It's been a positive, if bumpy, day for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) so far this Thursday.
After three straight sessions of losses, it looks as though the ASX 200 might just eke out a gain this session. At the time of writing, the index has gained 0.1% to 7,129 points.
But let's now delve a little deeper into these market moves by checking out the shares currently at the top of the ASX 200's share trading volume charts, according to investing.com.
Image source: Getty Images
The 3 most traded ASX 200 shares by volume this Thursday
Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)
Our inaugural share today is none other than the ASX 200 lithium producer Pilbara Minerals. A decent 16.3 million Pilbara shares have swapped hands as it currently stands. Unlike many mining shares, Pilbara is currently enjoying some gains today, with the shares up an uninspiring 0.2% at $4.93.
This comes after the company announced its latest lithium auction results last night after market close. Pilbara was able to net even more for its product in this auction than what it received for the previous month. No wonder investors are impressed. This is the most likely explanation for the elevated volumes we are witnessing.
South32 Ltd (ASX: S32)
Our next ASX 200 share worth taking a look at today is the mining giant South32. So far this Thursday, a chunky 17.18 million South32 shares have been swapped on the ASX boards.
There's been no fresh news or announcements out of South32 itself today. But that hasn't stopped the company losing a depressing 5%, putting its shares at $4.01 at present.
As my Fool colleague Brooke dug into this morning, this could be due to rumours the government is considering bringing in a new mining tax. We can probably thank this steep drop in share price for the high volumes we are seeing out of South32.
Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO)
Finally this Thursday, we have the ASX 200 lithium share Core Lithium. This session has had a weighty 25.44 million Core Lithium shares exchanged so far. This looks to be a consequence of the nasty sell-off Core Lithium continues to wade through.
Today, the lithium producer has had another 4% wiped off its value, leaving it at $1.42 a share. Core Lithium has now fallen by a nasty 24% since just Monday. This could be in response to some tough love from an ASX broker.
