The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) suffered a minor setback this Thursday, breaking its two-day winning streak this week and closing slightly lower. By the time trading wrapped up for the day, the ASX 200 had given up a morning lead to close 0.034% lower. That leaves the index at 8,538.9 points.
This ratehr miserly session for Australian investors follows a mixed night over on the American markets last night (our time).
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) gave up an early lead to close 0.22% lower.
Meanwhile, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) was more upbeat, rising 0.32%.
It's time to return to the local markets now and examine what happened in the different ASX sectors this Thursday.
Winners and losers
There were more losers than winners this season.
Starting with the former, gold stocks got the wooden spoon. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) had another tough day, crashing 1.1% lower.
Healthcare shares were abandoned too, with the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) dropping 0.77%.
Utilities stocks weren't much better. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) was walked back 0.67% this Thursday.
Consumer staples shares had another day to forget as well, evident by the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ)'s 0.4% plunge.
Next up were energy stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) came in just ahead of consumer staples, falling 0.39%.
Industrial shares were left out in the cold too, with the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) retreating 0.33%.
Consumer discretionary stocks joined the pity party. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) saw a 0.26% slide today.
Financial shares were our final losers, as you can see from the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ)'s 0.11% slip.
Turning to the green sectors now, tech stocks led the charge higher. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) surged by a healthy 0.71% this session.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) escaped the selling too, with the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) lifting 0.68%.
We could say the same for mining shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) had risen by 0.52% by the closing bell.
Finally, communications stocks eked out a gain, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ)'s 0.02% rise.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Today's best stock was Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN). Mineral Resources stock shot up an impressive 14.8% this Thursday to close at $23.19.
There wasn't any news out of Mineral Resources directly. However, many miners saw a sharp rise in value this session (as you'll see below):
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) | $23.19 | 14.80% |
| Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC) | $9.26 | 12.52% |
| Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) | $1.35 | 12.50% |
| Clarity Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: CU6) | $2.33 | 12.02% |
| IGO Ltd (ASX: IGO) | $4.34 | 9.60% |
| Iluka Resources Ltd (ASX: ILU) | $3.92 | 7.10% |
| Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR) | $0.65 | 5.74% |
| Nickel Industries Ltd (ASX: NIC) | $0.72 | 4.38% |
| Champion Iron Ltd (ASX: CIA) | $4.45 | 3.49% |
| GPT Group (ASX: GPT) | $4.91 | 2.72% |
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.
