Two of 11 sectors are higher in Wednesday’s regular session, with defensive sectors holding the top three positions. The leaders are separated rather than clustered, with Health Care and Consumer Staples above the rest of the table.
| Sector | Ticker | Price | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health Care | XLV | 169.55 | +1.47% |
| Consumer Staples | XLP | 82.05 | +0.29% |
| Utilities | XLU | 41.05 | -0.28% |
| Energy | XLE | 63.30 | -0.71% |
| Communication Services | XLC | 110.74 | -0.82% |
| Technology | XLK | 200.35 | -0.82% |
| Consumer Discretionary | XLY | 110.77 | -0.86% |
| Real Estate | XLRE | 40.75 | -0.86% |
| Financials | XLF | 53.51 | -0.94% |
| Materials | XLB | 49.01 | -1.45% |
| Industrials | XLI | 167.69 | -2.27% |
Market Snapshot
The major averages are all lower. The State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:SPY) is down 0.67% and the Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (NASDAQ:QQQ) 0.71%, while the State Street SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (NYSE:DIA) is down 1.18% and the iShares Russell 2000 Index Fund (NYSE:IWM) 1.35%, the steepest decline of the group. Three of the 11 sectors outpace the S&P 500. Sectors below are ranked against one another rather than grouped by direction, so a sector can be higher and still rank among the day’s laggards.
Leading Sectors
Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLV) +1.47%
Among the sector’s large-cap names, Eli Lilly and Co (NYSE:LLY) is up 2.39%, AbbVie Inc (NYSE:ABBV) 2.14% and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) 1.68%.
Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLP) +0.29%
Among the sector’s large-cap names, Walmart Inc (NASDAQ:WMT) is up 0.99%, Costco Wholesale Corp (NASDAQ:COST) 0.84% and Procter & Gamble Co (NYSE:PG) 0.38%.
Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLU) -0.28%
Higher so far but the weakest of the advancing sectors. Among the sector’s large-cap names, NextEra Energy Inc (NYSE:NEE) is down 1.53%, Dominion Energy Inc (NYSE:D) 1.40% and Southern Co (NYSE:SO) 0.05%.
Middle Of The Pack
- Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLE) -0.71%
- Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLC) -0.82%
- Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLK) -0.82%
- Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLY) -0.86%
- Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLRE) -0.86%
Lagging Sectors
Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLF) -0.94%
Among the sector’s large-cap names, Bank of America Corp (NYSE:BAC) is down 1.40%, JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE:JPM) 1.29% and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. New Common Stock (NYSE:BRK) 0.20%.
Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLB) -1.45%
Among the sector’s large-cap names, Newmont Corp (NYSE:NEM) is down 2.32%, Sherwin-Williams Co (NYSE:SHW) 2.24% and Ecolab Inc (NYSE:ECL) 1.07%.
Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLI) -2.27%
Among the sector’s large-cap names, Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:CAT) is down 6.04%, Honeywell International Inc (NASDAQ:HON) 2.35% and GE Aerospace (NYSE:GE) 1.69%.
Cross-Sector Takeaway
The 3.74-point spread between Health Care and Industrials is nearly three times the largest move among the major averages, which are down between 0.67% and 1.35%. The major averages are lower, masking a session where leadership is concentrated in Health Care and Consumer Staples. Defensives are holding up better — Health Care and Consumer Staples occupy the top two spots — which gives the session a rotational look.
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