It was a bumpy, but ultimately negative Tuesday session for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) and many ASX shares today. After spending almost the entire session in green territory, investors seemed to get cold feet in the late afternoon. By the time the markets closed, the ASX 200 had choked, closing 0.035% lower. That leaves the index at a flat 9,070 points.
It seems the weekend wasn't enough to bring some optimism to investors' minds, with the ASX 200 opening sharply lower this morning and staying in red territory all day. By the time trading wrapped up, the index had lost 0.46% and finished at 9,073.2 points.
This miserly finish for the Australian markets this Tuesday followed a rough start to the American trading week on Wall Street last night (our time).
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) was not feeling Monday-fresh, dropping 0.51%.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) fared slightly better, but still fell 0.32%.
But let's get back to our local markets now and take stock of what the various ASX sectors were up to this session.
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Winners and losers
With the market's falls, there were unsurprisingly more red sectors than green ones today.
Leading those red sectors were gold stocks. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) had a rough one, cratering by 1.57%.
Communications shares weren't popular either, with the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) plunging 1.26%.
We could say the same for consumer staples stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) saw a 1.16% dive this session.
Financial shares weren't much better, evident from the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ)'s 1.1% wipeout.
Consumer discretionary stocks came next. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) suffered a 1.03% reduction this Tuesday.
Tech shares were right behind that, with the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) dipping 1.02%.
Industrial stocks had a day to forget, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) endured a 0.75% dip today.
Let's turn to the winners now. Leading the charge were healthcare shares, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ)'s whopping 7.81% surge. We can thank CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) for that.
Energy stocks enjoyed some time in the sun too. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) jumped up 0.99% today.
Utilities shares also got a reprieve, with the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) advancing 0.89%.
Mining stocks were another safe haven. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) rose 0.15% by the closing bell.
Finally, real estate investment trusts (REITs) got in under the wire, as you can see by the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ)'s 0.05% inch higher.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Our winner this session was manufacturing stock Reliance Worldwide Corporation Ltd (ASX: RWC).
Reliance shares exploded 24.65% higher today to close at $4.50 each. This came after the company posted its latest earnings, which included the revelation that it had received a takeover offer.
Here's how the other winners pulled up at the kerb:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Reliance Worldwide Corporation Ltd (ASX: RWC) | $4.50 | 24.65% |
| CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) | $157.82 | 17.25% |
| Judo Capital Holdings Ltd (ASX: JDO) | $1.07 | 16.94% |
| Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME) | $196.75 | 11.88% |
| SRG Global Ltd (ASX: SRG) | $3.96 | 9.39% |
| A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) | $7.09 | 8.58% |
| Cochlear Ltd (ASX: COH) | $10.32 | 6.50% |
| Challenger Ltd (ASX: CGF) | $10.32 | 6.50% |
| Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) | $0.905 | 3.43% |
| Deterra Royalties Ltd (ASX: DRR) | $4.35 | 3.08% |
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.
