The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) ended the trading week with a slight pullback this Friday, an arguably understandable move after this week's record-breaking run of new all-time highs for ASX shares.
The index opened sharply lower this morning, but recovered throughout the day to post a loss of just 0.086% for the session. That leaves the ASX 200 at 9,263.6 points as we head into the weekend.
This cooler end to the Australian trading week today comes after a red session up on Wall Street last night.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) had a rough time of it, losing a hefty 0.85%.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) fared much better, though, dropping by just 0.057%.
But let's return to the local market now and check out how the different ASX sectors traversed today's tepid trading conditions.
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Winners and losers
Despite the market's retreat, we still saw plenty of sectors record a rise today.
But first, it was financial shares that led the selling. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) was hit hard this Friday, slumping 0.95%.
Healthcare stocks weren't popular either, with the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) tanking 0.92%.
Industrial shares were on the nose too. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) took a 0.62% dive this session.
We could say the same for consumer discretionary stocks, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ)'s 0.62% dip.
Utilities shares weren't much better. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) sank 0.43% by the end of the day.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) didn't hold water, with the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) drifting down 0.09%.
Our last losers this Friday were communications stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) slipped 0.04% lower.
Let's get to the green sectors now. Leading the pack were again gold shares, as you can see from the All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD)'s 3.45% jump.
Broader mining stocks didn't miss out either. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) soared 1.32% by the closing bell.
Tech shares also ran hot, with the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) shooting up 0.77%.
Energy stocks were on the winning team today, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) advanced 0.58%.
Finally, consumer staples shares proved to be a safe haven, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ)'s 0.11% rise.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Lithium stock Liontown Ltd (ASX: LTR) took out our top index spot this Friday. Liontown shares enjoyed a significant 9.26% surge to $1.18 today.
That came despite no news or announcements from the company.
Here's the rest of today's best:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| Liontown Ltd (ASX: LTR) | $1.18 | 9.26% |
| Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: TLX) | $16.19 | 7.65% |
| Elevra Lithium Ltd (ASX: ELV) | $8.38 | 6.62% |
| PLS Group Ltd (ASX: PLS) | $4.58 | 6.51% |
| Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD) | $7.13 | 6.10% |
| James Hardie Industries Ltd (ASX: JHX) | $43.18 | 5.78% |
| Capricorn Metals Ltd (ASX: CMM) | $15.59 | 5.77% |
| Vault Minerals Ltd (ASX: VAU) | $5.84 | 5.42% |
| Neuren Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: NEU) | $22.72 | 5.38% |
| Light & Wonder Inc (ASX: LNW) | $124.30 | 5.27% |
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.
