It was an upbeat end to the trading week this Friday, with the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) bouncing back to close 0.32% higher. After a few days of negative sentiment, investors evidently decided to enter the weekend on a happy note, with the index finishing the week at 8,773.5 points.
This rosy Friday session for the local markets follows a similarly positive session over on the American markets last night.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) had another green day, rising by 0.27%.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) was even hotter, shooting up 0.94%.
But let's return to the ASX now and take a deeper dive into how today's broad-market gains affected the various ASX sectors.
Winners and losers
There were only a handful of sectors that missed out on a jump this Friday.
The most conspicuous of these were communications stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) was shunned this session, diving 0.74%.
Consumer staples shares were no safe haven either, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) dipping 0.38%.
Mining stocks had another poor session. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) fell another 0.24% today.
Energy shares were our last red sector, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ)'s 0.16% slide.
Turning to the green sectors now, it was healthcare stocks that led the charge higher. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) shot up a robust 0.91% this session.
Tech shares had a great day as well, with the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) soaring 0.85%.
Gold stocks were on the rebound, too. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) had surged by 0.81% by the closing bell.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) also saw some demand, as you can see from the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ)'s 0.64% hike.
Consumer discretionary shares were in a similar ballpark. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) added 0.61% to its total this Friday.
Financial stocks had a day to remember, with the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) galloping up 0.58%.
Utilities shares were right behind that. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) bounced 0.54% higher.
Finally, industrial stocks were a little less enthusiastic, evident by the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ)'s 0.22% improvement.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Investment company Generation Development Group Ltd (ASX: GDG) was the best place to be invested on the index this Friday. Generation shares rocketed a hefty 6.78% higher today to close at $7.40 for the week.
This rise came despite no price-sensitive news or announcements this session.
Here's how the rest of today's best tied up at the dock this afternoon:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Generation Development Group Ltd (ASX: GDG) |
$7.40 | 6.78% |
| Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: TLX) | $14.53 | 6.37% |
| Clarity Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: CU6) | $3.74 | 5.95% |
| Eagers Automotive Ltd (ASX: APE) | $28.29 | 4.97% |
| Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME) | $313.29 | 4.85% |
| Capstone Copper Corp (ASX: CSC) | $11.58 | 4.04% |
| Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR) | $0.945 | 3.85% |
| Life360 Inc Ltd (ASX: 360) | $51.96 | 3.38% |
| Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) | $9.50 | 3.15% |
| Auckland International Airport Ltd (ASX: AIA) | $7.09 | 3.05% |
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.
