S&P 500
IndexS&P 500 sector performance (2026)
Energy leads at +39.4%, while Communication Services trails at -3.8%. All eleven sectors are ranked by year-to-date total return using liquid Select Sector ETF proxies.
Performance as of market close, Aug 14, 2026. Returns include reinvested dividends. Not investment advice.
All S&P 500 sectors ranked by performance#
Sort any return column. The ticker is the liquid ETF used as that sector's investable performance proxy.
| #Sector | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1XLEEnergy | +39.4% | +49.3% |
| 2XLKTechnology | +32.1% | +42.4% |
| 3XLIIndustrials | +20.6% | +23.6% |
| 4XLBMaterials | +16.4% | +17.7% |
| 5XLREReal Estate | +12.9% | +12.2% |
| 6XLPConsumer Staples | +11.4% | +6.3% |
| 7XLVHealth Care | +8.6% | +27.2% |
| 8XLFFinancials | +6.8% | +11.6% |
| 9XLUUtilities | +4.5% | +5.3% |
| 10XLYConsumer Discretionary | -0.8% | +3.6% |
| 11XLCCommunication Services | -3.8% | +2.7% |
Methodology#
Each sector is represented by its SPDR Select Sector ETF: XLK, XLF, XLV, XLY, XLP, XLE, XLI, XLB, XLU, XLRE or XLC. Returns come from split- and dividend-adjusted closes and therefore approximate total return with distributions reinvested. ETF proxies avoid the survivorship bias of applying today's constituent list to older periods. They can differ slightly from an official sector-index calculation because of fund fees, tracking difference and the funds' own operating details.
For the year-by-year history, see the sector periodic table. For composition rather than returns, see S&P 500 sector weights.
ChartRow is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, S&P Global, or Nasdaq, Inc. "S&P 500®" and "Dow Jones®" are registered trademarks of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC; "Nasdaq-100®" is a registered trademark of Nasdaq, Inc. They are used here only to identify the indexes discussed. All index-related figures on this page are independently derived from public sources — SEC filings, Robert Shiller's public dataset, and our own computations — not from any index provider's data feed.
FAQ#
- What is the best-performing S&P 500 sector in 2026?
- Energy, represented by XLE, is the best-performing S&P 500 sector in 2026 so far at +39.4%.
- What is the worst-performing S&P 500 sector in 2026?
- Communication Services, represented by XLC, is the worst-performing S&P 500 sector in 2026 so far at -3.8%.
- Do these sector returns include dividends?
- Yes. Returns use each sector ETF's split- and dividend-adjusted closing prices, a total-return approximation that treats distributions as reinvested and excludes taxes and fees.
- Why use sector ETFs instead of today's S&P 500 companies?
- ETF histories preserve the investable sector experience through membership changes. Applying today's constituents to prior years would omit companies that left the index and create survivorship bias.