It was a disappointing end to what had otherwise been a stellar week for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) and many ASX shares this Friday. After bumper sessions on both Monday and Wednesday, investors seemed to get a case of cold feet today.
By the time trading wrapped up, the ASX 200 had dropped by a hefty 1.39%. That leaves the index back under 9,000 points at 8,917.6 as we head into the weekend.
This sobering Friday for the Australian markets comes after a similarly painful morning over on Wall Street.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) had a shocker, taking a 1.34% hit.
It was even worse for the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC), which sank 2.03%.
But let's get back to the local markets now and grit our teeth for a deep dive into what was happening with the various ASX sectors today.
Winners and losers
As one would expect on a day like today, there were far more red sectors than green ones.
Leading those red sectors were again tech shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) was smashed again this Friday, diving another 5.06%.
Healthcare stocks remained in the firing line as well, with the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) plunging 4.04%.
Gold shares proved to be no safe haven. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) crashed 3.44% lower this session.
Consumer discretionary stocks weren't much better, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ)'s 2.36% slump.
Mining shares weren't riding to the rescue. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) cratered by 2.02% today.
Nor were energy stocks, with the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) tanking 2%.
Financial shares weren't spared either. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) had retreated 0.84% by market close.
That drop was mirrored by industrial stocks, as you can see by the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ)'s 0.84% decline.
Communications shares weren't much better. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) slid 0.75% lower today.
Our last losers were consumer staples stocks, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) slipping down 0.41%.
Turning to the green sectors now, it was utilities shares that again were the best place to hide out. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) soared 3.38% higher this Friday.
The other happy corner of the market was real estate investment trusts (REITs), evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ)'s 0.99% lift.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
Leading the winners this Friday was ASX veteran financial stock AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP). AMP shares bounced 8.98% higher this session to close the week at $1.40 each.
This seems to be a rebound following yesterday's poorly-received earnings.
Here's the rest of today's best: