The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO)'s recovery was not to last it seems, as the index took another major dive this Wednesday to finish decidedly lower.
After a heavy day of selling, the ASX 200 finished up at just 7,375 points today, sinking a depressing 1.8%.
This return to red ink for the Australian markets follows a similarly bearish night over on the American markets last night.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) gave up an early lead to close down 0.84%.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) fared even worse, tumbling 2.15%.
But let's get back to ASX shares now and take stock of what the different ASX sectors were doing this hump day.
Winners and losers
It was almost a sea of red today, with only one sector eking out a rise.
The worst place to be invested today, though was in energy shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) had an awful session, collapsing by 4.03%.
Mining stocks also copped the brunt of investors' displeasure, with the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) sinking 3.57%.
Healthcare shares were also abandoned. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) crashed 3.55% lower.
Gold stocks proved to be no safe haven either, evidenced by the All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) cratering 2.06%.
Tech shares were sold off as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) ended up tanking 1.88% by market close.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) weren't much better, as illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ)'s 1.63% slump.
Industrial stocks were right behind REITs. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) saw 1.6% wiped from its value this session.
Financial shares did a little better, although the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) was still walked back 0.79%.
Communications stocks weren't playing nice, either. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) had 0.69% chipped off its block.
Consumer staples shares also got sold off, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) sliding 0.66%.
Its consumer discretionary counterpart was the final loser this Wednesday. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) slipped 0.34% lower by the closing bell.
The only winner from this hump day session was the utilities sector. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) bucked the market to rise 0.22%.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
The standout performer today was healthcare stock Healius Ltd (ASX: HLS). Healius shares defied the broader market to push 4.48% higher today and finished at $1.40 a share.
This gain came despite no fresh news or announcements out of the company.
Here are the rest of today's best market-buckers:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Healius Ltd (ASX: HLS) | $1.40 | 4.48% |
| Bapcor Ltd (ASX: BAP) | $4.41 | 3.28% |
| A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) | $8.01 | 2.56% |
| ASX Ltd (ASX: ASX) | $66.21 | 2.35% |
| Guzman y Gomez Ltd (ASX: GYG) | $31.77 | 2.15% |
| Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC) | $7.69 | 1.99% |
| Insurance Australia Group Ltd (ASX: IAG) | $7.46 | 1.77% |
| JB Hi-Fi Ltd (ASX: JBH) | $90.35 | 1.62% |
| AGL Energy Ltd (ASX: AGL) | $10.46 | 1.26% |
| Steadfast Group Ltd (ASX: SDF) | $5.48 | 1.11% |
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.
