The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) endured a red day today, as investors pulled back on the record highs we saw for Australian shares during yesterday's session.
This Thursday saw the ASX 200 retreat by 0.27%, pulling the index down to 8,036.5 points at the closing bell.
This lacklustre day of trading for ASX shares follows a mixed night on the American markets overnight.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: DJI) had a decent day, rising a solid 0.59%.
But there was carnage on the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC), which cratered by a horrid 2.77%.
Let's return to the ASX share market and take stock of how the various ASX sectors handled the bad mood on the markets.
Winners and losers
There were definitely more losers than winners amongst the ASX sectors today.
Starting with the losers, the worst place to be was in tech stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) followed the Nasdaq's lead and tanked by a nasty 3.39%.
Communications shares had a rough day too, although the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ)'s 1.2% loss looked decent by comparison.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) were our next cab off the rank. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) ended up slumping 0.43%.
Then we had energy stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) retreated 0.29% today.
Mining shares performed similarly, as you can see from the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ)'s 0.24% move downward.
Financial stocks lost steam as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) saw 0.18% wiped from its value.
Industrial shares were yet another sore spot, with the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) sliding 0.16%.
That's it for the losers though.
Turning now to the winners, these were led by utilities shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) saw a 0.35% improvement this Thursday.
Also bucking the broader market were healthcare stocks, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ)'s 0.28% rise.
Gold shares had a stellar day as well. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) surged by 0.26%.
Consumer staples stocks and consumer discretionary shares round out our winners list. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) gained 0.2%, while the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) inched up 0.03% this session.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Today's best index performer was miner Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR). Liontown shares enjoyed a big win, rising 3.66% to 99 cents each.
Perhaps investors were buoyed by the news that one of Liontown's directors just picked up a big parcel of shares.
Here's how the rest of today's index winners landed the plane:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR) | $0.99 | 3.66% |
| Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) | $4.09 | 2.76% |
| Fletcher Building Ltd (ASX: FBU) | $2.98 | 2.76% |
| Ansell Ltd (ASX: ANN) | $26.70 | 2.42% |
| Amcor plc (ASX: AMC) | $15.41 | 2.19% |
| Orora Ltd (ASX: ORA) | $2.04 | 2.00% |
| Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX: MFG) | $9.81 | 1.98% |
| NRW Holdings Ltd (ASX: NWH) | $3.18 | 1.92% |
| Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) | $1.56 | 1.63% |
| Goodman Group (ASX: GMG) | $37.17 | 1.36% |
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.
