It was a very successful hump day session for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) and many ASX shares this Wednesday, with the market recording a solid gain and seeing a fresh new all-time high.
By the time trading wrapped up, the ASX 200 had recorded a healthy rise of 0.6%, leaving it at 8,756.4 points. That's after the index hit a new intra-day high of 8,776.4 points earlier this afternoon.
This happy day for the Australian markets follows a more subdued night of trading over on the American markets.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) had another rough day, dropping 0.46%.
Meanwhile, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) fared almost as poorly, falling 0.38%.
But let's get back to the ASX now and examine how today's gains filtered down into the different ASX sectors.
Winners and losers
Despite investors' good mood today, there were still a few sectors that went backwards.
Leading those losers were utilities shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) was hit pretty hard, tanking 0.79%.
Tech stocks were left out in the cold too, with the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) slumping 0.36%.
Healthcare shares missed out as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) retreated by 0.17% by the closing bell.
Energy stocks were also looked over, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ)'s 0.14% slide.
Our final losers were mining shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) slipped 0.1% lower this hump day.
Turning to the winners now, it was consumer staples stocks that stood out, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) soaring 1.29% higher.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) had another fantastic session. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) surged 1.25% by the end of trading.
Next came consumer discretionary shares, as you can see by the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ)'s 1.19% lift.
Financial stocks had a strong day as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) ended up bouncing 1.13% higher.
Industrial shares also ran hot, with the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) rising 0.7%.
Gold stocks were a little more muted, though. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) banked a 0.27% gain this session.
Finally, communications shares rounded out the winners, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ)'s 0.19% bump.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Today's winner, and by some distance, was healthcare stock Polynovo Ltd (ASX: PNV). Polynovo shares rocketed by 7.76% this Wednesday to close at $1.32 a share.
This jump comes after the company released a full-year update yesterday evening, which investors clearly loved.
Here's the rest of today's best:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Polynovo Ltd (ASX: PNV) | $1.32 | 7.76% |
| West African Resources Ltd (ASX: WAF) | $2.39 | 3.91% |
| JB Hi-Fi Ltd (ASX: JBH) | $110.27 | 3.87% |
| Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) | $1.87 | 3.61% |
| DigiCo Infrastructure REIT (ASX: DGT) | $3.35 | 3.40% |
| Imdex Ltd (ASX: IMD) | $3.02 | 3.07% |
| Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) | $1.73 | 2.99% |
| Monadelphous Group Ltd (ASX: MND) | $19.53 | 2.79% |
| Centuria Capital Group (ASX: CNI) | $1.82 | 2.54% |
| Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) | $30.78 | 2.26% |
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.
