Performance of the 11 GICS sectors via SPDR ETFs, compared against the S&P 500 benchmark (SPY).
Arrows show outperformance vs underperformance relative to SPY.
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For informational purposes only. The data and visualizations on this page do not constitute financial advice, investment recommendations, or an offer to buy or sell any securities. Always do your own research and consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Sector rotation is the movement of investment capital from one industry sector to another as investors anticipate changes in the business cycle. Different sectors perform best during different phases of the economic cycle: cyclical sectors like Technology and Consumer Discretionary have historically shown strength during expansions, while defensive sectors like Utilities, Healthcare, and Consumer Staples have historically held up better during downturns. Understanding sector rotation helps investors position portfolios ahead of economic shifts.
The Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) divides the market into 11 sectors, each represented by a Select Sector SPDR ETF. Our tracker compares the performance of each sector ETF against SPY (the S&P 500 benchmark) across 1-week, 1-month, and 3-month timeframes to identify which sectors are leading and lagging.
Software, hardware, semiconductors. Cyclical growth sector sensitive to interest rates and innovation cycles.
Pharma, biotech, medical devices. Defensive sector with steady demand regardless of economic conditions.
Banks, insurance, asset managers. Benefits from rising rates and economic expansion.
Oil, gas, energy infrastructure. Driven by commodity prices and global energy demand.
Retail, auto, leisure. Cyclical sector that thrives when consumers are confident and spending.
Food, beverage, household goods. Defensive sector with steady earnings through recessions.
Compare sector performance across timeframes to identify trends. If a sector is outperforming on all three timeframes (1W, 1M, 3M), some analysts interpret this as a strong trend. If a sector has strong 1-week performance but weak 3-month performance, some analysts view this as a potential early rotation. Sectors consistently lagging on all timeframes are under distribution and are sometimes viewed as lagging by momentum-based strategies.
The relative performance badge shows how much the sector ETF outperformed or underperformed SPY (the S&P 500 index fund) over the selected timeframe. A reading of +2.1% vs SPY means the sector gained 2.1 percentage points more than the broad market. This helps identify true sector strength versus a rising-tide-lifts-all-boats environment.
Defensive sectors—Utilities (XLU), Healthcare (XLV), and Consumer Staples (XLP)—have historically shown relative resilience during recessions because demand for their products and services remains relatively stable. Energy can also outperform if inflation remains elevated. Cyclical sectors like Technology and Consumer Discretionary typically underperform.
Some investors track relative strength across sectors to inform their allocation decisions. Some active traders also monitor the spread between leading and lagging sectors. The 1-month and 3-month timeframes can help identify the dominant trend, while the 1-week view may offer additional timing context.
