In afternoon trading on Friday, Utilities stocks are the best performing sector, up 0.8%. Within the sector, PPL Corp (Symbol: PPL) and CenterPoint Energy, Inc (Symbol: CNP) are two large stocks leading the way, showing a gain of 6.0% and 3.8%, respectively. Among utilities ETFs, one ETF following the sector is the Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (Symbol: XLU), which is up 0.8% on the day, and up 22.40% year-to-date. PPL Corp, meanwhile, is up 31.51% year-to-date, and CenterPoint Energy, Inc, is down 4.65% year-to-date. Combined, PPL and CNP make up approximately 4.2% of the underlying holdings of XLU.
The next best performing sector is the Technology & Communications sector, not showing much of a loss. Among large Technology & Communications stocks, Adobe Inc (Symbol: ADBE) and SBA Communications Corp (Symbol: SBAC) are the most notable, showing a gain of 4.5% and 2.6%, respectively. One ETF closely tracking Technology & Communications stocks is the Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK), which is up 0.7% in midday trading, and up 45.62% on a year-to-date basis. Adobe Inc, meanwhile, is up 41.33% year-to-date, and SBA Communications Corp is up 45.03% year-to-date. ADBE makes up approximately 2.4% of the underlying holdings of XLK.
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 Friday. As you can see, one sector is up on the day, while seven sectors are down.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
