It was a happy hump day for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) and many ASX shares this Wednesday, as investors continue to bask in worldwide market optimism.
After yesterday's close call and slight rise, investors were more decisive today, sending the ASX 200 up a confident 0.54%. That leaves the index at 8,966.3 points, its highest level in two months.
This optimistic midweek session for Australian shares follows a mixed night on the American boards.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) was on fire, gaining 0.64% after hitting a new record high.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) wasn't so lucky, though, and fell 1.15%.
But let's return to the local markets now and examine what was going on amongst the various ASX sectors today.
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Winners and losers
Today's market joy was almost universal, with only a handful of sectors left out.
Leading those unlucky losers were energy shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) was hit hard, shedding 2.26% of its value.
Utilities stocks were also shunned, with the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) sliding 1.68%.
Our other losers this Wednesday were consumer staples shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) saw its value cut by 0.9%.
That's it for the losers, so let's get to the good stuff. Leading the push higher this session were gold stocks, as you'll see by the All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD)'s 3.82% surge.
Tech shares ran hot, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) roared 2.03% higher today.
Consumer discretionary stocks also saw high demand, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) lifting 1.16%.
We could say the same for mining shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) ended up soaring 1.15%.
Healthcare stocks came next, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ)'s 0.9% spike.
Then we had financial shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) lifted 0.54% this hump day.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) didn't miss out, with the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) banking a 0.48% improvement.
Nor did communications stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) added 0.13% to its total.
Finally, industrial shares got over the line, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ)'s 0.08% bump.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Today's index topper was travel stock Web Travel Group Ltd (ASX: WEB). Web shares bounced 11.07% higher today, closing at $3.01 each.
Despite this sizeable jump, there wasn't anything from the company itself today.
Here's how the other winners landed their planes:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Web Travel Group Ltd (ASX: WEB) | $3.01 | 11.07% |
| SiteMinder Ltd (ASX: SDR) | $4.25 | 10.10% |
| Resolute Mining Ltd (ASX: RSG) | $1.20 | 8.60% |
| Pantoro Gold Ltd (ASX: PNR) | $3.05 | 8.16% |
| Catalyst Metals Ltd (ASX: CYL) | $6.44 | 6.80% |
| Emerald Resources N.L. (ASX: EMR) | $6.39 | 6.50% |
| ARB Corporation Ltd (ASX: ARB) | $19.60 | 6.46% |
| Alkane Resources Ltd (ASX: ALK) | $1.68 | 6.35% |
| Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD) | $6.20 | 6.16% |
| Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW) | $5.92 | 6.09% |
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.
