The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) endured a very tough day this Wednesday as ASX investors got a severe case of the jitters.
By the time trading finished this hump day, the ASX 200 had dropped by a substantial 0.79%. That leaves the index back under 8,600 at 8,561.8 points.
This rough midweek session for the Australian markets comes after a mixed night over on Wall Street.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) threw a veritable temper tantrum, tanking by a substantial 0.98%.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) fared better though, rising by a tentative 0.18%.
But let's return to the local markets now and see how the various ASX sectors weathered today's storm.
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Winners and losers
We only had a couple of sectors that managed to stay afloat this Wednesday. But more on those in a moment.
Firstly, the worst-hit corner of the market today was gold stocks. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) cratered by a nasty 2.36%.
Financial shares were hit hard as well, with the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) plunging 1.36%.
We could say the same for mining stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) had a shocker, tanking 1.16%.
Utilities shares weren't having much fun either, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ)'s 0.84% dive.
Consumer staples stocks suffered as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) ended up slumping 0.43% today.
Industrial shares were right behind that, with the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) dipping 0.41%.
Healthcare stocks came next. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) was sent home 0.38% lighter this Wednesday.
Consumer discretionary shares were in the same ballpark, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ)'s 0.35% fall.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) were also caught up in the market pessimism. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) retreated 0.27% by the closing bell.
Our final losers were communications stocks, with the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) slipping 0.15%.
Turning to the winners now, these were led by tech shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) soared 0.85% higher this hump day.
The only other green sector was energy stocks, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ)'s 0.1% lift.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Stnading out of the quagmire this Wednesday was tech stock Nuix Ltd (ASX: NXL). Nuix shares topped the index, shooting up a happy 7.58% this session to close at $2.27.
That's despite no fresh news or announcements out of the company today.
Here's how the other winners landed the plane:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Nuix Ltd (ASX: NXL) | $2.27 | 7.58% |
| Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) | $14.05 | 6.28% |
| Lifestyle Communities Ltd (ASX: LIC) | $4.76 | 6.49% |
| Clarity Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: CU6) | $3.41 | 5.25% |
| Iluka Resources Ltd (ASX: ILU) | $4.88 | 4.27% |
| Deep Yellow Ltd (ASX: DYL) | $1.84 | 4.25% |
| Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) | $3.80 | 3.26% |
| Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) | $7.94 | 3.25% |
| Guzman y Gomez Ltd (ASX: GYG) | $27.81 | 3.00% |
| Polynovo Ltd (ASX: PNV) | $1.20 | 2.58% |
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.
