Communications and financial shares led the ASX 200 market sectors last week, with both rising 4%.
Despite 8 of the 11 sectors going higher, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) fell 0.13% to 8,795.2 points.
A hefty 7.69% loss in the materials and mining sector dragged the benchmark index into the red.
Materials is the market's heavyweight sector, home to 773 stocks including BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP).
BHP is the ASX 200's largest company and accounts for 11% of the market's total value.
Last week, the BHP share price tumbled 8.3% to close at a 5-month low of $55.05.
The miner revealed mixed results for 1Q FY27 amid copper prices retreating to a 5-week low last week.
Official government forecasts show commodity prices are set to peak in FY27, then drift lower.
Circling back to communications and financials, let's check out some individual stock performances.
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Communications shares led the market last week
The Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) share price ascended 4.43% to close at $4.95 on Friday.
REA Group Ltd (ASX: REA) shares lifted 1.67% to $164.11 per share.
The CAR Group Ltd (ASX: CAR) share price rose 5.13% to $25.02.
TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPG) shares increased 3.76% to $3.86 per share.
The Seek Ltd (ASX: SEK) share price rose 4.66% to $13.69.
Spark New Zealand Ltd (ASX: SPK) shares edged 0.32% higher to $1.55.
The Chorus Ltd (ASX: CNU) share price finished steady at $6.63.
The EVT Ltd (ASX: EVT) share price ascended 3.84% to $15.15 after its 1Q FY27 results.
News Corporation Class B CDI (ASX: NWS) shares lifted 1.74% to $48.49.
The Superloop Ltd (ASX: SLC) share price bounced 5.81% to $2.73%.
The Aussie Broadband Ltd (ASX: ABB) share price rose 3.69% to $4.21.
Now turning to ASX 200 financial shares, where we saw the big four banks ascend to multi-month highs.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) shares ripped 6.23% to a 2-month high of $164.
The Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) share price rose 4.67% to a 2-month peak of $36.79.
The National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) share price ascended 5.06% to a 2-month high of $41.31.
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ) shares lifted 2.96% to a 7-month high of $40.04.
The AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP) share price rose 1.26% to $2.41.
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 |
| Communications (ASX: XTJ) | 4.04% |
| Financials (ASX: XFJ) | 4.02% |
| Industrials (ASX: XNJ) | 2.66% |
| Utilities (ASX: XUJ) | 1.93% |
| Healthcare (ASX: XHJ) | 1.84% |
| Consumer Staples (ASX: XSJ) | 1.78% |
| Consumer Discretionary (ASX: XDJ) | 1.72% |
| A-REIT (ASX: XPJ) | 0.23% |
| Energy (ASX: XEJ) | (1.49%) |
| Information Technology (ASX: XIJ) | (5.11%) |
| Materials (ASX: XMJ) | (7.69%) |
