The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) had another lucrative session this Friday, building on yesterday's gains to once again reset its all-time high.
The ASX 200 charged to its new record high of 8,566.9 points this morning, before closing up 0.45% this afternoon. That leaves the index at 8,532.3 points as we head into the weekend.
This euphoric end to the trading week for ASX investors comes after a similarly happy morning over on the American markets.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) had a decent session, rising by 0.38%
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) fared similarly, gaining 0.25%.
Let's get back to the local markets now though and see how these gains filtered down into the various ASX sectors this Friday.
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Winners and losers
Unsurprisingly, we had far more winners than losers today.
Utility shares were the leading losers. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) was singled out for punishment, tanking a hefty 4.15%.
The other losers were communications stocks, with the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) sliding 0.42% lower.
It was all smiles in the other corners of the market though.
The best place to be today was in gold shares. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) had soared 2.67% higher by the closing bell.
Tech stocks also stood out, evident from the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ)'s 1.15% surge.
Mining shares had a great day, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) raced up 1.09%.
We could say the same for real estate investment trusts (REITs), with the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) galloping up 1.06%.
Consumer discretionary stocks were a little more muted, though. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) added 0.64% to its value today.
Industrial shares had a decent day, as you'll see from the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ)'s 0.41% gain.
Energy stocks were next. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) ended up rising by 0.3% this Friday.
Financial shares came in just behind that, with the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) getting a 0.29% lift from investors.
Healthcare stocks followed. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) bounced up 0.24% this session.
Finally, consumer staples shares managed to land a win, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ)'s 0.05% inch higher.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Today's biggest winner was gold miner Vault Minerals Ltd (ASX: VAU). Vault stock jumped up 6.85% today to finish at 39 cents.
There was no news out of the company itself today, but most gold stocks had a day to remember.
Here's how the rest of today's best stocks landed the plane:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Vault Minerals Ltd (ASX: VAU) | $0.39 | 6.85% |
| Deep Yellow Ltd (ASX: DYL) | $1.36 | 5.45% |
| Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) | $3.31 | 5.41% |
| Emerald Resources N.L. (ASX: EMR) | $4.33 | 4.59% |
| Premier Investments Ltd (ASX: PMV) | $23.88 | 4.55% |
| Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) | $8.92 | 4.45% |
| Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR) | $10.01 | 3.84% |
| Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) | $69.20 | 3.83% |
| Block Inc (ASX: XYZ) | $150.69 | 3.65% |
| De Grey Mining Ltd (ASX: DEG) | $2.01 | 3.34% |
Enjoy the weekend!
Our top 10 shares countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary that shows 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
