News Detail

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) suffered a sour start to the trading week this Monday, continuing the pessimism we saw for ASX 200 shares for much of last week.

After bouncing around quite a bit in red territory this session, the ASX 200 ended up closing 0.39% lower by the time trading wrapped up today. That leaves the index at 8,583.4 points.

This rather gloomy start to the Australian trading week follows a similarly bearish end to the American trading week on Saturday morning (our time).

The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) gave up an early lead to finish down 0.26%.

Meanwhile, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) was hit even harder, falling 0.93%.

But let's get back to this week and the local markets now for a checkup on how today's tough trading conditions affected the different ASX sectors this session.

Winners and losers

Despite the broader market's drop, there were a few sectors that managed to attract some buying. First, let's go through the red sectors.

Leading those losers were again gold stocks. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) continued its recent poor form, shedding another 3.66% today.

Broader mining shares weren't finding many buyers either, with the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) cratering 2.22%.

Tech stocks were punished, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) slumped 1.54% today.

Healthcare shares fared slightly better though, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ)'s 0.38% dip.

We could say something similar for real estate investment trusts (REITs). The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) slid 0.24% lower.

Our final losers this Monday were industrial stocks, with the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) slipping by 0.14%.

Turning to the winners now, it was consumer staples shares that attracted the most attention today. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) saw its value spike 0.81%.

Utilities stocks were right on that tail, as you can see by the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ)'s 0.79% jump.

Energy shares continued to climb as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) added 0.53% to its total this session.

Financial stocks were also popular, with the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) climbing 0.41%.

Communications shares didn't miss out. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) enjoyed a 0.3% bump this Monday.

Finally, consumer discretionary stocks scraped home with a win, evident by the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ)'s 0.16% bounce.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

Coming in ahead of the pack today was industrial stock Reliance Worldwide Corporation Ltd (ASX: RWC). Reliance shares surged 6.85% higher this session to close at $3.12 each.

This healthy jump followed the news that the company would be dramatically increasing its share buyback program.

Here's the rest of today's best:

ASX-listed company	Share price	Price change
Reliance Worldwide Corporation Ltd (ASX: RWC)	$3.12	6.85%
Karoon Energy Ltd (ASX: KAR)	$1.93	4.62%
AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP)	$1.22	4.27%
Challenger Ltd (ASX: CGF)	$7.68	4.07%
DigiCo Infrastructure REIT (ASX: DGT)	$1.89	3.86%
Helia Group Ltd (ASX: HLI)	$4.67	3.78%
Guzman y Gomez Ltd (ASX: GYG)	$18.63	3.21%
Tabcorp Holdings Ltd (ASX: TAH)	$1.01	2.55%
Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)	$20.83	2.21%
Santos Ltd (ASX: STO)	$7.69	2.12%

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.

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Challenger. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The Motley Fool's purpose is to help the world invest, better. Click here now for your free subscription to Take Stock, The Motley Fool's free investing newsletter. Packed with stock ideas and investing advice, it is essential reading for anyone looking to build and grow their wealth in the years ahead. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson. 2026