ASX 200 healthcare shares led the market sectors with a 1.15% increase over the five trading days.
The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) gained 0.53% over the week to finish at 8,294.1 points on Friday.
Seven of the 11 market sectors finished the week in the green.
Let's review the week's events.
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Healthcare shares led the ASX sectors last week
Among the healthcare sector heavyweights, CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) shares lifted 0.59% to $285.09.
Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME) shares rose 5.92% despite no price-sensitive news last week.
Pro Medicus continues to ride a positive wave of momentum after delivering the best share price growth among the ASX 200 large-cap shares last year.
Resmed CDI (ASX: RMD) shares lifted 2.72% to $37.76 per share. Resmed announced it will reveal its second-quarter results on 30 January.
Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Ltd (ASX: FPH) shares lifted 0.35% to $34.30 apiece.
The Cochlear Ltd (ASX: COH) share price rose 0.92% to $301.20.
Shares in pathology provider Sonic Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SHL) lifted 1.56% to close at $27.99 on Friday.
Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: TLX) shares ascended 0.63% to $23.99.
Other strong performers last week include Sigma Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SIG) shares, which gained 7.91% and hit an almost two-decade high of $3.05 on Friday. The Sigma share price closed the week at $3.
Last week, the Amcal chemist owner did not provide any news, as excited investors awaited the conclusion of its merger with Chemist Warehouse.
Among the fallers last week were Clarity Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: CU6) shares, which lost 5.61% in value to close at $3.87 on Friday.
Mesoblast Ltd (ASX: MSB) shares lost 11.36% between Monday and Thursday before going into a trading halt prior to Friday's market open.
The company intends to make an announcement about a "proposed financing" shortly.
For now, the Mesoblast share price is frozen at $2.81. The ASX biotech asked for the trading halt to remain in place until the time of the announcement or the commencement of trading on Tuesday.
Mesoblast shares are still up a whopping 65% despite last week's share price correction.
Investors have been buying Mesoblast shares after the company finally gained approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration for its lead drug, remestemcel-L, last month.
Stock in private healthcare provider and hospital owner Ramsay Health Care Ltd (ASX: RHC) also fell last week. The Ramsay share price lost 2.48% to finish the week at $33.75 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 trading days:
| S&P/ASX 200 market sector | Change last week |
| Healthcare (ASX: XHJ) | 1.15% |
| Financials (ASX: XFJ) | 0.83% |
| Information Technology (ASX: XIJ) | 0.76% |
| Consumer Discretionary (ASX: XDJ) | 0.74% |
| Materials (ASX: XMJ) | 0.71% |
| A-REIT (ASX: XPJ) | 0.42% |
| Utilities (ASX: XUJ) | 0.02% |
| Communication (ASX: XTJ) | (0.21%) |
| Industrials (ASX: XNJ) | (0.31%) |
| Energy (ASX: XEJ) | (0.49%) |
| Consumer Staples (ASX: XSJ) | (1.56%) |
