It's been a rough, but still positive day for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) this Tuesday. After spending time in both the gain and loss zones over this session, the ASX 200 ended up snatching a rise. At market close, the index had inched up a tentative 0.09% to 7,121.6 points.
The shaky day of trading followed a decent start to the US trading week last night on Wall Street.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) had a lacklustre session, slipping by 0.11%. But the Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) more than made up for the Dow's hesitancy, rocketing a solid 1.56%.
Let's now turn back to the ASX and have a look at what the various ASX sectors were up to today.
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Winners and losers
Despite the ASX 200 inching higher today, there were a similar number of sectors in the red by the end of the trading day as there were in the green.
Disappointing investors the most today was no doubt the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ). Consumer staples stocks had another clanger today, with the index falling by a significant 2.52%.
ASX healthcare shares weren't offering any respite. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) ended today 0.88% lower.
Consumer discretionary stocks were also on the nose, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) falling 0.77%.
Energy stocks didn't fare as poorly as that, but the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) still recorded a hefty 0.68% slide.
But enough with the losers. Let's now discuss which ASX sectors were turning those frowns upside down.
Decisively leading the winners this session were ASX tech stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) had one of its best sessions in recent memory, surging by a whopping 5.19%.
Not quite keeping up but still rising enthusiastically were communications shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) banked a healthy 1.92% gain.
Then we have the gold sector. Gold was back on the investing menu this Tuesday, judging by the happy 1.75% rise in the All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD).
Not to be left out was the real estate investment trust (REIT) space. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) jumped by 1.03%.
Financials shares also had a pleasant time of it in the markets. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) finished the day 0.43% higher.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
We had a bevvy of huge gains today, thanks in large part to the ongoing influx of earnings reports. But we had a truly staggering jump in value from today's best ASX 200 performer, tech stock Altium Limited (ASX: ALU).
Altium shares soared a huge 25.92% to $46.44 each after the company reported its FY2023 earnings last night after the bell. These included a near-20% jump in net profits.
Here's a look at the rest of the top ten shares for this Monday:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Altium Limited (ASX: ALU) | $46.44 | 25.92% |
| Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) | $12.15 | 16.94% |
| HUB24 Ltd (ASX: HUB) | $31.20 | 11.31% |
| Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) | $0.855 | 8.23% |
| Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR) | $6.41 | 5.95% |
| A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) | $4.52 | 5.85% |
| De Grey Mining Ltd (ASX: DEG) | $1.415 | 5.6% |
| Premier Investments Limited (ASX: PMV) | $25.53 | 4.59% |
| Ingenia Communities Group (ASX: INA) | $4.22 | 4.46% |
| Silver Lake Resources Ltd (ASX: SLR) | $0.86 | 3.61% |
Our top 10 shares countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary to let you know which companies were making big moves on the day. Check in at Fool.com.au after the weekday market closes to see which stocks make the countdown.
