ASX 200 utilities shares led the market sectors with a 3.64% gain last week.
Meanwhile, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) rose 0.4% to close at 8,716.6 points.
Defensive market sectors represent industries that sell essential goods and services.
They offer stability to investors during tough economic times because consumers continue to buy those goods and services.
Utilities is one example, healthcare and consumer staples are others.
ASX 200 healthcare shares also performed well last week, rising 3.53%.
Consumer staples shares, which incorporate Australia's supermarkets and food producers, rose 2.31%.
ASX 200 REITs, which are considered somewhat defensive due to their relatively reliable property income, rose 3.58%.
Seven of the 11 market sectors finished the week in the green.
Let's review.
Image source: Getty Images
Utilities shares led the ASX sectors last week
There are only 21 companies in the ASX 200 utilities sector.
Let's review the performance of individual stocks in order of market capitalisation last week.
The Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG) share price increased 4.31% to $11.37 last week.
The APA Group (ASX: APA) share price rose 2.81% to close at $10.97 on Friday.
Mercury NZ Ltd (ASX: MCY) shares lifted 0.72% to $5.60 per share.
The Meridian Energy Ltd (ASX: MEZ) share price fell 1.14% to $4.34 over the week.
The AGL Energy Limited (ASX: AGL) share price ascended 3.44% to close the week at $8.43.
New Zealand electricity supplier Contact Energy Ltd (ASX: CEN) rose 1.91% to $6.93 per share.
Genesis Energy Ltd (ASX: GNE) shares fell 3.45% to $1.96 per share.
The LGI Ltd (ASX: LGI) share price ripped 23.16% to $2.34 on news of a $22 million acquisition of solar power assets.
Frontier Energy Ltd (ASX: FHE) shares tumbled 13.04% to 20 cents despite no company announcements last week.
The Rivco Australia Ltd (ASX: RIV) share price increased 0.83% to $1.21 per share.
ASX 200 market sector snapshot
Here's how the 11 market sectors stacked up last week, according to CommSec data.
Over the five trading days:
| S&P/ASX 200 market sector | Change last week |
| Utilities (ASX: XUJ) | 3.64% |
| A-REIT (ASX: XPJ) | 3.58% |
| Healthcare (ASX: XHJ) | 3.53% |
| Consumer Discretionary (ASX: XDJ) | 2.4% |
| Consumer Staples (ASX: XSJ) | 2.31% |
| Energy (ASX: XEJ) | 2% |
| Industrials (ASX: XNJ) | 0.02% |
| Communication (ASX: XTJ) | (0.19%) |
| Financials (ASX: XFJ) | (0.31%) |
| Materials (ASX: XMJ) | (1%) |
| Information Technology (ASX: XIJ) | (1.97%) |
Check out the 17 ASX shares going ex-dividend next week.
