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.
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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.
