Often the biggest risers and fallers of the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) dominate investors attention on any given day. But it's also very interesting to look at the ASX 200 shares that are dominating trading volume. These most traded ASX shares can help us understand what is moving the markets, and sentiment, on any given day.
So with that in mind, let's take a look at the ASX 200 shares that are swapping hands with the most volume today:
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3 ASX 200 shares on the move today
Cleanaway Waste Management Ltd (ASX: CWY)
Cleanaway Waste is on the move today, with 7.25 million shares traded today at the time of writing. That's probably the result of the Cleanaway share price falling a hefty 2.92% today to $2.66 a share. Since Cleanaway is a $5.5 billion ASX 200 company, a move of this size will inevitably result in some heavy trading activity.
There's no obvious reason why Cleanaway is falling today though since no major news or announcements have come out of the company. Perhaps investors are in the mood for some profit-taking, seeing as Cleanaway is still up more than 21% over the past 2 months.
National Australia Bank Ltd. (ASX: NAB)
NAB shares have also been thrown around today, with 8.28 million shares traded at the time of writing. This ASX 200 bank is not having an enjoyable day. NAB shares are down 2.96% to $26.70 after spending last week rising towards its 52-week high.
Unlike Cleanaway, we might know what's going on here though. As we discussed earlier today, NAB has just revealed that it's under investigation by AUSTRAC regarding alleged "potential serious and ongoing non-compliance" with anti-money laundering regulations. It's no surprise that a development like that has sparked some heavy trading.
Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)
Pilbara Minerals is currently the most heavily traded ASX share in the ASX 200 Index. A whopping 13.9 million shares have swapped hands today so far. The Pilbara share price has bounced around today but is still up 2.44% currently to $1.34 a share – not too far off of its 52-week high of $1.47.
Like Cleanaway, there is no major news out today that may have sparked these volumes. However, there are many investors that are interested in lithium companies like Pilbara, considering the mineral's role in electric vehicle batteries. In fact, Pilbara shares are now up more than 24% in just the past fortnight.
