The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) kicked off the trading week on a bullish note this Monday, continuing the strong gains we saw at the end of last week.
By the time trading wrapped up, the ASX 200 had risen by a confident 0.86% today, leaving the Index at 7989.6 points.
This happy start to the Australian trading week follows an equally rosy end to the American week last Friday night and Saturday morning.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) ended the week with a bang, surging by a sizeable 1.64%.
The Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) also had a ball, gaining 1.03%.
But let's now return to the local markets and this week, with a checkup of what was going on amongst the various ASX sectors today.
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Winners and losers
It was a very cheerful day indeed for ASX shares, with not one sector going backwards.
The worst place to be, if you could even call it that, was in mining shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) recorded a rise of 0.33%.
Energy stocks did much better though, with the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) swelling by 0.59%.
Gold shares were in demand too. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) ended up rising 0.65%.
ASX healthcare stocks slotted in just after that, with the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) getting boosted by 0.73%.
Consumer staples shares were making investors happy. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) rose by 0.85%.
As were financial stocks, as you can see from the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ)'s 0.95% lift.
Industrial shares upped the ante though. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) banked a solid 1.04% increase.
Utilities stocks did better again. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) bounced 1.12% higher.
Consumer discretionary shares were really ablaze though, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ)'s 1.13% surge.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) had a phenomenal day. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) soared up 1.35%.
But that was bested by communications stocks, with the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) galloping 1.4% upward.
Tech shares took out the crown though. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) rocketed up a whopping 1.53%.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Today's biggest winner on the index was casino operator Star Entertainment Group Ltd (ASX: SGR). Star shares surged in late trading to record a 14.71% gain up to 58.5 cents a share.
This surge came despite no obvious catalysts or news from Star today.
Here's a look at the rest of today's winning stocks:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Star Entertaiment Group Ltd (ASX: SGR) | $0.585 | 14.71% |
| Nufarm Ltd (ASX: NUF) | $4.67 | 5.18% |
| Viva Energy Group Ltd (ASX: VEA) | $3.24 | 4.18% |
| Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP) | $1.845 | 3.94% |
| IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL) | $14.41 | 3.59% |
| TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPG) | $4.71 | 3.29% |
| Bega Cheese Ltd (ASX: BGA) | $4.44 | 3.26% |
| Perseus Mining Ltd (ASX: PRU) | $2.58 | 3.20% |
| EVT Ltd (ASX: EVT) | $11.37 | 3.08% |
| Lendlease Group (ASX: LLC) | $6.20 | 2.99% |
Our top 10 shares countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary that lets you know which companies made big moves on the day. Check in at Fool.com.au after the weekday market closes to see which stocks make the countdown.
