The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) enjoyed a happy hump day this Wednesday. After a bumpy start to the week, investors seemed to be in a positive mood all session today. After some bouncing around, the ASX 200 ended up closing 0.34% higher. That leaves the index at a flat 8,823 points.
This excitable Wednesday on the ASX comes after an even more upbeat night over on the American markets.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) was in a great mood, rising 0.74%.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) was even more jubilant, gaining 1.29%.
But get back to the local markets now and dive a little deeper into what the different ASX sectors were doing this hump day.
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Winners and losers
Despite the broader market's gains, there were a few sectors that were left out in the cold.
First amongst those were again healthcare shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) tanked 1.93% today.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) were also shunned, with the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) diving 1.44%.
Consumer discretionary stocks matched that loss. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) also tumbled 1.44%.
Tech shares were on the nose too, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ)'s 1.07% slump.
Communications stocks weren't much better. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) dipped 0.93% this session.
Utilities shares came next, with the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) shedding 0.75% of its value.
Industrial stocks fared better, though. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) saw its value decline 0.08% this Wednesday.
Our final losers were consumer staples shares, as you can see by the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ)'s 0.02% slip.
Turning to the winners now, it was gold stocks that came out on top. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) enjoyed a 3.98% surge today.
Broader mining stocks also ran hot, with the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) roaring 2.3% higher.
Energy shares didn't miss out either. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) jumped 0.67% this session.
Last and least, financial stocks joined the party, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ)'s 0.19% increase.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Titanium stock IperionX Ltd (ASX: IPX) was our index winner this Wednesday. IperionX shares rocketed 8.67% higher today to close at $3.51 each. Although there was no news out from the company, most mining shares had a stunner today.
Here's how the other chart-toppers pulled up at the kerb:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| IperionX Ltd (ASX: IPX) | $3.51 | 8.67% |
| Kingsgate Consolidated Ltd (ASX: KCN) | $4.27 | 7.56% |
| Ora Banda Mining Ltd (ASX: OBM) | $1.11 | 7.28% |
| FireFly Metals Ltd (ASX: FFM) | $1.78 | 6.91% |
| Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) | $9.13 | 6.66% |
| Regis Resources Ltd (ASX: RRL) | $6.29 | 6.61% |
| Westgold Resources Ltd (ASX: WGX) | $4.85 | 6.13% |
| Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD) | $6.10 | 5.90% |
| Austal Ltd (ASX: ASB) | $3.72 | 5.68% |
| Catalyst Metals Ltd (ASX: CYL) | $5.92 | 5.34% |
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.
