Wall Street JournalIt was a very happy hump day indeed for ASX shares and the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) this Wednesday. By the time the markets closed, the ASX 200 had added another 0.52% to its total. That leaves the index at 8,36.8 points.
Today's pleasing hump day followed a much more pessimistic night over on the American markets overnight (our time).
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) slumped by an anaemic 0.27%.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) fared similarly, getting walked back by 0.38%.
But let's return to happier tidings now and dive a little deeper into what the different ASX sectors were doing on the local markets today.
Winners and losers
There were only two sectors that missed out on today's investor optimism.
The first, and worst, of those were industrial shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) was hit fairly hard, losing 0.52% of its total today.
The other unlucky sector was consumer discretionary stocks, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) losing 0.16%.
But it was all smiles everywhere else.
Leading the winners this Wednesday were gold shares. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) recovered with a vengeance this session, rocketing 4.99% higher.
Energy stocks were in demand too, as you'll see by the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ)'s 1.02% jump.
Healthcare shares had a big win as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) surged 0.95% higher this hump day.
We could say the same for communications stocks, with the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) soaring up 0.88%.
Utilities shares were right behind that. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) added 0.82% by the closing bell.
Financial stocks were in demand as well, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ)'s 0.74% leap.
Tech shares were in a similar ballpark. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) ended up lifting 0.63%.
Mining stocks didn't miss out, with the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) seeing a 0.56% improvement.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) made the winners cut as well. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) bounced up 0.28% this Wednesday.
Finally, consumer staples shares had a decent showing, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ)'s 0.23% uptick.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
The best stock on the index this hump day was gold miner Perseus Mining Ltd (ASX: PRU). Perseus shares soared a huge 9.73% higher today and closed at $3.72 each.
There wasn't any fresh news out of the company this Wednesday, but most ASX gold shares had a stunner, as you can see below: