It was a rather disappointing end to the short trading week for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) this Thursday. After initially starting strong this morning, investors took a major step back when US President Donald Trump addressed the nation at midday (our time).
Trump's declaration that the war with Iran would go on for another "two to three weeks" was enough to start the selling. By the time the markets closed up for the Easter break, the ASX 200 had slumped by a nasty 1.06%. That fall leaves the index at 8,579.5 points as we head into the long weekend.
This volatile session for Australian investors follows a far more optimistic morning up on the American markets (let's see what happens tomorrow over there).
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) had a comfortable time of it, rising by 0.48%.
Meanwhile, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) was even more enthusiastic, gaining 1.16%.
But let's return to the local markets now and check out how the various ASX sectors dealt with today's whipsawing trading conditions.
Image source: Getty Images
Winners and losers
There were far more red sectors than green this Thursday.
Leading those red sectors were tech shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) was hit particularly hard, crashing down 3.93%.
Gold stocks gave up much of yesterday's gains too, with the All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) plunging 3.34%.
Broader mining shares weren't far off that. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) tanked by 2.76% today.
Healthcare stocks weren't popular either, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ)'s 2.14% dive.
Next came consumer discretionary shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) ended up cratering 1.09% by the end of trading.
Industrial stocks came next, with the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) seeing a 0.74% decline in value.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) ended the day lower as well. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) was cut down by 0.45% today.
Energy shares weren't given an exemption either, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ)'s 0.36% dip.
Communications shares were also no safe haven. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) ended the day down 00.2% from where it started.
Our last losers this Thursday were financial stocks, with the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) sliding down 0.16%.
Let's turn to the winners now. It was consumer staples shares that were the hottest corner of the market this session. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) leapt 1.32% higher.
Finally, utilities stocks were the other lucky sector, as you can see from the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ)'s 0.92% jump.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Today's top stock was energy company Karoon Energy Ltd (ASX: KAR). Karoon shares shot 6.53% higher this session to finish the week at $2.12 each.
There wasn't any news from the company, although it was strange to see Karoon buck its peers in the oil and gas sector so decisively.
Here's how the other winners landed their planes:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Karoon Energy Ltd (ASX: KAR) | $2.12 | 6.53% |
| Alcoa Corporation (ASX: AAI) | $101.74 | 4.72% |
| Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) | $22.62 | 2.59% |
| Predictive Discovery Ltd (ASX: PDI) | $0.835 | 1.83% |
| HomeCo Daily Needs REIT (ASX: HDN) | $1.21 | 1.69% |
| Arena REIT (ASX: ARF) | $3.35 | 1.52% |
| Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) | $5.42 | 1.50% |
| Waypoint REIT Ltd (ASX: WPR) | $2.38 | 1.28% |
| Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) | $37.01 | 1.26% |
| Aurizon Holdings (ASX: AZJ) | $4.06 | 1.00% |
Happy Easter and enjoy the long weekend!
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.
