The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) enjoyed a very healthy end to the trading week indeed this Friday.
After staying in green territory all session, the ASX 200 ended up closing a happy 1.23% higher. That leaves the index at 8,697.3 points as we head into the weekend.
This rather euphoric end to the trading week for the local markets comes after a more mixed morning over on Wall Street.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) had another strong day, gaining 1.34%.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) wasn't so lucky, though, dropping 0.25%.
But let's get back to Australia now and dive a little deeper into how today's optimism filtered down into the different ASX sectors today.
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Winners and losers
It was almost all smiles on the ASX boards this Friday, with only a handful of sectors going backwards.
But first, it was gold stocks that spearheaded the market's rise this session. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) had an exceptional day, charging 4.54% higher.
Broader mining shares were also in high demand, with the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) soaring up 2.03%.
Financial stocks ran hot, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) surged by 1.63%.
Healthcare shares lived up to their name as well, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ)'s 1.49% jump.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) didn't miss out either. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) galloped up 0.92% this session.
Utilities stocks found plenty of buyers as well, with the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) bouncing 0.87% higher.
Industrial shares were a little more muted. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) still managed a 0.64% spike, though.
Energy stocks slid home comfortably, as you can see from the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ)'s 0.38% lift.
Our final winners were consumer staples shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) managed to rise 0.14% this Friday.
Let's get to the red sectors now. It was tech stocks that suffered the most this session, with the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) diving 0.46%.
Communications shares had another rough day, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) slumped 0.29% this session.
Finally, consumer discretionary shares weren't popular, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ)'s 0.13% drop.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Our index winner this Friday was gold miner Greatland Resources Ltd (ASX: GGP). Greatland shares rocketed 9.9% higher today to close at $9.44 each.
There wasn't anything out from the company specifically today, but most gold shares saw huge interest, as you'll see below:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Greatland Resources Ltd (ASX: GGP) | $9.44 | 9.90% |
| Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) | $1.77 | 8.59% |
| Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD) | $6.90 | 7.64% |
| Vault Minerals Ltd (ASX: VAU) | $5.35 | 6.36% |
| Alcoa Corporation (ASX: AAI) | $70.53 | 6.03% |
| Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) | $150.06 | 5.66% |
| Bellevue Gold Ltd (ASX: BGL) | $1.51 | 5.23% |
| West African Resources Ltd (ASX: WAF) | $2.90 | 5.07% |
| Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) | $9.39 | 4.80% |
| Regis Resources Ltd (ASX: RRL) | $7.47 | 4.62% |
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.
