The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) couldn't hold on to the positive momentum we saw yesterday during this Thursday's session.
Despite several stints in green territory this morning, the ASX 200 ended up closing in the red by the time trading wrapped up this afternoon, dropping 0.1%. That leaves the index at 8,525.7 points.
This miserly day for Australian investors follows a far more optimistic morning on Wall Street.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) was in fine form, rising by 0.66%.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) did even better, gaining a rosy 0.77%.
But time to return to the local markets now and see how today's falls were distributed amongst the different ASX sectors today.
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Winners and losers
The worst place to have been invested in this Thursday was tech shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) was sold off heavily, cratering 2.3%.
Gold stocks suffered disproportionately too, with the All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) tanking 2.1%.
Communications shares seemed to be on the nose as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) ended up retreating 0.91% this session.
We could say something similar for real estate investment trusts (REITs), as you can see from the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ)'s 0.86% downgrade.
Mining stocks gave up some of yesterday's surge, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) was walked back by 0.42% this Thursday.
Consumer discretionary shares were right behind that, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) sliding 0.35%.
That's it for the losers, though. Turning to the winners, it was energy stocks that led the charge. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) surged by 1.54% this session.
Healthcare shares were popular as well, evident from the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ)'s 0.87% jump.
Utilities stocks stuck the landing, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) saw 0.34% added to its total today.
Consumer staples shares also held their value, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) enjoying a 0.1% improvement.
Industrial stocks were right behind that. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) got a 0.09% bump by the time the markets closed.
Finally, financial shares scraped home with a rise, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ)'s 0.03% uptick.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Today's best stock on the index came in as chemicals manufacturer, Orica Ltd (ASX: ORI). Orica shares soared 5.48% higher this session to close at $20.60 each.
This decisive move came without any news from the company today, though.
Here's how the other top stocks pulled up at the kerb:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Orica Ltd (ASX: ORI) | $20.60 | 5.48% |
| DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO) | $4.48 | 5.16% |
| Infratil Ltd (ASX: IFT) | $9.60 | 3.90% |
| Karoon Energy Ltd (ASX: KAR) | $1.98 | 3.66% |
| Graincorp Ltd (ASX: GNC) | $6.40 | 2.73% |
| Elders Ltd (ASX: ELD) | $7.18 | 2.72% |
| Viva Energy Group Ltd (ASX: VEA) | $2.44 | 2.52% |
| Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) | $7.85 | 2.48% |
| Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) | $1.28 | 2.40% |
| CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) | $144.35 | 2.38% |
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.
