It was a spectacular end to the trading week for ASX investors this Friday, with the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) throwing off the indecisiveness that we saw earlier this week to close on a decidedly euphoric note. After opening in the green this morning, the ASX 200 spent most of the day climbing in value, and ended up finishing a happy 1.37% higher. That leaves the index at 8,844.3 points as we head into the weekend.
This jubilant end to the trading week for ASX investors came after a more nuanced night on Wall Street.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) was in fine form, gaining a rosy 1.14%
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) went the other way, though, dropping 0.8%.
But let's get back to our markets now and take a closer look at how the various ASX sectors benefited from today's accommodating trading conditions.
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Winners and losers
There was only one sector that missed out on today's market optimism.
That unlucky corner of the markets was utilities shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) had a rough time of it, falling 0.59%.
It was all smiles everywhere else, though.
Leading the charge were gold stocks, with the All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) exploding 8.27% higher this session.
Healthcare shares enjoyed a day of vitality, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) rocketed up 2.67%.
Mining stocks didn't miss out either, as you can tell by the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ)'s 2.53% surge.
Next came industrial shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) soared 1.16% this Friday.
Financial stocks saw demand as well, with the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) jumping 1.1%.
Consumer staples shares also ran hot. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) galloped 0.97% higher.
Its consumer discretionary counterpart fared similarly, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ)'s 0.85% bounce.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) proved somewhat popular. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) added 0.49% to its total today.
Tech shares joined the winners too, with the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) leaping 0.26%.
Communications shares were in the same ballpark. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) lifted 0.21% this session.
Finally, energy stocks only just got over the line, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ)'s rise of less than 0.01%.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Gold miner Catalyst Metals Ltd (ASX: CYL) beat out some stiff competition to top the index today.
Catalyst shares roared 19.18% higher this session to close the week at $6.09 each. This followed the company releasing a positive update, which clearly helped investors to press the buy button.
Here's the rest of today's best:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Catalyst Metals Ltd (ASX: CYL) | $6.09 | 19.18% |
| Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD) | $6.29 | 16.70% |
| Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) | $22.16 | 11.75% |
| Capricorn Metals Ltd (ASX: CMM) | $14.03 | 10.13% |
| Generation Development Group Ltd (ASX: GDG) | $4.06 | 9.14% |
| Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) | $12.82 | 8.83% |
| Regis Resources Ltd (ASX: RRL) | $6.63 | 8.16% |
| Vault Minerals Ltd (ASX: VAU) | $4.56 | 8.06% |
| Ora Banda Mining Ltd (ASX: OBM) | $1,19 | 7.69% |
| Perseus Mining Ltd (ASX: PRU) | $5.22 | 7.19% |
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.
