It was a wildly successful session for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) and many ASX shares this Wednesday, as the index once again reset its all-time high. After starting strong this morning, the ASX 200 spent the whole day in positive territory and closed up a convincing 1.17% at 9,128.3 points. That's after the index hit its new intra-day record of 9,130.3 points during afternoon trading.
This happy hump day for ASX investors comes after a decent morning up on the American markets.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) had a fantastic time of it, rising 0.76%.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) did open better though, gaining a rosy 1.04%.
But let's get back to ASX shares now and check out how the various ASX sectors benefited from today's unbridled optimism.
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Winners and losers
Almost every corner of the markets saw a rise this Wednesday, with only a handful of sectors going backwards.
Leading those losers were communications stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) had a rough one, shedding 1.47% of its value.
Utilities shares were also unlucky, with the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) slumping 0.7% lower.
Consumer discretionary stocks were the other corner of the market that investors wanted to steer clear of. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) drifted 0.38% lower today.
But it was all smiles everywhere else. Leading the charge higher today were tech stocks, as you can see by the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ)'s euphoric 5.88% explosion.
Consumer staples shares ran very hot, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) surged up 5.67% this session, assisted greatly by the earnings of Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW).
Mining stocks saw strong demand as well, with the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) galloping 2.68% higher.
Gold shares weren't left out of that stampede. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) jumped 2.02% this Wednesday.
Energy stocks were a little less enthusiastic, though, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ)'s 0.86% bounce.
Financial shares found themselves on that playing field, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) added 0.58% to its total today.
Healthcare stocks were on the winning side as well, with the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) lifting 0.36%.
Industrial shares were the next cab off the rank. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) enjoyed a 0.3% boost this hump day.
Finally, real estate investment trusts (REITs) managed to stick the landing, if only just, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ)'s 0.08% bump.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Beating out an impressively crowded field today to top the index was gaming stock Tabcorp Holdings Ltd (ASX: TAH). Tabcorp shares had a blowout this hump day, rocketing 23.53% higher to close at $1.05.
As you may guess, this big leap came after the company reported its latest earnings, which obviously blew expectations out of the water.
Here's how the rest of today's winners pulled up at the kerb:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Tabcorp Holdings Ltd (ASX: TAH) | $1.05 | 23.53% |
| Helia Group Ltd (ASX: HLI) | $6.26 | 16.36% |
| ARB Corporation Ltd (ASX: ARB) | $24.36 | 14.04% |
| Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) | $35.63 | 12.97% |
| DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO) | $3.39 | 12.62% |
| WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) | $47.74 | 11.05% |
| SiteMinder Ltd (ASX: SDR) | $3.25 | 10.54% |
| Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) | $8.10 | 9.76% |
| IRESS Ltd (ASX: IRE) | $7.42 | 9.60% |
| Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP) | $1.75 | 9.38% |
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.
