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.
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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.
