It was a surprisingly positive start to the trading week this Monday, given that most commentators were predicting a rough entry. After staying in red territory for most of the day, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) ended up pulling off a 0.022% rise by the closing bell. That left the ASX 200 at 8,636.4 points.
This lucky kick-off to the Australian trading week followed a mixed end to the American week on Saturday morning (our time).
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) couldn't hold on, and dropped by a sizeable 0.65%.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) fared much better though, managing to bank a 0.13% gain.
But let's return to the present and our local markets to take stock of how the various ASX sectors handled today's erratic trading conditions.
Winners and losers
The hardest hit sector for this Monday was gold shares. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) saw some decent selling, tumbling 0.66% lower.
Healthcare stocks weren't popular either, with the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) sinking 0.43%.
Utilities shares weren't too much better. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) retreated 0.26% this session.
Financial shares also couldn't find many buyers. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) was sent home down 0.24%.
Mining stocks were our final losers of the day, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ)'s 0.12% slide.
Turning to the winners now, it was tech shares that led the charge higher. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) enjoyed a confident rebound, surging by 1.23%.
Energy stocks ran hot too, with the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) soaring up 1.1%.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) were also in demand. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) jumped 0.61% today.
Industrial shares staged a decent recovery from an early dip, as you can see by the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ)'s 0.34% rise.
Consumer discretionary stocks fared decently as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) bounced 0.17% higher.
Its consumer staples counterpark was in the same ballpark, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) lifting 0.13%.
As were communications stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) rose 0.11% this Monday.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Defence stock DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO) again topped the charts this session, continuing its dizzying rally. Droneshield shares put on another 11.59% today to close at $2.60 each. Again, this seems to be a continuing recovery from last week's massive sell-off.
Here's a look at the rest of today's best:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO) | $2.60 | 11.59% |
| Elders Ltd (ASX: ELD) | $7.41 | 6.31% |
| Iluka Resources Ltd (ASX: ILU) | $6.87 | 5.69% |
| Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC) | $14.96 | 5.50% |
| DigiCo Infrastructure REIT (ASX: DGT) | $2.49 | 5.06% |
| Domino's Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP) | $22.88 | 5.05% |
| Mesoblast Ltd (ASX: MSB) | $2.33 | 4.95% |
| Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME) | $259.36 | 4.23% |
| IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL) | $5.11 | 4.07% |
| Austal Ltd (ASX: ASB) | $6.82 | 3.96% |
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.
