Looking at the sectors faring worst as of midday Wednesday, shares of Utilities companies are underperforming other sectors, showing a 2.1% loss. Within the sector, NiSource (NYSE: NI) and CenterPoint Energy (NYSE: CNP) are two of the day's laggards, showing a loss of 3.4% and 3.0%, respectively. Among utilities ETFs, one ETF following the sector is the Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (AMEX: XLU), which is down 2.0% on the day, and down 2.29% year-to-date. NiSource, meanwhile, is up 2.81% year-to-date, and CenterPoint Energy, is down 7.13% year-to-date. Combined, NI and CNP make up approximately 4.1% of the underlying holdings of XLU.
The next worst performing sector is the Energy sector, showing a 1.1% loss. Among large Energy stocks, Transocean (NYSE: RIG) and Pioneer Natural Resources (NYSE: PXD) are the most notable, showing a loss of 4.6% and 3.6%, respectively. One ETF closely tracking Energy stocks is the Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE), which is down 1.1% in midday trading, and down 0.18% on a year-to-date basis. Transocean, meanwhile, is down 0.27% year-to-date, and Pioneer Natural Resources, is down 0.87% year-to-date. Combined, RIG and PXD make up approximately 3.6% of the underlying holdings of XLE.
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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 Wednesday. As you can see, two sectors are up on the day, while six sectors are down.
| Sector | % Change |
|---|---|
| Healthcare | +0.1% |
| Technology & Communications | +0.1% |
| Financial | -0.0% |
| Consumer Products | -0.1% |
| Industrial | -0.1% |
| Services | -0.2% |
| Materials | -0.2% |
| Energy | -1.1% |
| Utilities | -2.1% |
