The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) ended what has been a brutal week of trading with another loss this Friday.
After yesterday's horrid 1.7% drop, investors weren't in the mood to turn the ship around today. The ASX 200 spent the entire session in the red and ended up closing down 0.82%. That leaves the index at 8,428.4 points as we head into the weekend.
This not-so-nice end to the trading week for Australian investors follows a similarly downbeat morning on the American markets.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) couldn't hold water, falling 0.44%.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) only managed a slightly better performance, dropping 0.28%.
Time now to get back to the local markets and take a closer look at what was happening amongst the different ASX sectors this Friday.
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Winners and losers
There were far more red sectors this session than green ones.
Leading those red sectors were mining shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) continued its recent run of bad fortune, cratering by another 1.61%.
Gold stocks weren't much better, with the All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) tanking 1.45%.
Financial shares had a rough one as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) endured a 1.09% plunge today.
Industrial stocks were also on the nose, evident by the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ)'s 1.02% dive.
Consumer discretionary shares had a day to forget. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) had dipped 0.84% by the end of trading.
As did real estate investment trusts (REITs), with the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) retreating 0.67%.
Consumer staples stocks came next. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) slid 0.25% lower this Friday.
Our last losers were tech shares, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ)'s 0.08% slip.
Turning to the winners now, it was healthcare stocks that shone the brightest. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) soared 1.2% higher this session.
Utilities shares ran hot as well, with the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) bouncing 0.72% higher.
Energy stocks were right behind that. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) added 0.71% to its value today.
Finally, communications shares pulled off a win, as you can see by the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ)'s 0.24% rise.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Our top ASX 200 stock to end the week was gold share Catalyst Metals Ltd (ASX: CYL). Catalyst stock shot up 8.4% to close at $6.58. That came despite no news from the company today.
Here's the rest of today's best:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Catalyst Metals Ltd (ASX: CYL) | $6.58 | 8.40% |
| Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC) | $9.30 | 5.51% |
| Chorus Ltd (ASX: CNU) | $8.15 | 4.76% |
| Sigma Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SIG) | $2.78 | 4.51% |
| BlueScope Steel Ltd (ASX: BSL) | $27.30 | 4.32% |
| TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE) | $26.78 | 3.96% |
| Elders Ltd (ASX: ELD) | $6.90 | 3.92% |
| Yancoal Australia Ltd (ASX: YAL) | $8.31 | 3.49% |
| WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) | $42.84 | 3.30% |
| New Hope Corporation Ltd (ASX: NHC) | $5.71 | 3.25% |
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.
