The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) experienced a bit of a jolt back to reality today, as the boost we saw for the local share market that bookended the weekend faded.
Wednesday saw the ASX 200 take a whack, losing a heavy 1.3%. That leaves the index at 7,785.4 points at the closing bell.
This sour performance follows an equally depressing night on the American markets last night and in the early hours of this morning.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) had a shocker, tanking by around 1%.
The Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) gave a nearly equal performance, losing 0.95% of its value.
But time now to grit our teeth and return to the ASX, with a look at how the various ASX sectors fared during today's stock wipeout.
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Winners and losers
It was carnage on the ASX boards today, with only two sectors escaping with a rise. But more on that in a moment.
The worst of the losers this session were tech shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) had an awful time, cratering by a painful 3.94%.
It wasn't much better for real estate investment trusts (REITs). The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) was just behind that with a loss of 3.3%.
Consumer discretionary stocks also got singled out for punishment. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) took a 2.11% tumble during today's trading.
Healthcare shares were on the nose too, with the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) crashing 1.54%.
Financial stocks weren't riding to the rescue. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) endured a 1.3% hit from investors this Wednesday.
Communication shares had a similar experience, with the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) taking a 1.05% bath.
Mining stocks got put through the wringer as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) corrected 0.87% by the end of trading.
Industrial shares weren't much better. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) suffered a 0.74% fall.
Consumer staples stocks were no safe haven, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ)'s 0.66% slide.
Our final loser was the gold sector. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) gave up some of yesterday's gains with its 0.61% slip.
Turning now to the far less numerous winners, these were headlined by ASX utilities shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) was a clear winner today, rising 0.16%.
The other green sector was energy stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) was also granted an exemption from the selling pressure and inched 0.06% higher.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
This Wednesday's winning stock was gold miner Ramelius Resources Ltd (ASX: RMS).
Ramelius shares had a great day, rocketing 5.25% higher to $1.905 each. This surge came after the miner released a well-received production update.
Here's a look at the rest of the stocks that topped the index today:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Ramelius Resources Ltd (ASX: RMS) | $1.905 | 5.25% |
| West African Resources Ltd (ASX: WAF) | $1.34 | 5.10% |
| Emerald Resources N.L. (ASX: EMR) | $3.13 | 2.62% |
| Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) | $1.46 | 1.74% |
| Ansell Ltd (ASX: ANN) | $24.46 | 1.07% |
| Suncorp Group Ltd (ASX: SUN) | $16.35 | 0.99% |
| QBE Insurance Group Ltd (ASX: QBE) | $18.20 | 0.89% |
| Computershare Ltd (ASX: CPU) | $26.42 | 0.72% |
| Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG) | $9.28 | 0.65% |
| Insurance Australia Group Ltd (ASX: IAG) | $6.45 | 0.62% |
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.
