WHICH SECTORS ARE CRUSHING AN WHICH ARE CRYING OVER THIER RETURNS WITHIN THE FIRST 3 MONTHS OF 2026
u/Any_Pomegranate1134 ·
Reddit — r/wallstreetbets
· April 06, 2026 at 14:48
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Winning Sectors (S&P 500, Q1 returns as of March 31)
Energy dominated everything — the gap between best and worst sectors hit nearly 50 percentage points.
|Rank|Sector|Q1 Return|Key Driver|
|:-|:-|:-|:-|
||
|1|Energy|**+37.9%**|Oil price surge from Iran war disruptions (Strait of Hormuz shipping issues)|
|2|Materials|**+10.7%**|Commodity strength tied to energy/inflation|
|3|Utilities|**+8.3%**|Defensive play in risk-off environment|
|4|Consumer Staples|**+6.1%**|Defensive, inflation-resistant|
|5|Industrials|**+4.6%**|Value rotation + domestic focus|
# Losing Sectors (S&P 500, Q1 returns)
Growth and rate-sensitive sectors suffered the most.
|Rank|Sector|Q1 Return|Key Driver|
|:-|:-|:-|:-|
||
|1|Financials|**-9.4%**|Private credit worries, AI exposure, higher-for-longer rates|
|2|Consumer Discretionary|**-8.5%**|Rotation out of growth + high valuations|
|3|Information Technology|**-7.5%**|“AI loser trade” — fears AI disrupts software/business models|
|4|Communication Services|**-5.5%**|Tech-adjacent weakness|
|5|Health Care|**-4.9%**|Mild laggard in rotation|