It was a rather horrid hump day for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) and many ASX shares today, as investor pessimism once again took over the markets.
After spending the entire session in red territory, the ASX 200 ended up closing down a nasty 1.18%. That leaves the index at 8,843.6 points at this mid-week point.
Today's unhappy performance from the Australian markets follows a similarly negative night up on Wall Street.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) closed down 0.59% after initially rising during morning trading.
In a rare coincidence, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) also finished up with a 0.59% loss.
But let's return to the local markets now and dive a little deeper into how today's pessimism filtered down into the various ASX sectors.
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Winners and losers
There were only a handful of sectors that escaped today's market pain.
But first, it was healthcare shares that bore the brunt of today's selling. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) got a nasty 6.01% smashing this session.
Financial stocks were hit hard too, with the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) crashing 2.26% lower.
Gold shares were no safe haven either. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) took a 1.69% dive today.
Consumer discretionary stocks weren't popular, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ)'s 0.82% crater.
Energy shares were just in front of that. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) lost 0.74% of its value this Wednesday.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) were unlucky as well, with the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) retreating 0.47%.
Industrial stocks were also looked over. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) ended up sliding down 0.28%.
Our last losers were communications shares, as you can see from the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ)'s 0.13% slip.
Turning to the winners now, it was consumer staples stocks that were today's safe harbour. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) surged 1.07% higher this session.
Tech shares got a reprieve too, with the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) bouncing 0.34%.
Utilities stocks were spared as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) ticked up 0.13% today.
Finally, mining shares scraped home, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ)'s 0.12% lift.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Today's index winner came down to wine maker Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE). Treasury shares rocketed 16.54% higher this session to close at $4.72 each.
This dramatic jump came after the company released an announcement that unveiled a new corporate structure. Clearly, investors approve.
Here's how the other top stocks tied up at the dock:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE) | $4.71 | 16.54% |
| New Hope Corporation Ltd (ASX: NHC) | $5.40 | 5.47% |
| Predictive Discovery Ltd (ASX: PDI) | $0.965 | 4.32% |
| Ampol Ltd (ASX: ALD) | $32.80 | 3.76% |
| Iluka Resources Ltd (ASX: ILU) | $7.93 | 3.52% |
| Vault Minerals Ltd (ASX: VAU) | $4.88 | 2.95% |
| Cleanaway Waste Management Ltd (ASX: CWY) | $2.45 | 2.94% |
| NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT) | $14.30 | 2.89% |
| Downer EDI Ltd (ASX: DOW) | $7.64 | 2.69% |
| Ora Banda Mining Ltd (ASX: OBM) | $1.62 | 2.53% |
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.
