The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) had one for the history books this Wednesday, experiencing a special milestone in a boon for Australian investors. After an exceptionally positive week so far, investors kicked things off with a burst of optimism this morning.
After some mid-morning jitters, investors regained their confidence in afternoon trading and pushed the index up decisively to a new record high. Yep, the ASX 200 clocked a new record of 9,230 points this afternoon before closing at 9,227.8 points, up 0.9% for the day, by market close.
This exuberant hump day on our local markets comes after an equally excited night on the American bourse.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) had another breakout session, gaining 1.71%.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) was even giddier, rising a massive 2.59%.
But let's return to ASX shares now and examine how today's jubilation on the markets cascaded down into the different ASX sectors.
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Winners and losers
Despite today's new records, there were still some sectors that weren't invited to the party.
The most conspicuous of those were energy shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) was left out in the cold today, crashing 2.22% lower.
Utilities stocks weren't popular either, with the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) plunging 1.62%.
Communications shares missed out as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) took a 0.59% dive this session.
Financial stocks missed out too, evident by the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ)'s 0.44% slide.
Our last losers this Wednesday were consumer staples shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) ended up slipping 0.31%.
Let's turn to the winners now. Gold stocks shone the brightest, with the All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) exploding 6.42% higher.
Broader mining shares weren't forgotten. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) soared up 3.56% today.
Tech stocks had a day to remember as well, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ)'s 2.51% spike.
Healthcare shares showed off their vitality, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) surged up 1.7%.
Industrial stocks didn't miss out either, with the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) leaping 1.01%.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) got an invite to the ASX party. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) galloped 0.79% higher this hump day.
Finally, consumer discretionary shares found plenty of buyers, as you can tell from the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ)'s 0.74% lift.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Healthcare stock Neuren Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: NEU) was our best performer out of a long line of hefty winners this Wednesday. Neuren shares rocketed a whopping 16.28% higher today to finish at $21.64 each.
This came after the company released some pleasing quarterly numbers.
Here's how the other top stocks tied up at the dock:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Neuren Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: NEU) | $21.64 | 16.28% |
| 4DMedical Ltd (ASX: 4DX) | $4.72 | 9.77% |
| IperionX Ltd (ASX: EOS) | $3.41 | 8.95% |
| Capricorn Metals Ltd (ASX: CMM) | $14.19 | 8.74% |
| Ora Banda Mining Ltd (ASX: OBM) | $1.26 | 8.66% |
| Predictive Discovery Ltd (ASX: PDI) | $0.71 | 8.40% |
| Pinnacle Investment Management Group Ltd (ASX: PNI) | $19.25 | 8.39% |
| Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD) | $6.44 | 8.24% |
| Bellevue Gold Ltd (ASX: BGL) | $1.41 | 8.08% |
| FireFly Metals Ltd (ASX: FFM) | $1.83 | 7.96% |
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.
