ASX utilities shares led the ASX 200 market sectors last week, with a 1.21% gain over the five trading days.
The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) fell 0.96% over the week to finish at 7,670.3 points on Friday.
The bulk of this fall occurred on Friday with the ASX 200 sliding 0.56% due to surprising US inflation news.
The index hit an intraday low of 7,591.4 points — its lowest level in a month — before recovering in the afternoon.
Just two of the 11 market sectors finished the week in the green — ASX utilities shares and ASX REITs.
Let's review what happened.
Utilities shares led the ASX sectors last week
There are only 22 ASX shares within the utilities sector, so it's a pretty small piece of the ASX 200 pie.
Among the biggest utilities stocks by market capitalisation, only two stood out for gains last week.
The Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG) share price lifted 2.31% to $9.07 over the five trading days.
APA Group (ASX: APA) shares rose 2.73% over the week to finish at $8.27 per share on Friday.
Neither company had any official news to offer the market this week.
The ASX real estate investment trust (REIT) sector was the only other market segment to finish in the green last week.
On Friday, a bunch of ASX REITS hit new 52-week highs, including Scentre Group (ASX: SCG) shares at $3.34 and Stockland Corporation Ltd (ASX: SGP) shares at $4.85.
Centuria Industrial REIT (ASX: CIP) shares also rose to a new annual peak of $3.59 per share.
ASX 200 market sector snapshot
Here's how the 11 market sectors stacked up last week, according to CommSec data.
Over the five days:
| S&P/ASX 200 market sector | Change last week |
| Utilities (ASX: XUJ) | 1.21% |
| A-REIT (ASX: XPJ) | 0.81% |
| Information Technology (ASX: XIJ) | (0.31%) |
| Consumer Staples (ASX: XSJ) | (0.6%) |
| Energy (ASX: XEJ) | (1.07%) |
| Consumer Discretionary (ASX: XDJ) | (1.07%) |
| Healthcare (ASX: XHJ) | (1.8%) |
| Communication (ASX: XTJ) | (2.12%) |
| Industrials (ASX: XNJ) | (2.69%) |
| Financials (ASX: XFJ) | (3.17%) |
| Materials (ASX: XMJ) | (3.36%) |
