It was a happy end to the trading week for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) and many ASX shares this Friday, if only just. After a mostly positive week (with the exception of yesterday's rough sell-off), investors started strong this Friday.
However, sentiment cooled off throughout the trading day, and the ASX 200 was lucky to finish ahead, eventually recording a rise of just 0.1%. That leaves the index at 8,976.8 points as we head into the weekend.
This lukewarm end to the Australian trading week followed a much more upbeat night up on the American markets.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) was in fine form, rising 1.19%.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) did much better again, gaining a euphoric 2.78%.
But let's get back to ASX shares now and take a closer look at what was happening within the various ASX sectors this session.
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Winners and losers
We had plenty of both red and green sectors this Friday.
Leading the former were healthcare stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) was hit hard, slumping 1.85%.
Consumer staples shares provided no cover either, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) cratering 1.26%.
Communications stocks were on the nose, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) saw its value dive 0.73% today.
Financial shares also fared poorly, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ)'s 0.37% dip.
Consumer discretionary stocks were looked over, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) sank 0.24% this session.
Industrial shares were our last losers today, with the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) sliding down 0.04%.
Turning to the green sectors now, it was gold stocks that, fittingly, got the medal. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) soared 1.62% higher by the end of trading.
Broader mining shares also ran hot, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ)'s 1.43% surge.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) were in demand as well. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) saw its value vault 0.69% higher.
Tech stocks enjoyed another positive day, with the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) lifting 0.56%.
Utilities shares were close behind. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) got a 0.54% bump.
Finally, energy stocks got over the line, as you can see by the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ)'s 0.37% rise.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Our best share to close out this Friday was healthcare stock 4DMedical Ltd (ASX: 4DX). 4DMedical shares rocketed 13.08% today to close the week at $3.63 each. This significant jump came after the company released a quarterly activity report this morning.
Here's the rest of today's best:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| 4DMedical Ltd (ASX: 4DX) | $3.63 | 13.08% |
| Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) | $18.10 | 11.52% |
| Silex Systems Ltd (ASX: SLX) | $4.61 | 10.29% |
| Electro Optic Systems Ltd (ASX: EOS) | $6.69 | 9.67% |
| Deep Yellow Ltd (ASX: DYL) | $1.32 | 8.64% |
| FireFly Metals Ltd (ASX: FFM) | $46.63 | 2.19% |
| Ora Banda Mining Ltd (ASX: OBM) | $1.75 | 8.36% |
| Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP) | $2.55 | 8.05% |
| IperionX Ltd (ASX: IPX) | $3.05 | 7.77% |
| Kingsgate Consolidated Ltd (ASX: KCN) | $4.04 | 7.73% |
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.
