The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) managed to salvage a successful start to the trading week this Monday.
After a rough start, the ASX 200 managed to claw its way back into positive territory this afternoon, and closed 0.22% higher at 8,109.9 points.
This rather interesting beginning to the trading week for Australian investors follows a rosy conclusion to last week's trading for American investors.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) had a strong Friday, closing up 0.55%.
It was even better for the Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC), which banked a 1.13% increase.
But let's return to the local markets and examine what was happening in the different ASX sectors today.
Winners and losers
We had plenty of both winners and losers amongst the ASX sectors this Monday.
Leading the latter were gold shares. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) was a horror show today, tanking by 2.59%.
Broader mining stocks also had a depressing session, with the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) cratering 1.11%.
Also on the nose were communications shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) crashed 0.9%.
Utilities stocks were also shunned, as you can see from the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ)'s 0.37% drop.
Our final losers were ASX healthcare shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) was hit with a 0.25% sell-off.
Turning to the winners now, it was financial stocks that led the charge higher. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) soared 1.14%.
Energy shares also had a day to remember, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ)'s 1.1% surge.
Industrial stocks weren't left out either. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) lifted 0.43% by the closing bell.
That move was mirrored by real estate investment trusts (REITs), with the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) also bouncing up 0.43%.
Consumer staples shares had a good start to the week too. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) rose 0.39%.
Tech stocks were right behind that, with the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) getting a 0.38% bump.
Finally, consumer discretionary shares eked out a rise. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) ended up inching 0.02% upwards today.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Today's winner was employee management company Smartgroup Corporation Ltd (ASX: SIQ). Smartgroup shares vaulted up 5.37% to finish at $8.44.
That was despite no fresh news out from the company, so perhaps this was a continuation of the goodwill we saw after last week's earnings.
Here's a look at the other top shares from today's trading:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Smartgroup Corporation Ltd (ASX: SIQ) | $8.44 | 5.37% |
| Healius Ltd (ASX: HLS) | $1.75 | 4.79% |
| Medibank Private Ltd (ASX: MPL) | $3.99 | 3.37% |
| Lovisa Holdings Ltd (ASX: LOV) | $32.05 | 3.09% |
| Eagers Automotive Ltd (ASX: APE) | $10.73 | 2.78% |
| Sigma Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SIG) | $1.295 | 2.78% |
| Ansell Ltd (ASX: ANN) | $30.65 | 2.75% |
| Downer EDI Ltd (ASX: DOW) | $5.74 | 2.68% |
| ASX Ltd (ASX: ASX) | $62.83 | 2.63% |
| Ampol Ltd (ASX: ALD) | $29.63 | 2.42% |
Our top 10 shares countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary that shows which companies made big moves on the day. Check in at Fool.com.au after the weekday market closes to see which stocks make the countdown.
