It was a great start to the trading week for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) and most ASX shares this Monday.
The ASX 200 had a shaky start this morning, but investor confidence grew throughout the day. That enabled the index to record a rise of 0.68% by the closing bell, leaving it at 8,205.4 points.
Today's confident start to the week comes after a bold end to the American trading week last Friday night (our time).
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) had a great time, shooting up 0.81%.
It was even better for the Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC), which vaulted 1.22% higher.
But let's get back to this week and our local stock market with a checkup on what was happening with the different ASX sectors today.
Winners and losers
It was almost all smiles on the markets today, with only a handful of sectors missing out.
But we'll go through those first.
The leading losers this session were gold shares. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) was taken down a peg, tanking 1.14% today.
Utilities stocks also had a rough start to the week, with the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) sinking 0.89%.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) had a tough time too. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) retreated by 0.8%.
As did healthcare stocks, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ)'s 0.15% loss.
Our last losers were communications shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) dropped 0.06%.
Turning to the winners now, tech stocks took out today's crown. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) was on fire, soaring up 1.64%.
ASX financial shares were also in demand, with the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) surging 1.54% higher.
Consumer discretionary stocks fared well too. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) lifted 0.75%.
Mining shares were also running hot, as you can see from the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ)'s 0.57% bounce.
Consumer staples stocks had a great Monday as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) ended up rising 0.5%.
Industrial shares weren't quite as enthusiastic, but the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) still saw a 0.35% uptick.
Finally, energy stocks eked out a win. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) enjoyed a 0.22% bump today.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Blowing out the index's top ten today was lithium stock Arcadium Lithium plc (ASX: LTM). Aradium shares rocketed a massive 45.69% to $6.09 each today.
This gargantuan gain came after mining giant Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO) confirmed it was interested in acquiring the company.
Here's how the rest of today's best pulled up:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Arcadium Lithium plc (ASX: LTM) | $6.09 | 45.69% |
| Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR) | $0.88 | 18.92% |
| Star Entertainment Group Ltd (ASX: SGR) | $0.285 | 7.55% |
| Life360 Inc (ASX: 360) | $20.45 | 6.84% |
| Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX: MFG) | $10.24 | 6.44% |
| Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP) | $2.70 | 5.88% |
| Lovisa Holdings Ltd (ASX: LOV) | $36.34 | 4.79% |
| Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) | $53.34 | 4.61% |
| Coronado Global Resources Inc (ASX: CRN) | $1.16 | 4.50% |
| Nanosonics Ltd (ASX: NAN) | $3.70 | 4.23% |
Our top 10 shares countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary that shows 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.
