The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has given investors a disappointing end to the trading week this Friday.
By market close, the ASX 200 had slipped by 0.24%, dragging the index down to 7,340.1 points. That was after a mostly negative session all day, albeit with a couple of bumps into positive territory.
That poor showing for ASX shares comes despite a happier night up on Wall Street overnight (our time).
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) lost a big early lead, but still managed a 0.15% rise. The Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) performed similarly, gaining 0.12%.
Time now to get back to the local markets, so let's check out what the various ASX sectors were up to today.
Winners and losers
As you might expect on a down day like today, there are only a few ASX sectors that managed to eke out a rise this Friday.
But we'll start with the losers.
The worst sector on the ASX board today was the energy space. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) had a shocker, dropping like a proverbial stone and losing a nasty 1.93%.
While not recording a fall as dire as that, ASX tech stocks were also a sore spot. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) ended up retreating by 0.6%.
ASX mining shares weren't too far behind in going backwards, with the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) losing 0.49%.
Communications shares are also worth going over for today's session. The S&P/ASX 200 Communications Index (ASX: XTJ) slipped by 0.31%.
Industrials didn't escape the market pessimism either. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) lost 0.24%.
Meanwhile, financials were another red sector. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) slipped by 0.14%.
But enough with the losers. Let's now discuss the three ASX sectors that managed to defy the odds and pull off a gain today.
Chief amongst those was the consumer discretionary sector. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) lept an encouraging 0.83% higher.
The ASX gold sector wasn't far behind. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) rose by a decent 0.46%.
Sharing the positivity were ASX healthcare stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Health Care Index (ASX: XHJ) shot up by a strong 0.33% by close of trading.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Despite the overall negative showing from the markets, we still had some rather surprisingly big moves higher from our top shares today. None more so than with the Star Entertainment Group Ltd (ASX: SGR) share price.
Star shares soared a massive 17.95% today to $1.15 each. This followed the news that the casino operator had reached an agreement with the NSW government to water down a new gaming tax.
Here are the other winning shares from today's session:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Star Entertainment Group Ltd (ASX: SGR) | $1.15 | 17.95% |
| Syrah Resources Ltd (ASX: SYR) | $0.73 | 10.61% |
| AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP) | $1.245 | 8.26% |
| Bellevue Gold Ltd (ASX: BGL) | $1.65 | 5.43% |
| Boral Limited (ASX: BLD) | $4.96 | 4.64% |
| Coronado Global Resources Inc (ASX: CRN) | $1.62 | 4.18% |
| Polynovo Ltd (ASX: PNV) | $1.61 | 3.87% |
| Johns Lyng Group Ltd (ASX: JLG) | $5.70 | 3.45% |
| Harvey Norman Holdings Limited (ASX: HVN) | $3.87 | 3.20% |
| Downer EDI Ltd (ASX: DOW) | $4.21 | 2.68% |
Our top 10 shares countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary to let you know which companies were making big moves on the day. Check in at Fool.com.au after the weekday market closes to see which stocks make the countdown.
