Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Friday

Some massive share market volatility is driving trading volumes this Friday.

Sebastian Bowen

Author Bio Sebastian Bowen has been a Motley Fool contributor since late 2018. Sebastian found his passion for writing and educating others about shares and all things finance after completing his studies in political, economic and social science and enjoys bringing this passion to life at the Fool. His investment philosophy is a simple one – buying high-quality companies at prices that make sense. When he’s not researching his next investment at all hours of the morning, Sebastian enjoys classic movies and likes to unwind with a good book, newspaper or record. Areas of Expertise Dividend investing ETFs Education Bachelor of Political, Economic, and Social Sciences (Government and International Relations), University of Sydney Social Media X/Twitter Favorite Investment Quote "In the short run, the market is a voting machine, but in the long run, it is a weighing machine." – Benjamin Graham

Published April 21, 2023 3:45 pm AEST

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) looks like it is heading for a disappointing end to the trading week at this point of Friday's session. After what has been a bit of a bumpy week, the ASX 200 has taken a turn for the worse today, with the index presently down by 0.4% at just over 7,332 points.

But rather than dwelling on that as we start the weekend, let's now take stock of the ASX 200 shares that are topping the share market's trading volume charts right now, according to investing.com.

A boy bounces off a big red inflatable slide with a smile on his face. — Image source: Getty Images

The 3 most traded ASX 200 shares by volume this Friday

Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS)

The first ASX 200 share up today is the famous blue chip, Telstra Group. So far today, a hefty 15.97 million of this telco's shares have been bought and sold on the markets. There continues to be a lack of news out of Telstra over April so far.

So this volume looks like a consequence of the movements of Telstra shares themselves today. Telstra has indeed had a bit of a wild session. The company opened at $4.28 a share this morning but quickly dropped to $4.23 after opening. The company has recovered somewhat since, but it is still down by 0.23% at $4.27 a share. This bouncy showing probably explains this high trading volume.

Sayona Mining Ltd (ASX: SYA)

Next, we have ASX 200 lithium share Sayona Mining to consider. At this point of the session, a sizeable 16.72 million Sayona shares have been swapped on the share market so far. This appears to be a result of the significant volatility Sayona has displayed today.

The company is currently flat at 20 cents a share. But this morning, Sayona dipped down to 19 cents, a fall worth more than 2.5%, before recovering to back where it started. No wonder so many shares have been flying around.

Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)

Our third, final and most traded ASX 200 share this Friday is another lithium stock in Pilbara Minerals. A whopping 23.61 million Pilbara shares have been exchanged on the ASX in today's trading thus far. Once more, we have heard zip out of this lithium leader today. So the elevated trading volumes on display here again appear to stem from the movements of the company's shares themselves.

Pilbara has also had a highly volatile trading day. After opening at $3.89 a share this morning, Pilbara promptly plunged to $3.75 soon after (down almost 3%). But we have another remarkable recovery here, with Pilbara presently back up to $3.90 a share, up 0.51% on yesterday's close. This volatile training almost certainly explains why so many Pilbara shares have been bought and sold this Friday.

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