The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has ended the trading day only slightly in the green. The ASX 200 closed at 7,530 points, up a paltry 0.02%.
But rather than dwelling on that uninspiring figure, let's instead check out the heaviest trading ASX 200 shares this Tuesday.
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The 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares today
Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC)
Our first ASX 200 share today is coal miner Whitehaven. This Tuesday has seen a sizeable 15.28 million Whitehaven shares change hands. There was no major news or announcements out of this company today. However, it has been enjoying some impressive share price gains which are probably behind so many shares trading.
Whitehaven shares were one of the ASX 200's best performers this Tuesday, with the company even hitting a new 52-week high of $3.02 a share earlier this morning. Whitehaven shares finished the day at $2.98 apiece, up 3.11% on yesterday's closing price.
Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (ASX: FMG)
Fortescue shares had the opposite experience to Whitehaven today. This ASX 200 iron ore giant saw a hefty 18.53 million of its shares bought and sold. However, this appeared to be a consequence of the company's steep share price fall.
Fortescue shares ended the session at $17.99 a share, down 3.12% for the day. However, the company fell all the way down to $15.62 earlier this afternoon, a drop of roughly 4%. It's this steep fall that is probably behind Fortescue's heavy trading volume.
Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)
Our final share today is none other than ASX 200 lithium producer Pilbara. A frequent guest on this list, Pilbara saw a whopping 19.22 million of its shares swap hands this Tuesday.
Unlike the other two shares here, Pilbara has had a day of indecisiveness from investors it seems. The Pilbara share price ended the day up 0.47% at $2.15 a share. However, it was as much as 1% higher today as well as being down by roughly 1% at another point. This 'Goldilocks' volatility is likely to be behind the large trading volumes we witnessed today.
