The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) had yet another tough day of trading this Wednesday, marking the third day in a row the ASX 200 finished in the red.
As of market close today, the index had given up another 0.46% of its value, closing at 7,163.3 points. Since last Friday, the index is now down by a nasty 1.59%.
This from-bad-to-worse session follows a negative night on Wall Street overnight.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) fell by a solid 0.31%. The Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) didn't fare quite as badly but still retreated by 0.23%.
So no surprises there, given today's awful ASX showing. But let's dive into the local markets now and check out what the various ASX sectors did today.
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Winners and losers
With today's sizeable sell-off on the markets, no one will be shocked to find out there were only a few ASX sectors that eked out a rise.
But let's check out the losers first.
And leading said losers was the energy sector this Wednesday. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) had an awful day, dropping by a stone-like 1.81%.
Coming in next, we have ASX tech stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) fell 1.27%.
Mining shares were just behind that. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) didn't have much fun today with its fall of 1.17%.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) weren't quite as savagely punished, but the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) still went backwards by 0.88%.
ASX gold shares weren't a safe haven either. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) ended up losing 0.82% of its value today.
Utilities stocks didn't escape unscathed. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ closed the day with a 0.63% retreat.
That was just ahead of the healthcare sector. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) finished up 0.5% lower.
But let's get onto the winners from this Wednesday.
Leading the top sectors was the consumer discretionary space. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) had a strong showing, rising by 0.39%.
Industrials shares were just behind that gain, with the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) lifting 0.27%.
That was tracked by the consumer staples sector. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) pleased investors with its rise of 0.26%.
Finally, financials stocks were our last happy corner of the market, if only just. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) ended up inching 0.04% higher.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Even though the ASX had an awful day, we still had a decent showing from the market's top ten shares.
At the top of the pole was ASX lithium stock Sayona Mining Ltd (ASX: SYA). The Sayona share price rose by a pleasing 5%, despite no news at all from the company.
Here's a look at the rest of this Wednesday's top ten stocks:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Sayona Mining Ltd (ASX: SYA) | $0.105 | 5% |
| Cleanaway Waste Management Ltd (ASX: CWY) | $2.51 | 3.29% |
| Domain Holdings Australia Ltd (ASX: DHG) | $4.08 | 3.29% |
| Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL) | $42.23 | 2.9% |
| Fletcher Building Ltd (ASX: FBU) | $4.29 | 2.88% |
| EVT Ltd (ASX: EVT) | $11.26 | 2.46% |
| NRW Holdings Ltd (ASX: NWH) | $2.66 | 2.31% |
| Insurance Australia Group Ltd (ASX: IAG) | $5.88 | 1.91% |
| Reliance Worldwide Corporation Ltd (ASX: RWC) | $3.78 | 1.89% |
| Computershare Ltd (ASX: CPU) | $25.95 | 1.8% |
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.
