In afternoon trading on Tuesday, Utilities stocks are the best performing sector, losing just 0.3%. Within that group, PPL Corp (Symbol: PPL) and CenterPoint Energy, Inc (Symbol: CNP) are two large stocks leading the way, showing a gain of 2.2% and 1.9%, respectively. Among utilities ETFs, one ETF following the sector is the Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (Symbol: XLU), which is down 0.4% on the day, and down 7.82% year-to-date. PPL Corp, meanwhile, is down 11.28% year-to-date, and CenterPoint Energy, Inc, is down 2.28% year-to-date. Combined, PPL and CNP make up approximately 3.9% of the underlying holdings of XLU.
The next best performing sector is the Healthcare sector, losing just 0.5%. Among large Healthcare stocks, DexCom Inc (Symbol: DXCM) and Medtronic PLC (Symbol: MDT) are the most notable, showing a gain of 2.4% and 2.3%, respectively. One ETF closely tracking Healthcare stocks is the Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV), which is down 0.7% in midday trading, and down 10.17% on a year-to-date basis. DexCom Inc, meanwhile, is down 27.32% year-to-date, and Medtronic PLC, is down 0.58% year-to-date. Combined, DXCM and MDT make up approximately 3.7% of the underlying holdings of XLV.
Comparing these stocks and ETFs on a trailing twelve month basis, below is a relative stock price performance chart, with each of the symbols shown in a different color as labeled in the legend at the bottom:
Here's a snapshot of how the S&P 500 components within the various sectors are faring in afternoon trading on Tuesday. As you can see, none of the sectors are up on the day, while nine sectors are down.
| Sector | % Change |
|---|---|
| Utilities | -0.3% |
| Healthcare | -0.5% |
| Financial | -1.1% |
| Consumer Products | -1.6% |
| Industrial | -1.6% |
| Materials | -1.6% |
| Technology & Communications | -1.8% |
| Energy | -2.8% |
| Services | -2.9% |
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
