
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 ASXÂ 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 REITÂ (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.
The post Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.
Should you invest $1,000 in Reliance Worldwide Corporation Limited right now?
Before you buy Reliance Worldwide Corporation Limited shares, consider this:
Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Reliance Worldwide Corporation Limited wasn’t one of them.
The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*
And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…
* Returns as of 20 Feb 2026
.custom-cta-button p {
margin-bottom: 0 !important;
}
More reading
- Why Lifestyle Communities, Perpetual, Reliance Worldwide, and Woodside shares are rising today
- Perpetual sells Wealth Management business to Bain Capital for $500m
- Orica settles US litigation and announces US acquisition
- Which industrial company has just announced a $120 million buyback?
- 3 ASX shares slide after being cut from the ASX 200
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.