It was another rough day for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) this hump day, as investors continue to sell out of ASX shares, seemingly thanks to the ructions caused by the Trump Administration's new trade policies.
By the close of trading, the ASX 200 had shrunk by another 0.7%, leaving the index at 8,141.1 points, its lowest point since Christmas Eve.
This depressing trading session for Australian investors comes after an equally tough night up on Wall Street for American investors.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) copped another big sell-off, dropping 1.55%.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) fared much better though, shrinking by 0.35%.
But time now to return to the local markets and see how the various ASX sectors reacted to today's selling pressure.
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Winners and losers
There were far more losers than winners this Wednesday.
Leading the former were consumer staples stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) got the pointy end of the stock today, crashing 3.56% lower.
Energy shares copped a beating too, with the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) slammed down 1.68%.
Then we had consumer discretionary stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) took a 1.09% bath this Wednesday.
Financial shares were sold off heavily too, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ)'s 0.95% dive.
As were industrial stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) tanked by 0.88% today.
Communications shares did a little better though, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ)'s 0.27% dip.
We could say the same again for healthcare stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) dropped by 0.12% this hump day.
Tech shares were in a similar ballpark, with the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) sliding 0.1% lower.
Mining stocks rounded out our losers today. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) ended up slipping 0.03%.
Turning to the winners now, gold stocks were once again the safe haven on the market today. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) shot up a healthy 0.5% by market close.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) also weathered the storm, as you'll see from the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ)'s 0.19% rise.
Finally, utility shares were the other safe harbour this Wednesday. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) rose by a tentative 0.11% today.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Today's best share was gold miner West African Resources Ltd (ASX: WAF). West African shares shot up 6.5% today to finish at $1.89 each.
There wasn't any news out of the company itself, so it seems West African benefitted more than most from a pivot to gold today.
Here's how the rest of today's top shares landed the plane:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| West African Resources Ltd (ASX: WAF) | $1.89 | 6.50% |
| Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR) | $0.66 | 5.60% |
| Bellevue Gold Ltd (ASX: BGL) | $1.23 | 5.15% |
| Insignia Financial Ltd (ASX: IFL) | $4.23 | 4.96% |
| Healius Ltd (ASX: HLS) | $1.41 | 4.07% |
| Codan Ltd (ASX: CDA) | $15.54 | 3.39% |
| Clarity Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: CU6) | $3.07 | 3.37% |
| Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Ltd (ASX: FPH) | $3.39 | 3.20% |
| Guzman y Gomex Ltd (ASX: GYG) | $33.60 | 2.13% |
| Nicke Industries Ltd (ASX: NIC) | $7.57 | 1.61% |
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.
