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.
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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.
