It was a tough Tuesday for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) and many ASX shares today. After a bouncy day, the ASX 200 ended up closing 0.45% lower, probably unassisted by the Reserve Bank of Australia's December rate call this afternoon. That drop leaves the index back under 8,600 points at 8,585.9.
This turbulent Tuesday for Australian investors follows an equally sour morning up on Wall Street that kickstarted the American trading week.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) dropped by a notable 0.45%.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) did a little better, but still fell 0.14%.
But time to get back to ASX shares now with a look at how the various ASX sectors traversed this Tuesday's ticky trading conditions.
Winners and losers
It was a complete redwash on the ASX boards today, with not one sector escaping with a rise.
Leading these losses were again gold shares. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) suffered another bruising session, tumbling 1.51%.
Tech stocks felt the pain too, with the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) plunging 1.3% lower.
There was nothing healthy about healthcare shares today. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) cratered by 0.99%.
Energy stocks weren't spared either, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ)'s 0.93% dive.
Communications shares had a rough time of it. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) tanked by 0.77% by the closing bell.
Utilities stocks weren't much better, with the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) dipping 0.72%.
Mining shares also got no love. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) took a 0.64% hit this Tuesday.
Industrial stocks came next, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ)'s 0.51% slump.
Following industrials, we had consumer discretionary shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) sank 0.37% lower today.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) were close behind that, with the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) getting a 0.29% downgrade.
Consumer staples stocks were no safe haven. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) lost 0.21% of its value this session.
Finally, financial shares fared relatively well, as you can see from the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ)'s 0.07% slip.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Shipbuilder Austal Ltd (ASX: ASB) was our top stock this Tuesday, albeit without much competition.
Austal shares lifted 3.74% this session to close at $6.65 each. This gain came despite no obvious cause from Austal itself.
Here's how the other winners pulled up at the curb:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Austal Ltd (ASX: ASB) | $6.65 | 3.74% |
| Mesoblast Ltd (ASX: MSB) | $2.82 | 3.30% |
| Deep Yellow Ltd (ASX: DYL) | $1.75 | 3.25% |
| DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO) | $1.95 | 2.91% |
| Medibank Private Ltd (ASX: MPL) | $4.65 | 2.65% |
| HMC Capital Ltd (ASX: HMC) | $3.58 | 2.58% |
| Sigma Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SIG) | $2.85 | 2.15% |
| HomeCo Daily Needs REIT (ASX: HDN) | $1.39 | 1.84% |
| Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG) | $22.45 | 1.68% |
| Neuren Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: NEU) | $20.08 | 1.67% |
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.
