Pattern Lab · Methodology + live rankings

Sector Relative Strength.

Rotational rankings of the eleven SPDR sector ETFs against the S&P 500 (SPY). Each sector gets four readings: an RS-ratio (sector / benchmark, normalised to 100 a year ago), 21-day · 63-day · 252-day outperformance in percentage points vs SPY, and a Z-score of the current RS-ratio against its trailing 63-day mean — a mean-reversion signal. Sectors are sorted by 63-day outperformance descending and assigned a JdK-style RRG quadrant.

2026-08-28as of
SPYbenchmark
11sectors
3leading
6lagging

Sector charts

Compare any of the 12 SPDR ETFs + SPY side-by-side. Per-cell ticker, range, and oscillator toggles. Reuses the same indicator set as the Rubin charts terminal — including Directional Flow (DF) and DF % (the 0-100 tanh-normalised view).

Grid:

The rule

For each sector ETF: compute the relative-strength ratio against SPY, normalise it to 100 at the start of a 252-day window, and track its level and trajectory. Sectors above 100 with positive short-term outperformance are leading; sectors below 100 with negative outperformance are lagging. The remaining two quadrants — weakening and improving — are the rotation candidates.

The Z-score against the trailing 63-day mean is the mean-reversion overlay: a sector with Z > +2 is statistically stretched relative to its own recent history; a sector with Z < −2 is unusually compressed. Both edges are candidates for reversal, regardless of which quadrant they currently occupy.

Data is refreshed daily from EODHD (close prices). Re-run workers/jensen-backtest/scripts/fetch-sector-rs-prices.mjs and rebuild.

Rankings · three timeframes, separately sorted

Same eleven sectors, three independent sort lenses. A name that leads on 21d but lags on 252d is a fresh rotation candidate; one that leads on 252d but lags on 21d is a tired leader. The full picture only emerges when all three horizons are read together.

Short term · 21 trading days (~1 month)

Rank Ticker Sector Price RS 21d 63d 1y Z Quadrant Chart
1 XLE Energy $62.68 120.4 +2.6% +10.2% +24.6% +1.31 Leading chart →
2 XLC Communication Services $112.99 85.5 +2.3% -4.0% -17.4% -0.02 Improving chart →
3 XLK Technology $185.69 117.4 +1.9% -4.6% +20.9% -0.43 Leading chart →
4 XLV Health Care $171.16 105.7 +0.9% +13.1% +6.8% +0.97 Leading chart →
5 XLY Consumer Discretionary $117.21 84.0 +0.6% -4.8% -19.2% -0.96 Improving chart →
6 XLB Materials $53.18 97.7 -0.7% +2.4% -2.8% +0.45 Lagging chart →
7 XLF Financials $58.10 91.2 -1.8% +11.1% -10.6% +0.69 Lagging chart →
8 XLP Consumer Staples $85.45 90.4 -3.8% +1.8% -11.6% -0.59 Lagging chart →
9 XLI Industrials $177.14 97.4 -4.4% +0.6% -3.1% -1.96 Lagging chart →
10 XLRE Real Estate $44.48 90.7 -5.5% +0.0% -11.2% -1.18 Lagging chart →
11 XLU Utilities $42.73 85.6 -8.1% -5.2% -17.3% -1.76 Lagging chart →

Medium term · 63 trading days (~3 months)

Rank Ticker Sector Price RS 21d 63d 1y Z Quadrant Chart
1 XLV Health Care $171.16 105.7 +0.9% +13.1% +6.8% +0.97 Leading chart →
2 XLF Financials $58.10 91.2 -1.8% +11.1% -10.6% +0.69 Lagging chart →
3 XLE Energy $62.68 120.4 +2.6% +10.2% +24.6% +1.31 Leading chart →
4 XLB Materials $53.18 97.7 -0.7% +2.4% -2.8% +0.45 Lagging chart →
5 XLP Consumer Staples $85.45 90.4 -3.8% +1.8% -11.6% -0.59 Lagging chart →
6 XLI Industrials $177.14 97.4 -4.4% +0.6% -3.1% -1.96 Lagging chart →
7 XLRE Real Estate $44.48 90.7 -5.5% +0.0% -11.2% -1.18 Lagging chart →
8 XLC Communication Services $112.99 85.5 +2.3% -4.0% -17.4% -0.02 Improving chart →
9 XLK Technology $185.69 117.4 +1.9% -4.6% +20.9% -0.43 Leading chart →
10 XLY Consumer Discretionary $117.21 84.0 +0.6% -4.8% -19.2% -0.96 Improving chart →
11 XLU Utilities $42.73 85.6 -8.1% -5.2% -17.3% -1.76 Lagging chart →

Long term · 252 trading days (~1 year)

Rank Ticker Sector Price RS 21d 63d 1y Z Quadrant Chart
1 XLE Energy $62.68 120.4 +2.6% +10.2% +24.6% +1.31 Leading chart →
2 XLK Technology $185.69 117.4 +1.9% -4.6% +20.9% -0.43 Leading chart →
3 XLV Health Care $171.16 105.7 +0.9% +13.1% +6.8% +0.97 Leading chart →
4 XLB Materials $53.18 97.7 -0.7% +2.4% -2.8% +0.45 Lagging chart →
5 XLI Industrials $177.14 97.4 -4.4% +0.6% -3.1% -1.96 Lagging chart →
6 XLF Financials $58.10 91.2 -1.8% +11.1% -10.6% +0.69 Lagging chart →
7 XLRE Real Estate $44.48 90.7 -5.5% +0.0% -11.2% -1.18 Lagging chart →
8 XLP Consumer Staples $85.45 90.4 -3.8% +1.8% -11.6% -0.59 Lagging chart →
9 XLU Utilities $42.73 85.6 -8.1% -5.2% -17.3% -1.76 Lagging chart →
10 XLC Communication Services $112.99 85.5 +2.3% -4.0% -17.4% -0.02 Improving chart →
11 XLY Consumer Discretionary $117.21 84.0 +0.6% -4.8% -19.2% -0.96 Improving chart →

Bold-highlighted column = the timeframe each table is sorted by. The chart → link opens the per-ticker chart at /indices/stock/?t=… with OHLC + SMA + RSI. v2 follow-up: extend the Rubin-style charts terminal (full oscillator set + Directional Flow) to SPDR ETFs.


By quadrant

JdK-style RRG mapping. RS-ratio on the vertical axis (above / below 100), 21-day outperformance on the horizontal axis (positive / negative). The four quadrants encode where each sector sits in its rotational cycle.

Leading 3

RS > 100 and 21d outperformance positive — strongest cohort

  • XLV Health Care +13.1%
  • XLE Energy +10.2%
  • XLK Technology -4.6%
Improving 2

RS < 100 but 21d outperformance positive — momentum rebuilding

  • XLC Communication Services -4.0%
  • XLY Consumer Discretionary -4.8%
Weakening 0

RS > 100 but 21d outperformance turning negative — rotation candidate

  • — none
Lagging 6

RS < 100 and 21d outperformance negative — broadly out of favor

  • XLF Financials +11.1%
  • XLB Materials +2.4%
  • XLP Consumer Staples +1.8%
  • XLI Industrials +0.6%
  • XLRE Real Estate +0.0%
  • XLU Utilities -5.2%

Sector RS is a structural overlay. It says where dispersion sits across the SPDR cohort and which sectors are entering or leaving the leading-quadrant cluster. It does not say what to do about it; that's a function of the user's framework (regime, time horizon, mean-reversion vs. momentum bias).

FAQ · from the current data · as of 2026-08-28

Quick answers

Which SPDR sector is leading on relative strength right now?

As of 2026-08-28, XLV (Health Care) ranks #1 of 11 SPDR sectors by 63-day outperformance vs SPY, at +13.1%.

Which SPDR sector is lagging the most?

As of 2026-08-28, XLU (Utilities) ranks last (#11 of 11) by 63-day outperformance vs SPY, at -5.2%.

How many sectors are in the Leading quadrant?

As of 2026-08-28, 3 of 11 SPDR sectors sit in the Leading quadrant (RS-ratio above 100 with positive 21-day outperformance vs SPY); 6 sit in Lagging.

What does the Z-score column mean?

It is the current RS-ratio expressed as standard deviations from its own trailing 63-day mean — a mean-reversion overlay independent of the quadrant. A reading beyond +/-2 marks the sector as statistically stretched or compressed relative to its recent history.