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It was a spectacular end to the trading week for ASX investors this Friday, with the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) throwing off the indecisiveness that we saw earlier this week to close on a decidedly euphoric note. After opening in the green this morning, the ASX 200 spent most of the day climbing in value, and ended up finishing a happy 1.37% higher. That leaves the index at 8,844.3 points as we head into the weekend.

This jubilant end to the trading week for ASX investors came after a more nuanced night on Wall Street.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) was in fine form, gaining a rosy 1.14%

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) went the other way, though, dropping 0.8%.

But let's get back to our markets now and take a closer look at how the various ASX sectors benefited from today's accommodating trading conditions.

Winners and losers

There was only one sector that missed out on today's market optimism.

That unlucky corner of the markets was utilities shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) had a rough time of it, falling 0.59%.

It was all smiles everywhere else, though.

Leading the charge were gold stocks, with the All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) exploding 8.27% higher this session.

Healthcare shares enjoyed a day of vitality, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) rocketed up 2.67%.

Mining stocks didn't miss out either, as you can tell by the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ)'s 2.53% surge.

Next came industrial shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) soared 1.16% this Friday.

Financial stocks saw demand as well, with the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) jumping 1.1%.

Consumer staples shares also ran hot. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) galloped 0.97% higher.

Its consumer discretionary counterpart fared similarly, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ)'s 0.85% bounce.

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) proved somewhat popular. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) added 0.49% to its total today.

Tech shares joined the winners too, with the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) leaping 0.26%.

Communications shares were in the same ballpark. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) lifted 0.21% this session.

Finally, energy stocks only just got over the line, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ)'s rise of less than 0.01%.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

Gold miner Catalyst Metals Ltd (ASX: CYL) beat out some stiff competition to top the index today.

Catalyst shares roared 19.18% higher this session to close the week at $6.09 each. This followed the company releasing a positive update, which clearly helped investors to press the buy button.

Here's the rest of today's best:

ASX-listed company	Share price	Price change
Catalyst Metals Ltd (ASX: CYL)	$6.09	19.18%
Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD)	$6.29	16.70%
Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST)	$22.16	11.75%
Capricorn Metals Ltd (ASX: CMM)	$14.03	10.13%
Generation Development Group Ltd (ASX: GDG)	$4.06	9.14%
Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN)	$12.82	8.83%
Regis Resources Ltd (ASX: RRL)	$6.63	8.16%
Vault Minerals Ltd (ASX: VAU)	$4.56	8.06%
Ora Banda Mining Ltd (ASX: OBM)	$1,19	7.69%
Perseus Mining Ltd (ASX: PRU)	$5.22	7.19%

Enjoy the weekend!

Our top 10 shares countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary that shows which companies made big moves on the day. Check in at Fool.com.au after the weekday market closes to see which stocks make the countdown.

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Generation Development Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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