The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) enjoyed a pleasant end to the trading week this Friday, clawing back some of the week's lost ground to finish in the green.
By the time the closing bell rang, the ASX 200 had risen by a solid 0.52%, leaving the index at 7,789.7 points as we head into the weekend.
This uplifting end to the week comes despite a decidedly more negative session up on Wall Street this morning.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) was punished, falling by another 1.3%
It was even worse for the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC), which plunged 1.96%.
Let's return to our happier market now and check out what was going on amongst the different ASX sectors this Friday.
Winners and losers
It will come as a nice change for investors to hear there were only a handful of red sectors today.
Leading those red sectors were energy shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) missed out on the goodwill today, dropping 0.43%.
We can say the same for financial stocks, with the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) sinking 0.14%.
Our last losers were communications shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) saw its value dip 0.09%
But all other sectors pulled off a rise.
Leading the gainers were again gold stocks, as you can see by the All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD)'s 3.85% surge higher.
Utilities shares were also running hot. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) soared up 1.78% by the time the market closed.
It was also a great day to own mining stocks, with the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) galloping up 1.65%.
Following miners, we had industrial stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) recorded a 1.08% bounce.
Tech shares caught a break too, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ)'s 0.76% lift.
Healthcare stocks weren't too far behind that. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) ticked up by 0.65%.
Joining the party today were consumer discretionary shares, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) seeing a 0.59% rise.
Its consumer staples counterpart was in the same ballpark. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) added 0.55% to its value today.
Finally, real estate investment trusts (REITs) recorded a rise, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ)'s 0.09% inch higher.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
This Friday's winner was dairy stock A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M). A2 shares rose by a healthy 8.81% today, up to $8.65 each
This big move came despite no news or announcements from the company this session.
Here's a look at the other shares you wish you owned today:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) | $8.65 | 8.81% |
| Westgold Resources Ltd (ASX: WGX) |
$2.83 | 7.20% |
| Sims Ltd (ASX: SGM) |
$14.64 | 6.09% |
| Neuren Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: NEU) |
$11.68 | 5.89% |
| Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) | $73.43 | 5.72% |
| Regis Resources Ltd (ASX: RRL) |
$3.56 | 5.64% |
| Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD) |
$3.40 | 5.59% |
| Bellevue Gold Ltd (ASX: BGL) |
$1.34 | 5.51% |
| Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR) |
$0.645 | 4.88% |
| Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) | $6.76 | 4.64% |
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.
