It was a disappointing end to the trading week this Friday for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) and ASX investors, with the markets giving up an early lead to close lower.
By the time the closing bell rang, the ASX 200 had retreated by 0.11%. That leaves the index at 8,580.1 points as we head into the weekend.
This unhappy bookend to the trading week for Australian investors follows a more upbeat night for American investors on Wall Street overnight.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) had a decent session, rising 0.43%.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) wasn't quite as popular, but still managed a 0.094% rise.
But let's return to the local markets now and take stock of how the different ASX sectors handled today's trading conditions.
Winners and losers
There was only one sector that increased in value this Friday. But more on that in a moment.
Firstly, it was gold stocks that copped the brunt of investor displasure this Friday. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) was hit hard, plunging by 1.6%.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) were also singled out for punishment, with the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) cratering 1.48%.
Tech stocks were left out in the cold as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) tanked by 1.06% today.
Consumer discretionary shares also saw some selling, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ)'s 0.67% dive.
Financial stocks contributed to the market's falls, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) was sent home 0.49% lighter this session.
Communications shares weren't much better, with the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) getting a 0.38% correction.
Healthcare stocks also saw some selling. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) dipped 0.29% this Friday.
Utilities shares weren't riding to the rescue, as you can see by the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ)'s 0.23% drop.
Industrial stocks were in that ballpark too. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) endured a 0.17% decline today.
Consumer staples shares fared identically, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) also falling 0.17%.
Energy stocks were our final losers. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) inched 0.14% lower by the end of today's session.
Finally, our only winners this Friday were mining shares, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ)'s healthy rise of 1.82%.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Today's winner to close out the week was rare earths mining stock Iluka Resources Ltd (ASX: ILU). Iluka shares rocketed a massive 22.86% to $4.89 a share this session.
This huge leap followed some rare earths news out of the United States, which we looked at here.
Here are the other top stocks from today's trading:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Iluka Resources Ltd (ASX: ILU) | $4.89 | 22.86% |
| Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC) | $9.67 | 16.65% |
| Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) | $27.49 | 7.76% |
| Web Travel Group Ltd (ASX: WEB) | $4.80 | 4.12% |
| Champion Iron Ltd (ASX: CIA) | $4.60 | 3.37% |
| Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG) | $16.98 | 2.85% |
| BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) | $39.36 | 2.77% |
| Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC) | $6.14 | 2.68% |
| New Hope Corporation Ltd (ASX: NHC) | $4.06 | 2.53% |
| South32 Ltd (ASX: S32) | $3.11 | 2.30% |
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.
