The worst performing sector as of midday Thursday is the Technology & Communications sector, showing a 0.6% loss. Within the sector, Xilinx, Inc. (NASD: XLNX) and First Solar Inc (NASD: FSLR) are two of the day's laggards, showing a loss of 8.3% and 7.0%, respectively. Among technology ETFs, one ETF following the sector is the Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (AMEX: XLK), which is down 0.4% on the day, and up 0.56% year-to-date. Xilinx, Inc., meanwhile, is down 6.88% year-to-date, and First Solar Inc, is down 12.55% year-to-date. Combined, XLNX and FSLR make up approximately 0.4% of the underlying holdings of XLK.
The next worst performing sector is the Financial sector, showing a 0.4% loss. Among large Financial stocks, Invesco Ltd (NYSE: IVZ) and Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE: BEN) are the most notable, showing a loss of 3.3% and 2.3%, respectively. One ETF closely tracking Financial stocks is the Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF), which is down 0.3% in midday trading, and down 0.41% on a year-to-date basis. Invesco Ltd, meanwhile, is down 4.66% year-to-date, and Franklin Resources, Inc. is up 5.68% year-to-date. Combined, IVZ and BEN make up approximately 0.9% of the underlying holdings of XLF.
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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, three sectors are up on the day, while five sectors are down.
| Sector | % Change |
|---|---|
| Healthcare | +0.3% |
| Consumer Products | +0.2% |
| Energy | +0.1% |
| Utilities | -0.0% |
| Services | -0.3% |
| Materials | -0.3% |
| Financial | -0.4% |
| Industrial | -0.4% |
| Technology & Communications | -0.6% |
