Thankfully, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) looks like it is on track to end the trading week on a slightly positive note. After falling every day between Monday and Thursday, the ASX 200 has bounced back into green territory so far this session, despite a shaky start this morning.
At the time of writing, the index has recorded a healthy gain of 0.11%, leaving the ASX 200 at just under 7,150 points.
That's a nice way to end the week, so let's hope it holds. But time now to check out the ASX 200 shares that are at the peak of the share market's trading volume charts at present, according to investing.com.
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The 3 most traded ASX 200 shares by volume this Friday
South32 Ltd (ASX: S32)
Our first share worth a look at today is the ASX 200 mining company South32. So far today, a hefty 9.27 million South32 shares have been exchanged on the share market. It looks like this volume might be a consequence of the significant volatility we have seen with South32 shares this Friday.
The company has had a bit of a wild ride today, with stints in both positive and negative territory and multiple swings worth around 1%. Before midday, this company had traded at both $3.92 and $3.86 a share. This is probably the cause of the high volumes we are seeing here.
Stockland Corporation (ASX: SGP)
Next up we have the ASX 200 real estate investment trust (REIT) Stockland. A sizeable 10.4 million Stockland units have been bought and sold on the ASX thus far. There hasn't been any news out of this REIT in May so far.
As such, this volume can probably be explained by the Stockland unit price's movements this session. Like South32, Stockland has also had a bumpy day. This morning, the REIT swung from a 0.9% loss to a 0.5% gain in under an hour. Right now, Stockland is asking $4.34 a unit, up 0.12% for the day.
Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)
Our third, final and most traded ASX 200 share this Friday is none other than lithium stock Pilbara Minerals. This Friday has seen a notable 13.41 million shares swap hands as it currently stands. With no news out from Pilbara either, we can probably look to this company's sizeable selloff to explain this elevated trading volume.
Pilbara shares are having a rough end to the trading week this session. Bucking the broader market, this lithium share is currently nursing an 0.86% loss, which leaves it at $4.58 a share. That loss is enough to adequately explain why we are seeing so many shares flying around.
