The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) looks set to end the trading week on a decidedly low note. At the time of writing, the ASX 200 is down a very hefty 1.22% to 7,252 points.
But rather than dwell on that depressing note, let's instead check out some of the ASX 200 shares that were being the most heavily traded on the share market today:
3 of the most heavily traded ASX 200 shares today
Endeavour Group Ltd (ASX: EDV)
One of the ASX 200's newest companies, Endeavour is certainly making some waves with its trading volume today. At the time of writing, a relatively large 17.59 million Endeavour shares have swapped hands so far.
That's despite no major news or announcements out of Endeavour this Friday, and a relatively flat share price performance. Currently, the Endeavour share price is dead flat, sitting at $6.23 a share. In saying that, Endeavour has managed to largely avoid the market malaise of the broader ASX 200. So perhaps that is spurring trading volumes today.
Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS)
Telstra is another ASX 200 share that is making moves today. So far, a substantial 17.10 million Telstra shares have changed owners today. Much like Endeavour, the Telstra share price is also dead flat at the time of writing, sitting at $3.75 a share. There is also no major news or announcements from this telco. Telstra is a large company by market capitalisation, but one with a relatively low share price. This tends to support high trading volumes on average.
It's also worth noting that the Telstra share price did dip during intra-day trading, falling as low as $3.70 (more than 1%) before recovering back to its current level. Perhaps it's this movement that has accentuated Telstra's trading volumes.
Challenger Ltd (ASX: CGF)
Challenger is our ASX 200 winner today in terms of trading volume, with 17.61 million Challenger shares having found a new home so far this Friday.
On Wednesday, we saw the Challenger share price jump a massive 14% on news that a couple of US companies have banded together to acquire a 15% stake in the company.
Over yesterday and today, we have seen the company retreat from the high point it reached early on Wednesday trading, including a 2.2% drop so far today. It's probably these events that are still fuelling higher than average trading volumes of this ASX 200 annuities provider.
