The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) endured another day in the red this Thursday, making it a fairly depressing week for ASX shares thus far.
By the time the markets closed today, the ASX 200 had been walked back by 0.3%, leaving the index at 7,759.6 points.
This miserly showing from ASX shares comes after a more bullish night of trading over on the US markets last night.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) had a decent day, recovering from an early drop to post a gain of 0.04%.
The Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) did decidedly better though, lifting by a confident 0.49%.
But time now to get back to the local markets and take a look at what the various ASX sectors were up to today.
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Winners and losers
Despite the drop of the broader market, we still saw quite a few ASX sectors record a rise this Thursday.
But first, to the losers.
The worst place to have had money in this session was in real estate investment trusts (REITs). The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) had a horrible time of it today, tanking by 2.26%.
Utilities shares were also on the nose, but the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ)'s loss of 0.79% looked tame by comparison.
Industrial stocks were next. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) plunged at open, but managed to recover slightly to post a 0.67% retreat by the closing bell.
ASX financial shares also had a rough trot, with the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) losing 0.5% of its value.
Communications stocks were another sore point. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) was sent 0.18% lower by investors.
Consumer staples shares did a little better, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) sliding down 0.02%.
Mining stocks were our final winners. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) also slipped by 0.02%.
Turning now to the winners from today's trading, these were led by tech shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) had another happy session, vaulting 0.74% higher.
Gold stocks weren't too far off that. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) saw its value rise by 0.66%.
Healthcare shares had a pleasant time of it as well, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ)'s 0.35% lift.
Consumer discretionary stocks were a little less enthusiastic, but the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) still bounced 0.12% higher.
Finally, energy shares counted themselves lucky. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) pulled off a 0.06% increase.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Today's index winner was energy stock Strike Energy Ltd (ASX: STX). Strike shares rose by a confident 6.38% today up to 25 cents apiece.
This bullish move followed Strike releasing a flow test update for its Walyering gas field this morning, which investors obviously found uplifting.
Here's the rest of today's top index stocks:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Strike Energy Ltd (ASX: STX) | $0.25 | 6.38% |
| ResMed Inc (ASX: RMD) | $28.78 | 4.09% |
| Arcadium Lithium plc (ASX: LTM) | $5.18 | 3.81% |
| West African Resources Ltd (ASX: WAF) | $1.61 | 3.54% |
| Star Entertainment Group Ltd (ASX: SGR) | $0.48 | 3.23% |
| Sims Ltd (ASX: SGM) | $10.31 | 3.00% |
| Capricorn Metals Ltd (ASX: CMM) | $4.80 | 2.78% |
| WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) | $98.34 | 2.48% |
| Tabcorp Holdings Ltd (ASX: TAH) | $0.695 | 2.21% |
| BlueScope Steel Ltd (ASX: BSL) | $20.32 | 2.01% |
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.
