Wall Street Journal
It was a bumpy and overall negative day for ASX shares and the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) this Wednesday.
After a strong start to the week over the past two trading days, investors panicked at the final hurdle this hump day, sending the ASX 200 sharply lower this afternoon to close down 0.036%. That leaves the index at 7,758.9 points.
This nervous session for the Australian markets follows a similarly bearish night up on Wall Street.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) gave up an early lead last night to finish 0.38% lower.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) fared a little better but still lost 0.049%.
But let's get back to ASX shares now and take stock of what the different ASX sectors were up to this hump day.
Winners and losers
There were plenty of losers and winners today.
Leading the former group were energy shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) continued its recent run of poor form, tanking 2.64% today.
Tech stocks also had a rough one, with the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) plunging 1.31%.
Healthcare shares had a decidedly unhealthy session. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) cratered by 1.07%.
Mining stocks were next, as you can see by the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ)'s 0.77% dive.
Industrial shares had a tough day, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) ended up dropping 0.26%.
Our last losers were consumer discretionary stocks, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) shrinking by 0.21%.
Turning to the winners now, it was gold shares that led the charge higher. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) surged by 2.67% today.
Financial stocks ran hot as well, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ)'s 0.97% spike.
Consumer staples shares were in demand too. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) soared up 0.77% this Wednesday.
Utilities stocks had a decent time of it as well, with the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) bouncing by 0.46%.
Next up were real estate investment trusts (REITs). The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) added 0.2% to its value this session.
Finally, communications stocks eked out a gain, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ)'s 0.08% lift.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Today's best share came down to payments stock Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP). Zip shares rocketed a huge 16.22% this Wednesday to close at $1.72 a share. This massive gain came after the company reported some impressive quarterly earnings.
Here are the other shares you wished you owned today: