It was a very disappointing day indeed this Friday for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), with investors decisively pulling back from the new record highs we saw earlier in the trading week.
By the time trading wrapped up, the ASX 200 had tanked by a hefty 0.81%, leaving the index at 7,971.6 points as we head into the weekend.
This rather dire session for Australian investors comes after an equally sombre night of trading up on Wall Street last night.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: DJI) had a horrid session, crashing by 1.29%.
It wasn't as bad for the Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC), which copped a 0.7% drop all the same.
But let's get back to the Australian markets now, and check out how the different ASX sectors ended the trading week.
Image source: Getty Images
Winners and losers
It was an awful day for almost every sector this Friday, with only one recording a rise.
Starting with the losers and the crown of thorns from today's trading went to gold stocks. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) was a sea of red ink today and crashed 2% lower.
Broader mining shares also had a shocker, with the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) cratering 1.71%.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) were also singled out. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) tanked by 0.91%
Energy stocks also got left out in the cold, with the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) reduced by 0.88%.
The same could be said of utilities shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) had 0.88% wiped from its value.
Financial shares weren't spared either, as is evident from the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ)'s 0.79% slump.
Consumer staples stocks suffered a setback too. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) declined by 0.47% today.
Industrial shares were right behind that, with the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) copping a 0.46% beating.
There was nothing healthy about healthcare stocks this Friday. Investors pulled the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) a nasty 0.31% lower.
Tech stocks were yet another sore point, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ)'s 0.11% slide.
Our final losers were consumer discretionary shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) slipped 0.06% this session.
Turning now to our only winners for the day – communications stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) was the place to be, with a tentative rise of 0.04%.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Today's top share came in at mining contractor NRW Holdings Ltd (ASX: NWH). NRW shares shot up 4.09% today to finish at $3.31 each.
There wasn't any fresh news out of the company today. However, NRW did drop a full-year results guidance update yesterday, which might still be influencing investors today.
Here's a look at the rest of today's top performers:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| NRW Holdings Ltd (ASX: NWH) | $3.31 | 4.09% |
| Audinate Group Ltd (ASX: AD8) | $15.64 | 3.78% |
| IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL) | $14.11 | 2.77% |
| Domain Holdings Australia Ltd (ASX: DHG) | $3.33 | 2.46% |
| Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) | $22.66 | 2.12% |
| Domino's Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP) | $33.73 | 1.84% |
| TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE) | $19.00 | 1.82% |
| Ventia Services Group Ltd (ASX: VNT) | $4.19 | 1.70% |
| Car Group Ltd (ASX: CAR) | $34.79 | 1.28% |
| WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) | $94.50 | 1.19% |
Enjoy the weekend!
Our top 10 shares countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary that lets you know which companies made big moves on the day. Check in at Fool.com.au after the weekday market closes to see which stocks make the countdown.
