The worst performing sector as of midday Thursday is the Financial sector, showing a 0.3% loss. Within the sector, AFLAC Inc. (NYSE: AFL) and CBRE Group Inc (NYSE: CBG) are two of the day's laggards, showing a loss of 2.5% and 1.7%, respectively. Among financial ETFs, one ETF following the sector is the Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (AMEX: XLF), which is down 0.3% on the day, and up 0.79% year-to-date. AFLAC Inc., meanwhile, is up 4.58% year-to-date, and CBRE Group Inc is up 11.04% year-to-date. Combined, AFL and CBG make up approximately 1.3% of the underlying holdings of XLF.
The next worst performing sector is the Utilities sector, showing a 0.1% loss. Among large Utilities stocks, PPL Corp (NYSE: PPL) and Southern Company (NYSE: SO) are the most notable, showing a loss of 0.8% and 0.7%, respectively. One ETF closely tracking Utilities stocks is the Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU), which is down 0.1% in midday trading, and down 4.79% on a year-to-date basis. PPL Corp, meanwhile, is down 3.76% year-to-date, and Southern Company , is down 9.50% year-to-date. Combined, PPL and SO make up approximately 11.2% of the underlying holdings of XLU.
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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 Thursday. As you can see, five sectors are up on the day, while three sectors are down.
| Sector | % Change |
|---|---|
| Energy | +1.2% |
| Industrial | +0.5% |
| Services | +0.4% |
| Materials | +0.2% |
| Technology & Communications | +0.1% |
| Consumer Products | 0.0% |
| Utilities | -0.1% |
| Healthcare | -0.1% |
| Financial | -0.3% |
