The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) enjoyed a positive end to this short trading week today.
After a volatile week, investors were clearly in a good mood this Thursday, sending the ASX 200 up 0.78%. That leaves the index at 7,819.1 points as we head into the Easter weekend.
This happy session for the Australian markets comes after a more negative night of trade over in the United States.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) had an awful night, tanking 1.73%.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) was even worse, collapsing by 3.07%.
But let's return to the happier market now and examine how the various ASX sectors fared today.
Winners and losers
There was only one sector that missed out on this Thursday's optimism.
That unlucky sector was healthcare stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) slipped by 0.13% this session.
But it was all smiles everywhere else.
Leading the winners were energy shares, with the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) surging by a happy 3.82% today.
Broader mining stocks also ran hot. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) ended up soaring 1.45%.
We could say the same for real estate investment trusts (REITs), as you'll see from the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ)'s 1.2% vault higher.
Consumer staples shares had a great day as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) galloped up 1.07% by the closing bell.
Gold stocks continued their recent run too, with the All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) jumping 0.91%.
Consumer discretionary shares didn't miss out either, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ)'s 0.56% gain.
Industrial stocks joined the winners' list today. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) saw its value climb 0.49%.
Financial stocks had an identical experience, with the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) also lifting 0.49%.
Tech shares were a little more muted. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) ticked up 0.36% this Thursday.
Utilities stocks made the cut as well, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ)'s 0.25% improvement.
Finally, communications stocks managed to join the winning side. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) crawled 0.18% higher today.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Today's index winner was healthcare stock Clarity Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: CU6). Clarity shares rocketed an impressive 13.1% this Thursday to finish at $1.90 each.
This gain came after Clarity revealed that it had signed a commercial supply agreement for copper-64.
Here are the rest of today's top performers:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Clarity Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: CU6) | $1.90 | 13.10% |
| Challenger Ltd (ASX: CGF) | $6.80 | 10.21% |
| Karoon Energy Ltd (ASX: KAR) | $1.34 | 7.63% |
| Ampol Ltd (ASX: ALD) | $22.24 | 7.70% |
| Stanmore Resources Ltd (ASX: SMR) | $1.83 | 6.71% |
| Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC) | $8.84 | 5.74% |
| Iluka Resources Ltd (ASX: ILU) | $3.77 | 5.60% |
| IGO Ltd (ASX: IGO) | $3.58 | 5.29% |
| Polynovo Ltd (ASX: PNV) | $1.12 | 5.19% |
| Bank of Queensland Ltd (ASX: BOQ) | $7.18 | 4.66% |
Enjoy the long weekend!
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.
