Table of Contents

What is the GICS classification system? 

What are the 11 different stock market sectors? 

FAQs about stock market sectors

The bottom line

LearnStock MarketThe 11 Different Stock Market Sectors

The 11 Different Stock Market Sectors

Jul 26, 2022

·

6 min read

Learn all about how the classification system that separates the stock market into 11 sectors can help investors understand the different sectors of the economy.

With thousands of companies in the U.S. stock market, investors need a system to make sense of it all. To help sort things, companies in the stock market are broken into 11 sectors. Knowing these sectors can help investors understand the market and build diversified portfolios.

What is the GICS classification system? 

The Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) is a system of identifying publicly traded companies according to their business operations. The GISC was developed by S&P Dow Jones Indices and Morgan Stanley Capital International in 1999. It now serves as the basis for many mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

Each firm is grouped into a sector, which is then further broken down by industry group, industry, and sub-industry. There are 11 sectors, 24 industry groups, 69 industries, and 158 sub-industries. Investors can use a company's classification to construct a diversified portfolio and to identify competitors of a company in the same industry. 

What are the 11 different stock market sectors? 

Here are the 11 stock market sectors, starting with the highest-growth stock sector from 2017 to 2022 and descending in order. 

Information technology sector

The information technology sector includes companies that make software, build IT equipment and hardware, implement technological solutions, and produce semiconductor chips. Some of the companies in this sector also make communications equipment such as mobile phones and laptops. Out of the 11 sectors, IT showed the highest growth in the three years leading up to mid-2022 and was the top performer in 2019 and 2020. The IT sector includes some of the market's largest companies, such as Alphabet (Google), Meta (Facebook), and Apple.

Health care sector

Companies in the health care sector provide medical services, make medical equipment, research and produce pharmaceuticals, sell health insurance, and otherwise facilitate health care for individuals. Despite dips in the stock market over the past three years, health care sector gains outpaced those of the S&P 500

Consumer discretionary sector

Companies within this sector market their products and services to consumers, who in turn buy these goods with discretionary income. Some of the businesses in this sector are in retail, travel, automobiles, restaurants, and luxury goods, to name a few. The fortunes of many of these companies rise and fall with the economy because they depend on consumers having extra cash to spend. The consumer discretionary sector showed steady growth from 2017 to 2021, but the S&P 500’s growth outpaced this sector in each year.

Materials sector

This sector includes companies that take raw materials or natural resources and turn them into something more usable. Companies that produce chemicals, construction materials, packaging, glass, paper, metals, and more are involved in this sector. Stocks here often do well when the economy is growing, and they're influenced by inflation and changes in the U.S. dollar. The materials sector almost matched the growth of the S&P 500 over the past three years and showed one of the strongest recoveries after the initial market drop in 2020. 

Financial sector

Businesses in this sector provide financial services to commercial and retail customers. Generally, that includes brokerage firms along with companies involved in banking, money markets, mortgages, investing, and insurance. Stocks in the financial sector may perform well when rates on loans rise. Lower loan demand, however, may weigh on earning potential. Between late 2020 and late 2021, this was one of the highest-performing sectors in the S&P 500 index. 

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Consumer staples sector

Companies within the consumer staples sector make goods that are always needed, such as food, beverages, and household and personal-care products. You'll also find retail companies that specialize in selling these goods, such as grocery stores. This sector may remain stable or potentially even provide growth during economic slumps. Similar to the materials sector, consumer staples almost matched the growth of the S&P 500 in the three years leading up to mid-2022. During the pandemic-related market drop in 2020, the consumer staples and healthcare sectors dipped but still fared better than the nine others.

Utilities sector

The utilities sector includes businesses that deliver electricity, gas, and water to consumers. Many renewable-energy companies are also included here. This sector has provided steady returns since 2017—and while it only showed modest growth in the first half of 2022, it was only one of four sectors to show growth at all.

Real estate sector

Companies in the real estate sector are involved in developing and managing real estate. Here you'll find many real estate investment trusts (REITs) and companies engaged in real estate leasing, management, and development. Growth in this sector lagged in the three years leading up to mid-2022, compared to the S&P 500 index.

Industrials sector

Growth in the industrials sector also lagged in the three years leading up to mid-2022, compared to the S&P 500. This sector includes companies that make and sell equipment and provide commercial, professional, and transportation services. Some of the industries in this sector include aerospace, defense, construction, engineering, and infrastructure. 

Communication services sector

Often the lowest-performing sector in the decade leading up to 2022, communication services is the newest in the lineup and encompasses two major categories: telecommunications services, and entertainment and media. On the telecommunication services end there are companies that provide wireless, fiber-optic, cable, and internet services. In the other category, entertainment and media, there are companies that engage in broadcasting, entertainment, streaming services, social media, and more.

Energy sector

The energy sector is made up of companies that explore, produce, and store fuels such as oil, natural gas, and coal. These businesses engage in a wide range of services, such as exploring, drilling, refining, transporting, manufacturing equipment, and marketing. The energy sector experiences volatility and performs well when oil prices are high. So although energy vastly underperformed the S&P 500 in 2020, the sector turned around and produced the highest returns since then.  

FAQs about stock market sectors

What is the sector breakdown of the S&P 500 Index? 

The S&P 500 is an index that tracks the performance of the U.S. stock market, based on the stock prices of 500 large domestic companies. All 11 sectors are represented in the S&P 500, but the weightings—which are based on the total market value of the companies in each sector—change over time. As of June 2022, the most heavily represented sector was information technology. The entire breakdown is as follows:

  • Information technology: 27.1%
  • Health care: 14.4%
  • Financials: 11.2%
  • Consumer discretionary: 10.9%
  • Communication services: 8.8%
  • Industrials: 7.8%
  • Consumer staples: 6.5%
  • Energy: 4.8%
  • Utilities: 3.0%
  • Materials: 2.8%
  • Real estate: 2.8%

What is diversification and why is it important? 

Diversification

is a method where investors spread their money across different types of investments to reduce exposure to risk. You've probably heard the proverb "Don't put all your eggs in one basket." Diversification helps with that because each type of investment offers different potential for gains and losses. So to diversify, a person may choose to invest in stocks across different sectors and company sizes, for instance, and spread some of their money across different asset classes, too. 

The bottom line

The stock market may seem overwhelming, but the classification system that separates the stock market into 11 sectors can help investors understand the different sectors of the economy. An individual can choose to invest in a single company, within an industry, or across multiple sectors to increase exposure and reduce risk. Or, they may choose to invest in a fund that offers exposure to multiple sectors.

Disclosures

Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, Titan has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation. In addition, this content may include third-party advertisements; Titan has not reviewed such advertisements and does not endorse any advertising content contained therein.

This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investors or prospective investors, and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any strategy managed by Titan. Any investments referred to, or described are not representative of all investments in strategies managed by Titan, and there can be no assurance that the investments will be profitable or that other investments made in the future will have similar characteristics or results.

Charts and graphs provided within are for informational purposes solely and should not be relied upon when making any investment decision. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The content speaks only as of the date indicated. Any projections, estimates, forecasts, targets, prospects, and/or opinions expressed in these materials are subject to change without notice and may differ or be contrary to opinions expressed by others. Please see Titan’s Legal Page for additional important information.

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