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.
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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.
