It was yet another red day for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) and many ASX shares this Thursday, cementing what has become a pattern of pessimism on the Australian markets. In its seventh red session in a row, the ASX 200 closed down a miserly 0.24% today. That leaves the index at 8,665.8 points.
This unhappy Thursday session for ASX investors follows a more mixed night on Wall Street last night.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) was in a foul mood, dropping by 0.57%.
However, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) managed to stay above ground, inching 0.038% higher.
But let's return to the local markets now and check out what was happening amongst the various ASX sectors today.
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Winners and losers
Despite the market's bad mood, we saw far more green sectors than red ones today. But more on those in a moment.
First, it was consumer staples shares that were the most heavily sold off. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) got hit by a veritable truck, crashing 4.98% lower.
Gold stocks were slammed too, with the All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) tanking 4.5%.
Broader mining shares were also in the firing line. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) plunged 2.65% today.
Healthcare stocks were far tamer, though, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ)'s 0.62% dive.
And that's it for the losers.
Turning to the winners now, energy shares ran hottest. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) enjoyed a 1.37% leap higher this Thursday.
Communications stocks got a lot of attention as well, with the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) surging 1.32%.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) were in a similar ballpark. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) soared up 1.25%.
Industrial shares were in demand too, as you can see by the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ)'s 1.04% jump.
Financial stocks proved popular. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) added 0.96% to its total today.
As did utilities shares, with the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) advancing 0.95%.
Tech stocks found themselves on the right side of the ledger, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) lifted 0.66% by the market close.
Finally, consumer discretionary shares also escaped the selling, evident from the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ)'s 0.59% gain.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Today's winning stock was none other than the stock market operator itself, ASX Ltd (ASX: ASX). ASX shares rose by a happy 5.1% today to finish at $60.80 each.
This move came after the company announced a leadership change.
Here's how the other top stocks tied up at the dock:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| ASX Ltd (ASX: ASX) | $60.80 | 5.10% |
| Cochlear Ltd (ASX: COH) | $94.00 | 4.44% |
| Generation Development Group Ltd (ASX: GDG) | $3.88 | 4.30% |
| AUB Group Ltd (ASX: AUB) | $25.70 | 3.92% |
| IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL) | $3.29 | 3.46% |
| WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) | $42.72 | 3.41% |
| Insurance Australia Group Ltd (ASX: IAG) | $7.51 | 3.16% |
| Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) | $63.71 | 2.96% |
| Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) | $8.00 | 2.96% |
| Viva Energy Group Ltd (ASX: VEA) | $2.46 | 2.93% |
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.
