The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) finished up the trading week on a positive note this Friday, following on from the slight gain we saw yesterday. Although the ASX 200 started in red territory this morning, investors quickly gained confidence as the day wore on.
By the time trading closed, the index was up 0.17%, leaving it at 8,787.7 points as we head into the weekend.
This optimistic end to the local trading week comes after a far more downbeat night of trading over on Wall Street.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) had another red day, sinking 0.38%.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) fared even worse, losing 0.5% of its value.
But let's return to the ASX now and take stock of how the different ASX sectors coped with today's trading conditions.
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Winners and losers
Despite the broader market's rise, we still saw a few sectors take a hit.
The first, and worst, of those were healthcare shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) was hit hard again this Friday, tanking by 1.42%.
Utilities stocks had a horrid day as well, with the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) cratering by 1.23%.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) also had a poor result. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) was only sent home 0.35% lighter, though.
Communications shares were in that ballpark too, evident from the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ)'s 0.33% dive.
Industrial stocks saw some selling. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) drifted 0.19% lower this session.
Tech shares were right on industrials' tail, with the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) dipping 0.17%.
Our final losers were consumer staples stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) slid 0.14% lower by the closing bell.
Turning to the winners now, it was gold shares that led the charge higher. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) shot up 1.21% today.
Broader mining stocks saw some strong demand too, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ)'s 0.9% surge.
Financial shares were also popular, with the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) running up 0.5%.
We could say something similar in regards to consumer discretionary stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) climbed 0.15% this Friday.
Finally, energy shares only just made the winners cut, as you can see by the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ)'s 0.02% lift.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Titanium stock and relative index newcomer IperionX Ltd (ASX: IPX) was today's winner. IperionX shares shot up a strong 6.06% this session to finish at $7.70 each.
This notable jump followed some big news the company received from the US government.
Here's a look at how the other top stock tied up at the dock today:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| IperionX Ltd (ASX: IPX) | $7.70 | 6.06% |
| Tabcorp Holdings Ltd (ASX: TAH) | $1.02 | 4.62% |
| Iluka Resources Ltd (ASX: ILU) | $6.60 | 4.10% |
| James Hardie Industries plc (ASX: JHX) | $28.27 | 3.48% |
| EBOS Group Ltd (ASX: EBO) | $26.50 | 3.35% |
| Life360 Inc (ASX: 360) | $52.67 | 3.34% |
| Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR) | $0.935 | 3.31% |
| AGL Energy Ltd (ASX: AGL) | $8.95 | 2.87% |
| Eagers Automotive Ltd (ASX: APE) | $28.94 | 2.81% |
| Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD) | $5.64 | 1.99% |
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.
