The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO)'s relief rally that we saw yesterday proved to be short-lived, with the stock market again taking a downward turn this Thursday. After spending the whole trading day in the red, the ASX 200 ended up closing 0.29% lower today. That leaves the index at a flat 8,805 points.
This rather sour day on the local markets follows an anxious night up on Wall Street.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) had a rough one, dropping by 0.48%.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) fared better, though, managing to eke out a 0.03% rise.
But let's return to ASX shares and take stock of what the different ASX sectors were up to this session.
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Winners and losers
The worst-performing sector on the markets today ended up being healthcare stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) was shunned by investors, cratering by 1.76%.
Financial shares weren't in favour either, with the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) tanking 0.77%.
Consumer discretionary stocks were on the nose, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) retreated by 0.44% this Thursday.
Industrial shares had a day to forget as well, as you can see by the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ)'s 0.31% reduction.
Consumer staples stocks were no safe haven. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) saw its value slide down 0.17%.
Our final losers were tech shares, with the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) slipping 0.09% lower.
Turning to the winners now, it was gold stocks that led the charge higher. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) saw its value spike 3.2% this session.
Next on the winners list were real estate investment trusts (REITs), illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ)'s 0.69% surge.
Energy shares ran hot as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) ended up soaring 0.65% higher today.
Mining stocks were in demand too, with the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) lifting 0.55%.
Utilities stocks fared identically. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) also rose 0.55%.
Finally, communications shares round out our list, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ)'s 0.24% bump.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
We have a rare tie at the top of the index charts this Thursday. Both Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Regis Resources Ltd (ASX: RRL) stock charged up 6.24% today to close at $9.70 and $5.45 a share, respectively.
There wasn't any news out of the companies themselves this session, although most ASX gold stocks saw big gains over the day.
Here's how the rest of the top performers tied up at the dock:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) | $9.70 | 6.24% |
| Regis Resources Ltd (ASX: RRL) | $5.45 | 6.24% |
| Lifestyle Communities Ltd (ASX: LIC) | $5.57 | 4.70% |
| Macquarie Technology Group Ltd (ASX: MAQ) | $62.61 | 4.68% |
| Capricorn Metals Ltd (ASX: CMM) | $11.86 | 4.59% |
| Orora Ltd (ASX: ORA) | $2.09 | 4.50% |
| Polynovo Ltd (ASX: PNV) | $1.46 | 4.29% |
| Emerald Resources N.L. (ASX: EMR) | $4.20 | 3.96% |
| Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) | $1.22 | 3.85% |
| Ramelius Resources Ltd (ASX: RMS) | $3.52 | 3.53% |
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.
