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.
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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.
