% |
| Corporate Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD) | $13.69 | 2.09% |
| Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR) | $8.78 | 1.74% |
| Aurizon Holdings Ltd (ASX: AZJ) | $3.63 | 1.40% |
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.
