The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) and many ASX shares enjoyed another strong session this Wednesday, building on the momentum we saw yesterday to push the share market decisively higher.
Despite opening in the red this morning, the ASX 200 closed out strong this afternoon, recording a rise worth 0.8% today. That leaves the index back over 8,900 points at 8,927.8 points.
This happy hump day for Australian investors follows a decidedly more negative one over on the US markets this morning.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) began proceedings on the right foot, but lost momentum to finish 0.34% lower.
Meanwhile, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) fared much worse, slumping 1.43%.
But let's get back to ASX shares now and check out what's been happening across the different ASX sectors this session.
Winners and losers
Despite the market's rise this hump day, there were still plenty of sectors that went backwards.
Leading those losers were tech stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) had a disastrous session today, collapsing 9.4%.
Utilities shares weren't popular either, with the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) plunging by 2.05%.
Communications stocks were sold off as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) saw its value drop 2.01% today.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) were also on the nose, evident from the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ)'s 1.17% slump.
Consumer discretionary shares fared similarly. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) ended up retreating 1.06%.
Investors were pessimistic about industrial stocks, with the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) sliding 0.72% lower.
Our last losers this Wednesday were consumer staples shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) slipped by less than 0.01%, though.
Let's turn to the winners now. Leading the charge were gold stocks, as you can see from the All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD)'s 4.12% surge.
Broader mining shares saw significant demand, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) galloped 3.53% higher today.
Energy stocks were also in that ballpark, with the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) jumping 3.14%.
Financial shares put on a strong showing, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) had banked a 0.98% gain by the closing bell.
Finally, healthcare stocks bounced back from a morning slump to record a modest rise, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ)'s 0.1% bump.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
It was coal miner Yancoal Australia Ltd (ASX: YAL) that took out today's top spot. Yancoal stock rose by a strong 9% this session to close at $6.30 a share.
There wasn't any news or announcements from Yancoal itself today, although most mining and energy shares had a strong showing on this hump day.
Here's how the other top performers landed their planes today:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Yancoal Australia Ltd (ASX: YAL) | $6.30 | 9.00% |
| South32 Ltd (ASX: S32) | $4.79 | 6.21% |
| Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) | $28.55 | 6.17% |
| Regis Resources Ltd (ASX: RRL) | $8.16 | 5.84% |
| Greatland Resources Ltd (ASX: GGP) | $13.37 | 5.69% |
| New Hope Corporation Ltd (ASX: NHC) | $4.85 | 5.66% |
| Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC) | $16.01 | 4.98% |
| Ramelius Resources Ltd (ASX: RMS) | $4.69 | 4.92% |
| BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) | $52.40 | 4.53% |
| Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) | $171.88 | 4.33% |
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.
