It was a phenomenal day for the Australian share markets and the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) as a tariff backpedal from US President Donald Trump turbocharged investor optimism.
By the time trading wrapped up today, the ASX 200 had lifted 4.54% higher to close at 7,709.6 points. That's after the index gained more than 6.3% at market open this morning.
This roaring return to green ink for ASX shares follows a similarly relieved night of trading over on Wall Street.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) rocketed a huge 7.87% higher last night.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) made that look small, exploding 12.16% higher. That's its best session in more than two decades.
Let's return to ASX shares now and examine how today's gains filtered down into the various ASX sectors.
Winners and losers
It was a green wash this Thursday, with every single sector rising in value.
Leading the charge were tech stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) had a blowout this session, exploding 7.57% higher.
We could say the same for gold shares, with the All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) soaring 6.46%.
Broader mining stocks also didn't let the team down. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) ended up surging 6.33%.
Continuing with the commodity theme, next we had energy shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) shot 5.16% higher this session.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) also ran hot, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ)'s 4.76% gallop upwards.
Financial shares had a great day as well, with the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) leaping 4.37%.
Consumer discretionary stocks were in high demand too. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) jumped up 4.17% today.
Utilities shares didn't miss out either, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ)'s 3.65% hike.
Healthcare stocks were also at the ASX party. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) saw its value rise by 3.58% this Thursday.
Also joining the party were industrial shares, with the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) gaining 3.5%.
Communications stocks got some love, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) vaulted up 2.95% by the closing bell.
Finally, you wouldn't know that consumer staples shares were the worst-faring sector this session, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) lifting 1.88%.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Amongst a crowded field today, it was Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP) that stood out from the pack. Zip shares pole-vaulted 20.66% higher this session to close at $1.46 each.
There wasn't any news out from the company itself today, but we looked at some possible catalysts for this jump here.
Here's a look at the other impressive top performers from today's session:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP) | $1.46 | 20.66% |
| Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) | $17.01 | 18.13% |
| Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) | $2.62 | 17.49% |
| Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) | $4.72 | 17.41% |
| Netwealth Group Ltd (ASX: NWL) | $26.36 | 16.59% |
| Deep Yellow Ltd (ASX: DYL) | $0.91 | 15.92% |
| Digico Infrastructure REIT (ASX: DGT) | $2.68 | 15.52% |
| Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR) | $0.535 | 15.05% |
| Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR) | $9.30 | 14.11% |
| Imdex Ltd (ASX: IMD) | $2.72 | 13.33% |
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.
