It was a sour, Garfield-esque start to the trading week for ASX investors this Monday. After ending a strong week last week on a rough note on Friday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) kept up that pessimism today.
After a strong start at market open, the ASX 200 fell into negative territory mid-morning and never recovered, closing down a hefty 0.61%. That leaves the index at a flat 9,026 points.
This painful start to the trading week for the Australian markets comes after a far rosier end to the American trading week on Saturday morning (our time).
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) was in fine form, cruising 0.47% higher.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) did one better, gaining 0.9%.
But let's get back to this week and the local markets now, though, for a deeper dive into what was happening amongst the various ASX sectors this session.
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Winners and losers
Despite the broader market's drop, there were still a few sectors that attracted some capital. But more on those in a moment.
Firstly, the worst-performing corner of the markets this Monday was tech shares again. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) couldn't catch a break today, tanking by another 4.55%.
Healthcare stocks suffered too, with the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) cratering 2.41%.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) weren't popular either. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) slumped 2.22% this session.
Consumer discretionary shares weren't finding friends, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ)'s 1.75% plunge.
Nor were energy stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) took a 1.65% dive this Monday.
Financial shares were hit hard as well, with the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) dipping 1.2%.
Utilities stocks weren't riding to the rescue. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) sank 1.08% lower today.
Our last losers were communications shares, as you can see from the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ)'s 0.19% slide.
Turning to the winners now, it was gold stocks that shone brightest this session. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) ended up rocketing 4.12% higher by the closing bell.
Broader mining shares rode out the storm too, with the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) adding 1.53% to its total.
Industrial stocks were more subdued. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) enjoyed a 0.17% lift this session.
Finally, consumer staples shares managed to eke out a rise, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ)'s 0.08% bump.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Coming in at the head of the index charts this Monday was plumbing supplies stock Reece Ltd (ASX: REH). Reece shares soared 13.92% higher today to close at $15.88 each.
This spike in value followed the company's earnings this morning, which clearly delighted investors.
Here's the rest of today's best:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Reece Ltd (ASX: REH) | $15.88 | 13.92% |
| Guzman y Gomez Ltd (ASX: GYG) | $19.04 | 8.61% |
| Ramelius Resources Ltd (ASX: RMS) | $4.88 | 8.20% |
| Greatland Resources Ltd (ASX: GGP) | $13.83 | 6.38% |
| Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD) | $7.24 | 5.39% |
| Capricorn Metals Ltd (ASX: CMM) | $14.00 | 5.26% |
| Regis Resources Ltd (ASX: RRL) | $8.90 | 5.08% |
| Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) | $53.80 | 4.98% |
| Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) | $175.84 | 4.92% |
| Downer EDI Ltd (ASX: DOW) | $8.17 | 4.74% |
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.
