The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) enjoyed a positive end to this short trading week today.
After a volatile week, investors were clearly in a good mood this Thursday, sending the ASX 200 up 0.78%. That leaves the index at 7,819.1 points as we head into the Easter weekend.
This happy session for the Australian markets comes after a more negative night of trade over in the United States.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) had an awful night, tanking 1.73%.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) was even worse, collapsing by 3.07%.
But let's return to the happier market now and examine how the various ASX sectors fared today.
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Winners and losers
There was only one sector that missed out on this Thursday's optimism.
That unlucky sector was healthcare stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) slipped by 0.13% this session.
But it was all smiles everywhere else.
Leading the winners were energy shares, with the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) surging by a happy 3.82% today.
Broader mining stocks also ran hot. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) ended up soaring 1.45%.
We could say the same for real estate investment trusts (REITs), as you'll see from the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ)'s 1.2% vault higher.
Consumer staples shares had a great day as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) galloped up 1.07% by the closing bell.
Gold stocks continued their recent run too, with the All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) jumping 0.91%.
Consumer discretionary shares didn't miss out either, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ)'s 0.56% gain.
Industrial stocks joined the winners' list today. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) saw its value climb 0.49%.
Financial stocks had an identical experience, with the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) also lifting 0.49%.
Tech shares were a little more muted. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) ticked up 0.36% this Thursday.
Utilities stocks made the cut as well, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ)'s 0.25% improvement.
Finally, communications stocks managed to join the winning side. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) crawled 0.18% higher today.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Today's index winner was healthcare stock Clarity Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: CU6). Clarity shares rocketed an impressive 13.1% this Thursday to finish at $1.90 each.
This gain came after Clarity revealed that it had signed a commercial supply agreement for copper-64.
Here are the rest of today's top performers:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Clarity Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: CU6) | $1.90 | 13.10% |
| Challenger Ltd (ASX: CGF) | $6.80 | 10.21% |
| Karoon Energy Ltd (ASX: KAR) | $1.34 | 7.63% |
| Ampol Ltd (ASX: ALD) | $22.24 | 7.70% |
| Stanmore Resources Ltd (ASX: SMR) | $1.83 | 6.71% |
| Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC) | $8.84 | 5.74% |
| Iluka Resources Ltd (ASX: ILU) | $3.77 | 5.60% |
| IGO Ltd (ASX: IGO) | $3.58 | 5.29% |
| Polynovo Ltd (ASX: PNV) | $1.12 | 5.19% |
| Bank of Queensland Ltd (ASX: BOQ) | $7.18 | 4.66% |
Enjoy the long weekend!
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.
