The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shook off a sombre mood and ended up recording a modest rise at the end of the trading day this Thursday, its first positive session for the week thus far.
After staying in red territory for most of the morning and afternoon, investors ultimately relented and sent the ASX 200 up 0.035% by the closing bell. That leaves the index at 8,588.2 points.
This near-miraculous recovery for the Australian markets comes after a decidedly negative morning up on the American stock exchanges.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) was in poor form, dropping 0.47%.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) fared far worse still, falling by a nasty 1.81%.
But let's get back to the happier market now, and dive a little deeper into how the different ASX sectors coped with today's volatile trading conditions.
Winners and losers
There were more winners than losers this Thursday.
Leading the latter, though, were energy stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) was singled out for punishment today, tanking 1.5%.
Utilities shares weren't popular either, with the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) plunging 1.06%.
Gold stocks were no safe haven. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) took a 0.77% dive this session.
Nor were industrial shares, as you can tell from the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ)'s 0.35% dip.
Healthcare stocks didn't get out unscathed as our last losers. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) saw its value cut by 0.15%.
Let's turn to the winners now. It was consumer staples shares that put on the best show, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) galloping 0.64% higher.
Communications stocks were relatively hot as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) bounced up 0.46% today.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) got a reprieve as well, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ)'s 0.43% lift.
Next came consumer discretionary shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) added 0.39% to its total this Thursday.
Tech shares saw some demand, with the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) rising 0.19%.
As did mining stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) got a 0.17% boost this session.
Finally, financial shares scraped home with a small bump, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ)'s 0.01% inch higher.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
It was automotive retailer Bapcor Ltd (ASX: BAP) that took today's cake, and by a mile too. Bapcor shares rocketed 15.49% this session to close at $2.05 each. This came after the embattled stock announced a new CEO.
Here's how today's other winners pulled up at the kerb:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Bapcor Ltd (ASX: BAP) | $2.05 | 15.49% |
| Austal Ltd (ASX: ASB) | $6.24 | 5.05% |
| SiteMinder Ltd (ASX: SDR) | $5.95 | 3.30% |
| Premier Investments Ltd (ASX: PMV) | $14.44 | 2.78% |
| Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO) | $113.04 | 2.52% |
| Bellevue Gold Ltd (ASX: BGL) | $3.01 | 2.38% |
| Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP) | $4.20 | 2.19% |
| IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL) | $5.69 | 2.15% |
| Deterra Royalties Ltd (ASX: DRR) | $1.67 | 2.14% |
| Imdex Ltd (ASX: IMD) | $3.35 | 2.13% |
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.
