ASX 200 utilities shares led the market sectors last week, with a 1.74% gain over the four trading days.
The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) lost 1.62% over the week to finish at 7,773.3 points on Friday.
The benchmark index once again reset its all-time high last week, touching 7,910.5 points on Tuesday.
As my colleague Seb explained, investors were feeling optimistic given that inflation is moderating without a significant uptick in unemployment, opening the door to the possibility of lower interest rates later this year.
Only two of the 11 market sectors finished the week in the green.
Let's review.
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Utilities shares led the ASX sectors last week
Among the largest of the 22 ASX 200 utilities companies listed on the market, the stand-out for share price growth this week was AGL Energy Limited (ASX: AGL).
AGL shares rose by 2.51% to finish at $8.56 on Friday.
APA Group (ASX: APA) shares rose 1.67% over the four trading days to finish at $8.53.
The Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG) share price lifted 1.41% to $9.28.
None of these companies had any official news out last week.
ASX utilities stocks outshone energy shares by only 0.24% this week, so let's take a look at how the big energy players did as well.
Ampol Ltd (ASX: ALD) shares led the ASX 200 energy large-caps with a 4.01% lift to $41.28 on Friday.
Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) shares also had a good week, up 2.52% to $7.93 apiece.
The Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) share price gained 0.59% to close at $30.60 on Friday, and investors were paid their dividends on Thursday.
It was quiet on the news front for these energy stocks as well.
There was no official news from any of them. However, here at the Fool, my colleague Bernd was pondering whether now is the time to invest in ASX 200 energy shares.
We also got a look at the Federal Government's new 5-year commodity price forecasts for oil and gas.
ASX 200 market sector snapshot
Here's how the 11 market sectors stacked up last week, according to CommSec data.
Over the four trading days:
| S&P/ASX 200 market sector | Change last week |
| Utilities (ASX: XUJ) | 1.74% |
| Energy (ASX: XEJ) | 1.5% |
| Materials (ASX: XMJ) | (0.53%) |
| Industrials (ASX: XNJ) | (1.37%) |
| Financials (ASX: XFJ) | (1.45%) |
| Consumer Staples (ASX: XSJ) | (2.03%) |
| Communication (ASX: XTJ) | (2.15%) |
| Healthcare (ASX: XHJ) | (2.82%) |
| Consumer Discretionary (ASX: XDJ) | (2.94%) |
| A-REIT (ASX: XPJ) | (4%) |
| Information Technology (ASX: XIJ) | (4.73%) |
