The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) enjoyed another mildly positive session this Thursday, rising further back towards the 9,000 point mark.
By the time trading wrapped up today, the ASX 200 had ticked up 0.22%, leaving it at a flat 8,980 points. This solid session for the local share market follows an equally mild night over on the American markets.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) was in a similar ballpark to the ASX, gaining 0.32%.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) came in just under that, putting on 0.21%.
But let's get back to the local markets now for a checkup on what was happening amongst the various ASX sectors today.
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Winners and losers
Despite the lift of the broader market, we still had quite a few sectors that went backwards this Thursday.
Leading those losers were energy shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) had a fairly tough session, cratering by 2.39%.
Healthcare stocks were out of favour too, with the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) plunging 1.72%.
Tech shares had another day to forget as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) took a 1.05% dive today.
Mining stocks were also left out in the cold, evident from the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ)'s 0.54% downgrade.
Gold shares shared the fate of their broader mining cousins. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) dropped 0.46% by the closing bell.
Our final red sector was communications stocks, with the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) sliding 0.26% lower.
Turning to the green sectors now, it was financial shares that led the charge higher this Thursday. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) had soared up 1.1% by the time trading wrapped up.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) also saw some strong demand, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ)'s 0.99% surge.
Industrial stocks had a day to remember as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) had bounced 0.89% higher by the end of trading.
Consumer staples shares weren't left out, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) shooting up 0.88%.
Its consumer discretionary counterpart wasn't too far behind that. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) ended up lifting 0.76%.
Finally, utilities stocks made the winners cut, as you can see from the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ)'s 0.13% crawl higher.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Blazing its way to the top of the index table today was education stock IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL). IDP shares exploded a massive 29.74% higher this Thursday to close at $5.89 each.
This monstrous rise was prompted by the company reporting its latest earnings, which the market obviously couldn't get enough of.
Here's a look at the other winners from today's trading:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL) | $5.89 | 29.74% |
| Lifestyle Communities Ltd (ASX: LIC) | $5.93 | 14.92% |
| Eagers Automotive Ltd (ASX: APE) | $25.26 | 12.02% |
| Tabcorp Holdings Ltd (ASX: TAH) | $0.965 | 9.66% |
| Nuix Ltd (ASX: NXL) | $2.64 | 9.09% |
| Qantas Airways Ltd (ASX: QAN) | $12.12 | 9.09% |
| Generation Development Group Ltd (ASX: GDG) | $6.80 | 6.75% |
| Worley Ltd (ASX: WOR) | $14.64 | 4.57% |
| A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) | $9.57 | 3.01% |
| Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) | $24.04 | 2.82% |
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.
