It’s been a tough Tuesday for ASX investors.
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The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) had a volatile but generally weak trading day on Wednesday.
After a strong start this morning, the ASX 200 index closed sharply lower, down 0.36%. The index closed at 8,393 points.
Australian shares experienced a tough session on Tuesday, while US stocks experienced a similarly bearish night earlier this week.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJX: .DJI) had a surprising performance, falling 0.54%.
The Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) performed even worse, falling 0.62.
But now let’s return to the local market and assess how the different sectors of the ASX are coping with today’s poor trading conditions.
Winners and losers
There were far more losses than gains on Tuesday.
Leading the decline were technology stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) performed poorly, falling 4.04.
Financial stocks also suffered heavy losses, with the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) plunging 1.74%.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) also suffered a disastrous defeat. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) plunged 131%.
Consumer discretionary stocks also underperformed, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) down 0.98.
Healthcare stocks also underperformed. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) fell 0.74%.
Next up were communications stocks, with the S&P/ASX 200 Communications Services Index (ASX: XTJ) posting a 0.58% correction.
Industrial stocks fared slightly better, however. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) ended down 0.41%.
The final losers were the utilities stocks, as you can see from the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) which fell 0.01.
Moving on to the winners, ASX mining stocks were the day’s winners. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) surged 3.04% on Tuesday.
Gold stocks also performed well, with the Composite Gold Index (ASX: XGD) surging 2.74.
Energy stocks also performed well. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) rose 1.32.
Finally, consumer staples stocks got a break, as evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) rising 0.72.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Mining company Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) took the top spot on Tuesday’s index).
Most mining stocks on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) performed well today (as shown in the chart below), but Mineral Resources was the biggest gainer with its share price rising 8.69% to $37.16 per share. This was despite the company not releasing any news today.
Here are the rest of today’s highlights:
Australian Stock Exchange listed companies | share price | Price Changes |
Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) | $37.16 | 8.69% |
Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) | $2.29 | 6.51% |
Fortescue Limited (ASX: FMG) | $20.45 | 6.23% |
Iluka Resources Ltd (ASX: ILU) | $5.13 | 5.99% |
Regis Resources Ltd (ASX: RRL) | $2.85 | 5.56% |
Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR) | $10.67 | 5.43% |
Karoon Energy Ltd (ASX: KAR) | $1.39 | 5.32% |
Champion Iron Ltd (ASX: CIA) | $7.51 | 5.17% |
Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) | $5.29 | 4.96% |
Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) | $125.28 | 4.85% |
Our Top 10 Stocks Countdown is a regular end-of-day summary showing which companies have performed well that day. After the close of trading on a weekday, log on to Fool.com.au to see which stocks are on the countdown.
Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen does not own any of the stocks mentioned. Motley Fool Australia’s parent company, Motley Fool Holdings Inc., does not own any of the stocks mentioned. Motley Fool Australia does not own any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorized by Scott Phillips.