It was a day of relief for investors this Wednesday, as the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shook off the malaise that afflicted the markets earlier this week to push higher.
By the time trading wrapped up, the ASX 200 had lifted by a healhty 0.31%, leaving the index at 8,830.4 points.
This happy hump day for the ASX stock market comes after a similarly positive session up on the US markets overnight.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) put on a strong showing, rising by 0.43%.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) fared similarly, banking a 0.37% gain.
But let's get back to the local markets now and dig deeper into how the various ASX sectors benefited (or not) from the broader market's optimism.
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Winners and losers
We did see more winners and losers today, but losers there still were.
Leading that pack were mining stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) had a rough one, tanking 1.7%.
Gold shares were also left out of the party, with the All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) ticking up 0.39%.
Continuing the commodities theme, our final losers were energy stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) slipped 0.1% today.
Turning to the winners now, it was financial shares that saw the largest gains this Wednesday, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ)'s 1.32% jump.
Communications stocks had a strong day as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) soared up 0.91%.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) ran fairly hot too, with the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) lifting 0.62%.
Industrial stocks also saw strong demand. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) ended up bouncing 0.48% higher.
Tech shares came next, as you can see from the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ)'s 0.36% bump.
Consumer staples stocks saw some buying action. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) ended up rising 0.34%.
We could say the same for healthcare shares, with the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) adding 0.3% to its total.
Consumer discretionary shares made the winner's cut as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) put on 0.29% this hump day.
Our final winners were utilities stocks, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ)'s 0.22% increase.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Today's chart topper was healthcare stock Clarity Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: CU6). Clarity shares rocketed 7.1% higher this session to close at $3.32 each.
This gain came despite no fresh news out of the company today.
Here's how the other winners landed their planes:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Clarity Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: CU6) | $3.32 | 7.10% |
| Judo Capital Holdings Ltd (ASX: JDO) | $1.73 | 4.53% |
| Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: TLX) | $14.42 | 4.34% |
| Generation Development Group Ltd (ASX: GDG) | $6.33 | 3.60% |
| Mesoblast Ltd (ASX: MSB) | $2.31 | 3.13% |
| Perpetual Ltd (ASX: PPT) | $20.51 | 3.07% |
| Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD) | $5.45 | 3.02% |
| Computershare Ltd (ASX: CPU) | $37.12 | 2.65% |
| Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) | $14.97 | 2.89% |
| HMC Capital Ltd (ASX: HMC) | $3.63 | 2.83% |
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.
