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.
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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.
