It was back to the races for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) this Thursday, as investors shook off the pessimism that had defined the trading week thus far to push the markets back up.
By the time the markets closed today, the ASX 200 had added a healthy 1% to its value, leaving the index at 8,826.5 points.
This happy Thursday session for ASX shares comes after a more mixed night for US stocks overnight.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) misfired, slipping 0.054% lower.
However, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) more than made up for that, vaulting 1.02% higher.
But let's return to the local markets now and dig a little deeper into how today's recovery filtered down into the various ASX sectors during this session.
Winners and losers
It was almost a universally positive Thursday for the different ASX sectors, with only a few going backwards.
Chief amongst those losers were gold shares. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) gave up some of its recent gains today, and dove 1.08% lower.
Communications stocks were unlucky as well, with the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) retreating 0.12%.
Our final red sector was mining shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) only just missed out on the market's good mood, slipping by 0.02%.
Turning to the green sectors now, it was financial stocks that led the recovery, as you can see by the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ)'s 1.71% surge.
Consumer discretionary shares were in high demand too. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) soared 1.39% higher today.
Tech stocks reversed some of yesterday's sell-off as well, with the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) galloping up 1.28%.
Healthcare stocks ran fairly hot, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) bounced 1.11% this session.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) didn't miss out either, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ)'s 1.07% bump.
Consumer staples stocks came next. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) saw its value spike 1.03% this Thursday.
Industrial shares were popular with investors too, with the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) adding 0.87% to its value.
Utilities stocks saw some buying as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) lifted 0.58% today.
Finally, energy shares eked out a gain, evident from the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ)'s 0.13% rise.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Today's best share came in as financials stock IRESS Ltd (ASX: IRE). Iress shares surged up 6.97% today to close at $9.05 each.
This big jump followed the news that the company has appointed a new CEO, which clearly went down well with the market.
Here's how the other top stocks tied up at the dock today:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| IRESS Ltd (ASX: IRE) | $9.05 | 6.97% |
| Deep Yellow Ltd (ASX: DYL) | $1.93 | 6.35% |
| Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) | $2.02 | 5.76% |
| Neuren Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: NEU) | $19.98 | 5.16% |
| Capstone Copper Corp (ASX: CSC) | $10.79 | 4.96% |
| Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO) | $157.00 | 4.84% |
| Austal Ltd (ASX: ASB) | $8.03 | 4.29% |
| Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP) | $4.29 | 3.62% |
| Credit Corp Group Ltd (ASX: CCP) | $16.45 | 3.33% |
| Helia Group Ltd (ASX: HLI) | $5.73 | 3.06% |
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.
