It was a day of recovery for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) and many ASX shares this Thursday. After enduring two of the worst drops investors have seen in months on Tuesday and yesterday, the ASX 200 rebounded slightly today, rising 0.44%. That gain leaves the index at 8,940.3 points.
This tentatively positive session for the local markets comes after a bullish morning on Wall Street.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) recovered well, despite an initial dip, gaining 0.49%.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) did even better, enjoying a 1.29% rise.
But let's get back to ASX shares now and dig a little deeper into what was going on amongst the various ASX sectors this session.
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Winners and losers
Despite today's market rebound, there were a few sectors that missed out.
Leading those red sectors were gold shares. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) continued to sell down, cratering by another 1.51%.
Broader mining stocks were also on the nose, with the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) dropping 0.48%.
As were industrial shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) retreated 0.28% today.
Consumer discretionary stocks were our last losers this Thursday, as you can gather from the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ)'s 0.05% dip.
Turning to the winners now, it was tech shares that attracted the most attention. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) exploded 4.56% higher this session.
Healthcare stocks lived up to their name too, with the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) surging up 1.92%.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) didn't miss out on a healthy gain either. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) galloped up 0.96% today.
Energy shares enjoyed a come-from-behind win as well, evident by the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ)'s 0.78% jump.
Financial stocks were just behind that. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) had lifted 0.76% by the closing bell.
Consumer staples shares were a store of value this session too, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) bouncing up 0.55%.
Communications stocks fared similarly. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) added 0.51% to its value this Thursday.
Finally, utilities shares managed to stay on investors' good side, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ)'s 0.35% increase.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Today's best stock on the index was energy refiner and retailer Viva Energy Group Ltd (ASX: VEA).
Viva shares rocketed 11.89% this session to finish at $2.07 each. There wasn't any news from the company today, but Viva has been one of the stocks that has benefited most from the significant surge in energy prices we have seen this week.
Here's how the rest of today's top stocks landed their planes:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Viva Energy Group Ltd (ASX: VEA) | $2.07 | 11.89% |
| Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX: MFG) | $10.57 | 10.45% |
| Catapult Sports Ltd (ASX: CAT) | $3.64 | 10.30% |
| DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO) | $3.70 | 10.12% |
| Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP) | $1.78 | 9.88% |
| IperionX Ltd (ASX: IPX) | $7.29 | 9.46% |
| Ampol Ltd (ASX: ALD) | $32.06 | 8.53% |
| Mesoblast Ltd (ASX: MSB) | $2.18 | 7.92% |
| WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) | $47.57 | 7.14% |
| Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: TLX) | $10.09 | 6.55% |
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.
