The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was back to the races this Thursday, throwing off the caution that has characterised much of this week to push decisively higher.
After staying in positive territory all session, the ASX 200 ended up finishing with a healthy 1.13% gain. That leaves the index at 8,945.9 points.
This happy day for the ASX comes after a slightly more cautious night up on Wall Street.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) was a little indecisive, but managed to stick the landing with a 0.093% rise.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) fared better, jumping by 0.42%.
But let's get back to ASX shares now and check out how today's market gains filtered down to the different ASX sectors this session.
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Winners and losers
The winners vastly outnumbered the losers this Thursday.
Leading the latter, though, were utilities stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) took a hit today, diving 0.18%.
Consumer staples shares also missed out, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) sliding 0.05% lower.
Communications stocks were unlucky as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) slipped 0.03% lower by the closing bell.
That's it for the losers, though. Leading the charge upwards today were gold shares, illustrated by the All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD)'s 3.03% surge higher.
Healthcare stocks had a spectacular session, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) galloped up 2.03%.
Mining shares ran hot as well, with the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) soaring up 1.83%.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) also saw some demand. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) vaulted up 1.24%.
Financial stocks proved popular, as you can see by the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ)'s 1.22% bounce.
Next came energy shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) lifted 1.12% this session.
Industrial stocks were a little less enthusiastic, with the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) banking a 0.52% gain.
Consumer discretionary shares were right on that tail. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) lifted 0.5% today.
Finally, tech stocks scraped home with a win, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ)'s 0.01% uptick.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Today's top share was none other than Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR). Liontown shares rocketed up 9.66% this session. That gain came despite no fresh news or announcements from the company.
Here's how the rest of today's top performers pulled in:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR) | $0.965 | 9.66% |
| Westgold Resources Ltd (ASX: WGX) | $5.37 | 8.27% |
| Perpetual Ltd (ASX: PPT) | $19.99 | 6.90% |
| Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) | $8.65 | 5.88% |
| Mesoblast Ltd (ASX: MSB) | $2.54 | 5.83% |
| Iluka Resources Ltd (ASX: ILU) | $6.77 | 5.45% |
| Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) | $2.48 | 5.08% |
| IGO Ltd (ASX: IGO) | $5.21 | 4.83% |
| Deep Yellow Ltd (ASX: DYL) | $2.08 | 4.79% |
| Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) | $41.24 | 4.19% |
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.
