The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) endured another red session this Wednesday, with investors giving up an early rush of optimism to send the market into negative territory by the closing bell.
By the time trading wrapped up today, the ASX 200 had dropped 0.22%. That leaves the index at just under 8,800 points at 8,799.5.
This rather unhappy hump day for the local markets comes after a mixed session for the US markets in the early hours of this morning.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) enjoyed a strong day of trade, pushing 1.18% higher.
It wasn't so pleasant for the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC), though, which slipped 0.25% lower.
But let's return to the ASX and wade into the ASX sectors to see which corners of the market were hardest hit by the sell-down.
Winners and losers
We still saw plenty of sectors make some gains this hump day. But first, to the losers.
Attracting the most sellers this Wednesday were tech stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) was hit hard, crashing 3.29% lower.
Consumer discretionary shares were also on the nose, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) diving 1.3%.
Financial stocks had another day to forget, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) tanked by 0.92%.
Communications shares, though down, fared a little better, as you can see by the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ)'s 0.35% retreat.
Our last losers were real estate investment trusts (REITs). The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) dipped 0.05% this session.
Turning to the green sectors now, it was consumer staples stocks that proved the best safe haven, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) galloping 1.05% higher.
Energy shares were also in demand. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) soared up 1.03% by the close of ASX business.
Gold stocks enjoyed another bright day, evident from the All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD)'s 0.89% surge.
Broader mining shares were just behind that. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) shot up 0.86%.
Industrial stocks weren't left out, with the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) jumping 0.53%.
Nor were healthcare shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) bounced 0.23% higher this session.
Finally, utilities stocks managed to get over the line, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ)'s 0.1% rise.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Our hump day winner for this session was mining stock Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN). Mineral Resources shares had a blinder, rocketing 9.19% to $51.223 each.
This follows the news that the company had inked a new deal with the Korean company POSCO, which you can read more about here.
Here's how the rest of today's top stocks pulled up at the kerb: