It was another day, and another record-breaking session for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) this Thursday. After closing at a new record high during yesterday's trading, investors were back for more this session.
After starting sharply higher this morning, investors pushed the markets up to a new high watermark of 9,296.7 points by mid-morning. Sentiment cooled off a little over the afternoon, but the ASX 200 still closed at a new record of 9,271.6 points, up a confident 0.47% for the day.
This exceptional session for the local markets followed a more nuanced night on Wall Street.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) pushed higher again, rising 0.49%.
However, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) wasn't as lucky, paring some of its recent gains with a 0.83% drop.
But let's get back to the Australian markets now and dive a little deeper into how today's fresh records spilled over into the various ASX sectors.
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Winners and losers
Although the market pushed higher this Thursday, a few sectors still sat this one out.
The most prominent of those were real estate investment trusts (REITs). The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) was left out in the cold, suffering a 0.93% dive.
Utilities shares were also forsaken, with the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) dipping 0.39%.
Industrial stocks missed out as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) slipped 0.03% lower by market close.
But it was all smiles everywhere else. Leading the gains today were gold shares, as you can see from the All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD)'s 3.69% surge.
Broader mining stocks ran hot as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) shot up 1.11%.
Healthcare shares were also in high demand, with the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) soaring 0.81%.
Financial stocks weren't left out. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) jumped 0.45% this Thursday.
Consumer staples shares were in a similar boat, evident by the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ)'s 0.42% leap.
Communications stocks were close behind that. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) gained 0.37% today.
Consumer discretionary shares saw some interest, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) advancing 0.21%.
As did tech stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) had lifted 0.16% by the close of trade.
Finally, even energy shares found buyers, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ)'s 0.15% bump.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
It was gold stock Minerals 260 Ltd (ASX: MI6) that took out today's crown. Minerals 260 shares rocketed up 10.61% this Thursday to close at 73 cents each. There wasn't any news out from the company today, but most gold stocks had a day to remember.
Here's how the other winners landed their planes:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Minerals 260 Ltd (ASX: MI6) | $0.73 | 10.61% |
| Pantoro Gold Ltd (ASX: PNR) | $2.43 | 9.95% |
| AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP) | $2.31 | 5.96% |
| Westgold Resources Ltd (ASX: WGX) | $5.44 | 5.43% |
| Regis Resources Ltd (ASX: RRL) | $7.05 | 5.22% |
| Ora Banda Mining Ltd (ASX: OBM) | $1.32 | 4.78% |
| Mesoblast Ltd (ASX: MSB) | $2.23 | 4.69% |
| Vault Minerals Ltd (ASX: VAU) | $5.54 | 4.53% |
| West African Resources Ltd (ASX: WAF) | $3.32 | 4.40% |
| Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD) | $6.72 | 4.35% |
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.
