Stats › Concentration and breadth › Sector returns
Energy went from -33.7% in 2020 to +65.7% in 2022
| Year | Best sector | Worst sector |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Energy, +27.4% | Health Care, -2.7% |
| 2017 | Information Technology, +38.8% | Energy, -1.0% |
| 2018 | Health Care, +6.5% | Energy, -18.1% |
| 2019 | Information Technology, +50.3% | Energy, +11.8% |
| 2020 | Information Technology, +43.9% | Energy, -33.7% |
| 2021 | Energy, +54.6% | Utilities, +17.7% |
| 2022 | Energy, +65.7% | Information Technology, -28.2% |
| 2023 | Information Technology, +57.8% | Utilities, -7.1% |
| 2024 | Communication Services, +40.2% | Materials, 0.0% |
| 2025 | Communication Services, +33.6% | Consumer Discretionary, +6.0% |
Source: Novel Investor, annual S&P sector returns, data as of 30 June 2026.
The S&P 500 splits into eleven sectors that rarely move together. Energy was the worst sector in 2020 at minus 33.7% and the best in 2022 at plus 65.7%. Last year's winning sector is a poor guide to next year's.
-33.7%Energy in 2020
+65.7%Energy in 2022
93.9 pointsWidest gap, 2022
20.75% a yearTech, ten years
Members only
The rest of this page is for members
Below this point there are 7 sections, 2 charts and 1 named source, roughly 750 words of it. Every figure carries the source it came from and the date the data is from.
You can keep browsing every statistic in the library for free. The intro and the summary are always open.