The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) looks like it is on track to end the trading week on a high, building on yesterday's gains. So far this Friday, the ASX 200 has added another 0.4%, putting it back above the 7,160-point mark
But time now to dig deeper into these gains. So let's take a look at the ASX 200 shares currently at the top of the share market's trading volume charts, according to investing.com.
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The 3 most traded ASX 200 shares by volume this Friday
Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC)
Our first share up this Friday is the ASX 200 coal miner Whitehaven. So far today, a hefty 21.51 million Whitehaven shares have been dug up and sold. There's been no new news or announcements from the company that could explain this high volume.
However, the Whitehaven share price itself has been rather indecisive today. At present, the ASX coal share is up a healthy 1.96% at $8.32 a share. But we've seen some big rises and falls over the trading day so far.
It's probably this bouncing around that has given Whitehaven the kinds of volume figures we are seeing.
Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)
Next up is the ASX 200 lithium giant Pilbara Minerals. This Friday has had a sizeable 23.4 million Pilbara shares trade hands as it currently stands. There hasn't been much out of Pilbara today either.
Saying that, the company did hold its annual general meeting yesterday, which caused quite a stir when the company announced that it is looking to pay out its maiden dividend next year.
Investors don't seem too impressed though, with Pilbara losing steam yesterday and shedding 2.2% so far today. It's probably the size of this drop that is eliciting the elevated volumes we are seeing.
Sayona Mining Ltd (ASX: SYA)
Our third, final and most traded ASX 200 share of the day thus far is another lithium stock in the form of Sayona Mining. A whopping 59.33 million Sayona shares have been bought and sold on the share market as of the time of writing.
The Sayona share price has taken a battering today, with the company losing just over 3.5% at present, putting it at 22 cents a share. But the cause of these high volumes probably relates to the dump of new Sayona shares that hit the market this morning.
As my Fool colleague Brooke covered earlier, Sayona has issued 185 million new shares to fund its purchase of exploration claims in Canada's Greenstone Belt. That's more than enough to boost daily trading volumes.
