It was a nervous hump day session for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) and many ASX shares this Wednesday, with forays into both positive and negative territory over the trading day.
By the time the markets wrapped up, the ASX 200 had cemented a small lead, with the index closing 0.043% higher at 8,559.2 points.
This wild day for the Australian markets follows a far more bullish overnight session up on Wall Street.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) had a fantastic session, shooting 1.19% higher.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) was even more excited, gaining a rosy 1.43%.
But let's get back to the local markets now and take stock of what the various ASX sectors were up to today.
Winners and losers
Despite the market's small rise, there were plenty of sectors that went backwards this Wednesday.
Leading them were gold shares. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) had another shocker today, plunging by a hefty 2.2%.
Broader mining stocks were also punished, with the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) cratering 1.27%.
The commodities theme continues with energy shares next. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) took a 0.82% dive this session.
Communications stocks were on the nose too, as you can see from the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ)'s 0.6% dip.
Healthcare shares were right behind that. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) ended up shedding 0.58% of its value today.
Then we had consumer staples stocks, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) walking back by 0.53%.
Tech shares also had a day to forget. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) shrank by 0.42% this hump day.
Our final losers were industrial stocks, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ)'s 0.25% slide.
Turning to the winners now, it was financial shares that carried the winner's weight this Wednesday. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) galloped 1.15% higher by the closing bell.
Consumer discretionary stocks had a day to remember too, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) lifting by 0.22%.
Utilities shares were in demand as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) bounced up 0.15% by the time trading closed.
Finally, real estate investment trusts (REITs) got across the line again, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ)'s 0.04% bump.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
US-based gaming stock Light & Wonder Inc (ASX: LNW) took out today's crown. Light & Wonder shares rose by a hally 10.48% today to close at $142.20 each.
This big move came amid an enthusiastic new buy recommendation from an ASX broker.
Here's how the rest of today's winners landed at market close:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Light & Wonder Inc (ASX: LNW) | $142.20 | 10.48% |
| Perpetual Ltd (ASX: PPT) | $18.22 | 4.65% |
| Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) | $7.75 | 3.47% |
| Nick Scali Ltd (ASX: NCK) | $18.86 | 3.29% |
| Mesoblast Ltd (ASX: MSB) | $1.61 | 2.22% |
| Corporate Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD) | $13.60 | 2.18% |
| HMC Capital Ltd (ASX: HMC) | $5.03 | 2.03% |
| Lifestyle Communities Ltd (ASX: LIC) | $6.87 | 1.93% |
| Bapcor Ltd (ASX: BAP) | $4.91 | 1.87% |
| ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ) | $29.10 | 1.75% |
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.
