The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) had a lacklustre end to the trading week this Friday, concluding the week's trading with a loss.
By the time trading wrapped up today, the ASX 200 had been walked back by 0.12%. That leaves the index at 7,822.3 points as we head into the weekend.
This slightly miserable Friday for the Australian share market follows a mixed night over on Wall Street last night.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: DJI) had a disappointing session, retreating by 0.061%.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) managed to put on a better show, rising a confident 0.88%.
But let's get back to the local markets now with a look at how the different ASX sectors fared this Friday.
Winners and losers
Despite the drop in the broader markets, we still have a fairly even split between winners and losers amongst the various ASX sectors today.
Leading the losers were mining stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) had a miserable time of it, tanking by 0.5%.
Financial shares were also on the nose, with the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) losing 0.45% of its value.
Industrial stocks had a hard time too. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) shed 0.2% of its value today.
ASX real estate investment trusts (REITs) were right behind that, with the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) sliding down 0.14%.
Our final losers were energy shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) slipped by 0.06% by the closing bell.
Turning now to the winners, it was (aptly) healthcare stocks that were most alive this Friday. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) shot up 0.74% this session.
Communications shares were on fire too. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) soared 0.5%.
Gold stocks had a great day as well, with the All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) surging 0.48%.
Utilities shares were close behind, as you can see from the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ)'s 0.44% increase.
Tech stocks woke up on the right side of the bed too. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) saw its value rise 0.42%.
Consumer discretionary shares also had another happy day today, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ)'s 0.37% lift.
Its consumer staples counterpart performed similarly. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) bounced 0.24% higher.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Topping the index today was gold stock West African Resources Ltd (ASX: WAF). West African shares swelled by a confident 5.09% today to $1.445 a share.
There wasn't any fresh price-sensitive news out of West African today, so perhaps the shares are just recovering a little after yesterday's 13.2% loss.
Here's how the rest of today's best performers landed the plane:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| West African Resources Ltd (ASX: WAF) | $1.445 | 5.09% |
| Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX: MFG) | $9.50 | 4.74% |
| Judo Capital Holdings Ltd (ASX: JDO) | $1.295 | 3.60% |
| Healius Ltd (ASX: HLS) | $1.465 | 3.17% |
| Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) | $21.50 | 2.38% |
| Corporate Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD) | $13.76 | 2.38% |
| Star Entertainment Group Ltd (ASX: SGR) | $0.48 | 2.13% |
| SiteMinder Ltd (ASX: SDR) | $5.30 | 1.92% |
| Stanmore Resources Ltd (ASX: SMR) | $3.97 | 1.79% |
| BlueScope Steel Ltd (ASX: BSL) | $20.51 | 1.74% |
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.
