The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) pulled back this session after yesterday's momentous new all-time high, recording a decisive step lower to finish the ASX trading week.
By the time trading closed this Friday, the ASX 200 had dropped a substantial 0.57%. That leaves the index at 8,967.4 points as we head into the weekend.
This consolidation session for the local markets follows a similarly downbeat night over on Wall Street.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) was a little bouncy, but ended up finishing 0.34% lower.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) had an identical experience, also dropping 0.34%.
But let's get back to ASX shares now though, and check out how the various ASX sectors handled today's difficult trading conditions.
Winners and losers
As one might expect, there were only a handful of sectors that managed to get through today without losing value. But more on those in a moment.
Firstly, it was, somewhat ironically, healthcare stocks that copped the worst selling today. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) had a rough one, tanking by 2.35%.
Consumer staples shares were shunned as well, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) cratering by 2.02%.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) weren't much better. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) plunged 1.85% this session.
Next came consumer discretionary shares, evident from the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ)'s 0.79% dive.
Industrial stocks also had a tough day. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) ended up retreating by 0.64%.
Gold shares were amongst the losers too, with the All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) shedding 0.51%.
Broader mining stocks were right behind that. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) was sent home 0.5% lighter today.
Utilities shares didn't escape the selling either, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ)'s 0.35% loss.
That's it for the losers, though. Turning to the winners, it was energy stocks that were the best place to hide out this Friday. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) saw a 0.34% gain by the close of trading.
Tech shares fared well too, with the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) rising 0.29%.
Communications stocks were also in demand. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) lifted 0.11% by the end of the day.
Finally, financial shares managed to eke out an improvement, as you can see from the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ)'s 0.04% inch higher.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Coming in hottest on the index this Friday was payments company Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP). Zip shares rocketed a huge 20.19% this session to finish up at $3.75 each..
This monstrous gain followed the stock releasing its latest earnings results, which were clearly impressive to investors.
Here's how the rest of today's best landed their planes:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP) | $3.75 | 20.19% |
| Codan Ltd (ASX: CDA) | $28.34 | 8.17% |
| Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) | $1.72 | 5.85% |
| Vault Minerals Ltd (ASX: VAU) | $0.495 | 5.32% |
| NRW Holdings Ltd (ASX: NWH) | $3.81 | 5.25% |
| James Hardie Industries plc (ASX: JHX) | $30.50 | 5.24% |
| Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) | $6.61 | 4.26% |
| Deep Yellow Ltd (ASX: DYL) | $1.51 | 3.78% |
| Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX: MFG) | $11.05 | 3.66% |
| West African Resources Ltd (ASX: WAF) | $2.79 | 3.33% |
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.
