The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) ended its trading week on a low this Friday, banking a loss after a wild trading session.
After spending some of the day comfortably in green territory, investors got cold feet by the time trading wrapped up this afternoon and locked in a 0.2% loss for the ASX 200. That leaves the index at 8,310.4 points as we head into the weekend.
This rather unpleasant end to the trading week for Australian investors comes after an even harsher morning for the American markets.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) had a rough time, losing 0.16% of its value.
It was even worse for the Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC), which dropped by 0.89%.
But let's get back to the local markets now and check how the various ASX sectors fared amid the rough trading conditions.
Winners and losers
Despite the losses of the broader market, we actually had more winners than losers among the different ASX sectors this session.
Leading the losers were financial shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) ended up recording a horrid 0.99% plunge today.
Communications stocks didn't have a nice time either, with the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) retreating by 0.69%.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) also found themselves in investors' bad books. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) went backwards by 0.16%.
But, believe it or not, that's it for the losers (proving once again how the banks dominate the ASX 200 Index).
Turning to the winners now, industrial shares got the top spot today, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ)'s 0.74% surge.
Utilities stocks also had a day to remember. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) added a comfortable 0.51% to its total.
Gold shares came next, with the All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) lifting 0.34%.
Then we had consumer staples stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) put on a comfortable 0.33%.
Mining shares were right behind that, as you'll see from the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ)'s 0.29% increase.
Energy stocks were in a similar zone. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) rose by 0.21% this Friday.
Tech shares continued to recover as well, with the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) adding 0.19%.
Consumer discretionary stocks fared decently, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) saw its value tick up by 0.16%
Finally, healthcare shares were on the winning side, with the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) also gaining 0.16%.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Tech stock Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) topped the index charts this Friday. Megaport shares rose by a chunky 10.1% to finish at $7.52 each.
This gain may have resulted from some love from an ASX broker, given that no fresh news was released from the company itself.
Here are the other chart-topping stocks to close out the week: