It was a wild, volatile, but positive start to the trading week for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) and many ASX shares this Monday. After opening in the red this morning, investors quickly turned things around with a run of buying. But that didn't last long either, with the index spending most of the day in red territory.
However, the ASX 200 staged a late comeback and only just managed to finish in the green, gaining 0.028% for the day and finishing at 8,808.5 points.
This shaky start to the trading week for the Australian markets came after a happy finish to the American trading week on Friday night (our time).
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) fared decently, rising 0.29%.
In a rare event, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) also gained 0.29%.
But let's return to this week and the local markets to see how the various ASX sectors performed this session.
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Winners and losers
At the front of today's red sectors were tech stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) was hit hard, plunging 2.48%.
Gold stocks were also hit hard, with the All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) cratering 1.89%.
Utilities shares were unpopular, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) saw its value tank 1.63% today.
Consumer staples stocks were no safe haven either, as you can see by the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ)'s 0.91% slump.
Mining shares didn't hold water. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) sank 0.65% this Monday.
Nor did healthcare stocks, with the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) dropping 0.61%.
Industrial stocks were our final losers today. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) slid 0.17% down.
Let's turn to the winners now. Leading the push higher were communications stocks, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ)'s 0.89% surge.
Consumer discretionary shares proved popular as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) jumped 0.86% today.
We could say something similar for financial stocks, with the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) advancing 0.67%.
Energy shares also ran relatively hot. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) put on an additional 0.66% this Monday.
Finally, real estate investment trusts (REITs) only just got over the line, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ)'s 0.04% inch higher.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Biotech company Mesoblast Ltd (ASX: MSB) was the best share on the index. Mesoblast stock leapt 4.91% higher this Monday to close at $2.35. This was potentially a reaction to a bullish broker note, which we covered this morning.
Here's the rest of today's best:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Mesoblast Ltd (ASX: MSB) | $2.35 | 4.91% |
| Ampol Ltd (ASX: ALD) | $36.75 | 4.17% |
| Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD) | $5.88 | 3.70% |
| Viva Energy Group Ltd (ASX: VEA) | $2.33 | 3.56% |
| Sigma Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SIG) | $2.92 | 3.55% |
| ARB Corporation Ltd (ASX: ARB) | $18.03 | 2.85% |
| Karoon Energy Ltd (ASX: KAR) | $1.45 | 2.12% |
| Insurance Australia Group Ltd (ASX: IAG) | $8.35 | 1.95% |
| Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) | $91.32 | 1.81% |
| Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) | $4.98 | 1.63% |
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.
