It was a decent end to what was a tough trading week for ASX shares and the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) this Friday.
After suffering a few drops this week, investors turned this around today, with the ASX 200 recording a 0.1% rise up to 7,767.5 points.
This encouraging end to the trading week follows a positive night over on Wall Street last night (our time).
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) managed to pull off a win, rising 0.093%.
It was even better for the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC), which added 0.3% to its value.
But let's return to ASX shares now, and check out how the different ASX sectors handled today's good mood on the markets.
Winners and losers
Despite the market's rise, we still had quite a few sectors that took a backward step this Friday.
First among those was the mining sector. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) had a pretty awful time of it this session, tanking 0.98%.
Consumer staples stocks were also left out, as you can see from the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ)'s 0.48% loss.
Utilities shares fared a little better, but the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) still slid down 0.03%.
Consumer discretionary shares were our final losers for the day. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) slipped 0.01%.
But that's it for the red sectors. Turning to the green corners of the market, it was ASX gold stocks that led today's market recovery. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) was on fire, surging by a happy 1.23%.
Tech shares were also high in demand, with the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) enjoying a 0.9% bump.
Financial stocks had a great day as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) soared 0.75% higher.
Healthcare shares lived up to their name too, as evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ)'s rise of 0.46%.
Communications stocks were on point as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) got a 0.17% boost from investors today.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) saw their value rise this Friday. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) lifted 0.12% by the closing bell.
Industrial shares were another sector in demand. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) managed to pull off a 0.1% gain.
Our final winners were energy stocks. But barely, as the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) ended the day essentially flat.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Once again, it was energy stock Strike Energy Ltd (ASX: STX) that took out today's index crown. Strike shares spiked by a whopping 12% up to 28 cents each today.
It seems investors are still working themselves up over the Walyering flow test update the company released yesterday.
Here's how the rest of today's leading shares landed the plane:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Strike Energy Ltd (ASX: STX) | $0.28 | 12.00% |
| Insurance Australia Group Ltd (ASX: IAG) | $7.14 | 7.21% |
| De Grey Mining Ltd (ASX: DEG) | $1.14 | 4.59% |
| Suncorp Group Ltd (ASX: SUN) | $17.41 | 3.63% |
| Emerald Resources N.L. (ASX: EMR) | $3.53 | 3.52% |
| Mirvac Group (ASX: MGR) | $1.87 | 3.31% |
| Neuren Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: NEU) | $21.27 | 3.15% |
| Karoon Energy Ltd (ASX: KAR) | $1.83 | 2.81% |
| Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) | $4.13 | 2.74% |
| Pro Medicus Limited (ASX: PME) | $143.26 | 2.47% |
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.
