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.
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
