The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) endured a negative hump day, sending the value of many ASX shares lower.

After opening sharply lower this morning, the ASX 200 spent the entire session in red territory. By the time the closing bell rang, the index had dropped 0.18% to finish at 9,053.8 points.

This miserable Wednesday for the local markets came after a similarly pessimistic night up on the American markets.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) couldn’t hold water, dropping 0.22%.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) was hit far harder though, falling 1.33%.

But let’s return to ASX shares now and dive into how the different ASX sectors handled today’s tough trading conditions.

Winners and losers

The losers easily outnumbered the winners this Wednesday.

Leading said losers were tech stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) had a shocker, plunging 3.15%.

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) were also hit hard, with the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) cratering by 1.15%.

Financial shares fared a little better. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) still tanked 0.64%, though.

Consumer discretionary stocks were in a similar boat, as you can see by the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ)’s 0.58% dive.

Gold shares weren’t much of a safe haven either. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) saw its value shrink 0.18%.

We could almost say the same for broader mining stocks, with the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) retreating 0.04%.

Let’s turn to the winners now.

Leading the team were healthcare shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) roared 2.6% higher today.

Energy stocks also ran hot, as evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ)’s 0.77% surge.

Utilities shares were a little tamer. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) jumped 0.35% this session.

Consumer staples stocks were right behind that, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) advancing 0.31%.

Industrial shares got out unscathed this hump day. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) ended up lifting 0.05%.

Finally, communications stocks notched a dodge, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ)’s 0.04% bump.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

It was REIT Stockland Corporation Ltd (ASX: SGP) that took out today’s top spot. Stockland units shot up 12.35% this Wednesday to finish at $4.55 each.

This came after the REIT reported its latest earnings, which clearly delighted the market.

Here’s how the other top shares landed their planes:

ASX-listed company	Share price	Price change
Stockland Corporation Ltd (ASX: SGP)	$4.55	12.35%
Fletcher Building Ltd (ASX: FBU)	$3.35	8.77%
Superloop Ltd (ASX: SLC)	$3.33	6.73%
Mirvac Group (ASX: MGR)	$1.85	6.32%
CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL)	$166.48	5.49%
Champion Iron Ltd (ASX: CIA)	$3.51	4.46%
SRG Global Ltd (ASX: SRG)	$4.10	3.54%
Graincorp Ltd (ASX: GNC)	$5.66	2.72%
Santos Ltd (ASX: STO)	$8.31	2.47%
Sonic Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SHL)	$23.56	2.35%

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.

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Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in CSL. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended CSL. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended CSL, Sonic Healthcare, and Srg Global. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Well, one of the biggest pieces of news on the ASX so far this week has been the blockbuster earnings of healthcare giant CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL). CSL delivered its full-year results for FY2026 yesterday. And boy, did the markets grab them (and plenty of CSL shares) and run.

By the end of yesterday’s session, the CSL share price had rocketed a massive 17.25% for its best day in 20 years.

As we covered yesterday, there were a lot of lukewarm numbers in this ASX 200 healthcare stock‘s latest report. The company reported total revenues of US$15.89 billion for the year ended 30 June 2026. That was down 1% year-on-year. Underlying net profits after tax dropped 2% to US$3.1 billion.

A number of one-off costs and impairments drove CSL to a statutory net loss after tax of US$2.6 billion.

However, as my Fool colleague Mark discussed yesterday, it seems that the unbridled optimism we have seen for CSL shares this week has stemmed from its optimistic guidance for FY2027 and beyond.

CSL told investors to expect underlying net profits after tax growth of around 5% over FY27. This indicates a return to form is on the cards for a company that repeatedly dazzled investors for the decade leading up to 2020, before a series of events tanked the company’s fortunes.

Hopefully, CSL can deliver this turnaround. But now, I want to focus on one metric that has caught my eye in CSL’s latest numbers.

CSL shares surge despite a dividend hold

That metric is the final dividend that CSL will pay out in October. Yesterday, CSL revealed that this dividend will be worth US$1.60 per share. Coupled with April’s interim dividend of US$1.30 per share, the company is set to dole out a total of US$2.92 in dividends per share in 2026.

That metric is significant because it marks only the second time that CSL will not be delivering a dividend hike to its shareholders. In fact, the last time that CSL didn’t increase its year-on-year payouts was in 2022, largely thanks to the aftermath of the pandemic. You’d have to go back at least another decade to find any more instances of a dividend hold from this company.

This is a personal disappointment for me. I bought CSL shares many years ago, in part thanks to its strong history of dividend growth. As such, I was rather dismayed to see another hold on CSL’s 2026 payout. A company’s dividend growth is, in my view, one of the most vital indicators of a company’s health. It is difficult to fudge and provides a sharp insight into the health of a company. Not to mention the fact that ASX shares that consistently grow their dividends over time tend to be market beaters.

Now, CSL has been upfront about its challenges for a while now. So this hold isn’t really a surprise. But it is still something I didn’t want to see. That’s why I’ll be watching the payouts that this company declares next year like a hawk.

The post CSL shares: 1 number that investors shouldn’t ignore appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in CSL. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended CSL. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended CSL. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) shares have both underperformed the 3.6% gains posted by S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) in 2026.

In afternoon trade on Wednesday, Xero shares are changing hands for $82.32 apiece. That sees shares in the accounting software provider down 26.6% since 2 January.

Northern Star has struggled as well.

At time of writing, shares in the ASX 200  gold stock are trading for $22.55 each, down 7.7% year to date.

Though we shouldn’t forget the fully franked 25 cent per share dividend that Northern Star paid out on 26 March. If we factor that in, then the accumulated value of Northern Star stock is down a lesser 5.4% this calendar year.

Despite the underperformance in 2026, Lazarus Capital Partners’ Tom Fairchild expects that both ASX 200 stocks could continue to struggle in the months ahead (courtesy of The Bull).

Here’s why.

Should I sell Northern Star shares today?

“The gold producer operates mines and exploration programs in Western Australia and Alaska,” Fairchild said.

Commenting on the miner’s June quarter update, released on 29 July, Fairchild noted:

The company announced total gold sales of 1.543 million ounces for full year 2026, which was above revised group guidance of 1.5 million ounces. NST disappointed investors after downgrading production guidance twice in fiscal year 2026 following weaker than expected operational performance.

Summarising his sell recommendation on Northern Star shares, Fairchild concluded:

The shares have fallen from $31.73 on March 2 to trade at $23.28 on August 13. The company’s final investment decision regarding the Hemi project is targeted for late fiscal year 2027. In our view, other gold companies appeal more at this stage of the cycle.

Northern Star is scheduled to report its audited full year FY 2026 results tomorrow, 20 August.

Time to exit Xero shares?

Atop his sell recommendation on Northern Star shares, Garipoli also recommended selling Xero shares.

“Xero is an accounting software provider,” he said.

Xero released its full year results on 14 May, with shares closing down 9.0% on the day.

Commenting on those results, Garipoli said:

The company generated revenue of NZ$2.75 billion in full year 2026, up 31% on the prior corresponding period. The company acquired Melio, a US business-to-business payments platform in June 2025 for about US$2.5 billion.

The company recently surpassed 5 million subscribers.

But with Xero shares up more than 33% since late July, Garipoli recommended taking profits.

He concluded:

Xero shares bounced off a low of $61.58 on July 24 to trade at $77.51 on August 13, 2026. However, the stock was priced at $168.78 on August 13, 2025. Justifiable investor concerns about margin pressure, artificial intelligence growth and US expansion performance have weighed on the stock and sentiment.

Investors can consider cashing in some gains.

The post Sell alert! Why this expert is calling time on Xero and Northern Star shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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