It was a rough end to the trading week for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) and many ASX shares this Friday. After initially starting in green territory this morning, the ASX 200 spent most of the day drifting lower.
By the time the closing bell rang, the index was deep in red territory and closed 0.65% lower at 8,869.1 points.
This rather miserable conclusion to the week's trading for Australian investors comes after a mixed session over on the American markets this morning.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) managed to eke out a rise of 0.11%.
However, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) was not having a bar of it and dropped 0.72%.
Let's get back to the local markets now and check out how the various ASX sectors dealt with today's less-than-rosy trading conditions.
Winners and losers
Despite the broader market's falls, there were still a few sectors that came out with a gain. But more on those in a moment.
Leading today's red sectors were gold shares. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) was sent back to earth today, crashing 5.66% lower.
Broader mining stocks were also out of favour, with the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) tanking 3.36%.
Tech shares were left out in the cold, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) plunged 1.89% lower this Friday.
Consumer discretionary stocks fared much better, but still weren't finding buyers either, evident from the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ)'s 0.19% dip.
Industrial shares were just behind that. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) slid 0.18% lower today.
Utilities stocks were our last losers this session, with the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) slipping by 0.08%.
Turning to the winners now, it was healthcare shares that took out the top spot. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) soared 1.05% higher this session.
Consumer staples stocks ran hot as well, as you can see from the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ)'s 0.73% surge.
Financial shares saw some demand. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) spiked by 0.48% this Friday.
As did real estate investment trusts (REITs), with the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) adding 0.3% to its total.
Communications shares were relatively popular. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) lifted 0.21% by the end of trading.
Finally, energy stocks eked out a rise, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ)'s 0.07% bump.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Topping the index chart this Friday was education stock IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL). IDP shares surged 5.87% this session to finish at $6.31 each.
This gain came despite no fresh news or announcements from the company this session.
Here's a look at the rest of today's best: