It was a bumper Tuesday for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) and the Australian markets today, as investors seemed keen to begin the Christmas celebrations early. By the time trading wrapped up, the ASX 200 gained a hefty 1.1%. That leaves the index at 8,795.7 points before the short Christmas Eve trading day tomorrow.
This excited session on the local markets follows a strong start to the American trading week over on Wall Street this morning.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) had a pleasant Monday, rising 0.47%.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) was treading the same ground, lifting by 0.52%.
But let's get back to ASX shares now and dig deeper into the movements of the various ASX sectors this session.
Winners and losers
Today's rise was enjoyed across the board, with not one corner of the markets taking a backward step.
The worst performers this Tuesday, though, were gold shares. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) had a muted day, inching 0.08% higher.
Consumer staples stocks were also relatively quiet, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) getting a 0.11% bump.
Healthcare shares were noticeably better, though. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) added 0.37% to its total this Tuesday.
Communications stocks fared similarly, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ)'s 0.46% jump.
Utilities shares did well, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) increased its value by 0.56% today.
Next up were mining stocks, with the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) enjoying a 0.7% lift.
Industrial shares didn't miss out either. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) put on an additional 0.79%.
We could say the same for tech stocks, evident from the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ)'s 0.81% bounce.
Energy shares were also popular. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) galloped 0.84% higher today.
Consumer discretionary stocks took things up a notch, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) surging 1%.
Financial shares ran even hotter. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) soared up 1.5%.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) won the day though, as you can see by the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ)'s 3.1% explosion.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
It was defence stock DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO) that was back to the top of the index charts this Tuesday. DroneShield shares rocketed 9% this session to finish at $3.27 each.
There wasn't any news out from the company today. Saying that, perhaps investors are taking their lead from an ASX broker.
Here's a look at how the other winners tied up at the dock today:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO) | $3.27 | 9.00% |
| Goodman Group (ASX: GMG) | $31.63 | 8.25% |
| Austal Ltd (ASX: ASB) | $7.01 | 6.37% |
| Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME) | $232.17 | 4.44% |
| Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) | $1.32 | 4.35% |
| West African Resources Ltd (ASX: WAF) | $3.17 | 3.59% |
| Liontown Ltd (ASX: LTR) | $1.60 | 3.24% |
| Alcoa Corporation (ASX: AAI) | $80.01 | 3.11% |
| Ramsay Health Care Ltd (ASX: RHC) | $35.51 | 2.90% |
| Nick Scali Ltd (ASX: NCK) | $23.91 | 2.84% |
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.
