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22 May
Wednesday Sector Laggards: Energy, Utilities

The worst performing sector as of midday Wednesday is the Energy sector, showing a 1.5% loss. Within that group, Schlumberger Ltd (Symbol: SLB) and Targa Resources Corp (Symbol: TRGP) are two large stocks that are lagging, showing a loss of 3.3% and 2.9%, respectively. Among energy ETFs, one ETF following the sector is the Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (Symbol: XLE), which is down 1.5% on the day, and up 11.16% year-to-date. Schlumberger Ltd, meanwhile, is down 9.74% year-to-date, and Targa Resources Corp is up 33.60% year-to-date. Combined, SLB and TRGP make up approximately 5.8% of the underlying holdings of XLE.

The next worst performing sector is the Utilities sector, showing a 0.8% loss. Among large Utilities stocks, NRG Energy Inc (Symbol: NRG) and WEC Energy Group Inc (Symbol: WEC) are the most notable, showing a loss of 2.9% and 2.3%, respectively. One ETF closely tracking Utilities stocks is the Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU), which is down 0.7% in midday trading, and up 15.08% on a year-to-date basis. NRG Energy Inc, meanwhile, is up 57.49% year-to-date, and WEC Energy Group Inc is up 0.14% year-to-date. Combined, NRG and WEC make up approximately 4.0% of the underlying holdings of XLU.

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 Wednesday. As you can see, two sectors are up on the day, while six sectors are down.

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.