The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was back to the races this Thursday, recording a strong rise and once again resetting its record high.
By the time trading wrapped up this session, the ASX 200 had jumped a healthy 0.53% to 8,873.8 points. That's after the index hit an intra-day all-time high of 8,899.1 points just after midday.
This momentous day for the Australian markets comes after a similarly bullish one for the American markets last night (our time).
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) had a blowout, shooting 1.04% higher.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) wasn't quite as enthusiastic though, rising by 0.14%.
But let's return to ASX shares now and examine how today's favourable trading conditions affected the various ASX sectors.
Winners and losers
As one might expect, we had far more sectors in the green than red this Thursday.
Leading those red sectors were communications shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) was punished, plunging 0.93%.
Mining stocks had a day to forget too, with the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) dropping 0.45%.
The other losers from today's trading were energy shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) was walked back 0.23% by the closing bell.
There was nothing but good news for the other corners of the market, though.
Leading the charge higher were utilities stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) was back in favour, soaring by a healthy 3.51%.
We could say the same for financial shares, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ)'s 1.29% surge.
Consumer discretionary stocks had a day to remember as well, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) galloping 0.84% higher.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) saw some demand too. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) ended up banking a 0.67% rise.
Healthcare stocks also ran hot, as you can see from the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ)'s 0.53% bounce.
Consumer staples shares fared reasonably well, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) saw its value swell by 0.42%.
Gold stocks came next, with the All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) adding 0.33% to its total.
Industrial shares were a little more muted, although the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) still came home 0.08% heavier.
Finally, tech stocks eked out a win, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ)'s 0.06% uptick.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Beating out some stiff competition, today's winner was furniture retailer Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW).
Temple & Webster shares rocketed 8.75% higher this Thursday to finish at $28.25 each. This big jump followed the company dropping its latest earnings results, which investors clearly gave the green light to.
Here's how the rest of today's top stocks pulled up:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW) | $28.35 | 8.75% |
| Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG) | $12.59 | 6.33% |
| Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) | $36.04 | 6.31% |
| Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME) | $315.69 | 6.24% |
| Orora Ltd (ASX: ORA) | $2.22 | 5.21% |
| Mesoblast Ltd (ASX: MSB) | $2.43 | 4.74% |
| Reece Ltd (ASX: REH) | $15.17 | 4.26% |
| Lifestyle Communities Ltd (ASX: LIC) | $4.98 | 4.18% |
| Arena REIT (ASX: ARF) | $3.88 | 4.02% |
| James Hardie Industries plc (ASX: JHX) | $45.67 | 3.96% |
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.
