It was a glorious end to the trading week for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) and most ASX shares this Friday. After enjoying rises most days this week, the ASX 200 kept the train rolling today, recording a gain of 0.49%.
That leaves the index at a flat 7,860 points as we go into the long weekend.
This happy conclusion to the week's trading for ASX investors comes after a decent night over on Wall Street last night.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: DJI) rose by a robust 0.2% during the American session on Thursday.
The Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) wasn't so lucky though, and dipped 0.086% lower.
But getting back to the ASX now, let's see how the different ASX sectors finished up their respective weeks.
Winners and losers
It was almost all smiles on the ASX boards today, with only one sector recording a loss.
That unlucky sector was tech stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) missed out on the market's good mood, slipping 0.05%.
But every other sector had a great time today.
The best time was had by gold shares though. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) had a Friday to remember, rocketing by 1.56%.
Consumer discretionary stocks were also on fire. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) soared 1.56% higher by market close.
Mining shares had a decent day as well, as you can see from the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ)'s 0.76% surge.
Then we had consumer staples stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) enjoyed a 0.7% rise this session.
Financial shares were next, with the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) gaining 0.52%.
Communications stocks were just as sought after. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) also rose 0.52%.
Utilities shares weren't left out of the party, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ)'s 0.49% bounce.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) fared slightly worse, with the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) increasing its value by 0.22%.
Industrial shares had an average, but still positive day. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) lifted 0.09%.
It was a similar story for ASX energy stocks, evident by the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ)'s 0.08% uptick.
Our final winners were healthcare shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) eked out a 0.07% improvement by the closing bell.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Closing out the week on the index's highest high was IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL). IDP shares shot up a rosy 5.65% today to finish the week at $15.33 each.
There wasn't any significant news or announcements out of IDP today, but it looks like some love from an ASX broker drove investors to buy up big.
Here's a look at the rest of today's best stocks:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL) | $15.33 | 5.65% |
| Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) | $4.50 | 3.93% |
| Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD) | $1.99 | 3.65% |
| Regis Resources Ltd (ASX: RRL) | $1.92 | 3.50% |
| Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) | $63.60 | 2.91% |
| Pro Medicus Limited (ASX: PME) | $125.87 | 2.73% |
| Nufarm Ltd (ASX: NUF) | $4.86 | 2.53% |
| Capricorn Metals Ltd (ASX: CMM) | $4.79 | 2.35% |
| Domino's Piza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP) | $39.22 | 2.27% |
| Car Group Ltd (ASX: CAR) | $36.63 | 1.89% |
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.
