Top-Performing Subsectors in the S&P 500 Index

Bob Carey
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Top-Performing Subsectors in the S&P 500 Index

Posted Under: Sectors

View from the Observation Deck

Today's blog post is for those investors who want to drill down below the sector level to see what is performing well in the stock market.
The S&P 500 Index is currently comprised of 11 sectors and 126 subsectors, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices.
Of the 15 subsectors featured in the chart, 12 are classified as either Consumer Discretionary, Health Care or Information Technology.
As of today, the most heavily weighted sector in the S&P 500 Index was Information Technology at 20.3%, followed by Health Care at 15.7%, according to Bloomberg. Consumer Discretionary ranked fifth at 9.9%.
The 15 top-performing subsectors in the chart posted total returns ranging from 18.59% (Data Processing & Outsourced Services) to 49.00% (Independent Power Producers & Energy Traders).
For comparative purposes, from 12/29/17-12/11/18, the S&P 500 Health Care Index was the top-performing sector index, with a total return of 11.82%, according to Bloomberg. The S&P 500 Consumer Discretionary Index and S&P 500 Information Technology Index were up 5.62% and 5.01%, respectively, over that period. Only five of the 11 sectors were in positive territory. The S&P 500 Index posted a total return of just 0.46%.
There are a growing number of packaged products, such as exchange-traded funds, that feature index subsectors.

This chart is for illustrative purposes only and not indicative of any actual investment. The illustration excludes the effects of taxes and brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred when investing. Investors cannot invest directly in an index. The S&P 500 is a capitalization-weighted index comprised of 500 stocks (currently 505) used to measure large-cap U.S. stock market performance, while the S&P sector and subsector indices are capitalization-weighted and comprised of S&P 500 constituents representing a specific sector or industry.

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Posted on Thursday, December 13, 2018 @ 2:20 PM • Post Link

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These posts were prepared by First Trust Advisors L.P., and reflect the current opinion of the authors. They are based upon sources and data believed to be accurate and reliable. Opinions and forward looking statements expressed are subject to change without notice. This information does not constitute a solicitation or an offer to buy or sell any security.

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