S&P 500 Sector Sentiment — 2026-02-17

Core-Brief February 17, 2026

Source

S&P 500 Sector Sentiment — 2026-02-17

Current tone: neutral

Latest score: 55.5/100

Cross-sector dispersion: 96.9 pts

The Sector map is highlighting a clear divide between leaders and laggards, with Energy and Industrials taking the reins. Energy and Industrials are driving the momentum, while Technology and Financials are lagging behind. A Forward return playbook is essential in navigating this complex landscape, where sector rotation is key to success. By understanding the dynamics at play, traders can make informed decisions and stay ahead of the curve.

Scan the Forward return playbook for context, then the Sector map for leadership and laggards.

Leaders include Energy, Industrials.

Laggards include Technology, Financials.

Forward return playbook (SPX)

Historical medians and hit ratios from past dates that looked similar to today (conditional on the sentiment regime + a tight score band).

Horizon	Median SPX	Hit Ratio	N
1M	0.5%	56.7%	360
3M	1.2%	59.2%	360
6M	1.5%	60.8%	360
12M	6.2%	67.2%	360

Sector map (0=cold, 100=hot)

Leading / Hot

Energy: 99.9/100
Industrials: 95.7/100
Materials: 94.7/100

Lagging / Cold

Technology: 3.0/100
Financials: 8.2/100
Consumer Disc.: 8.6/100

Neutral

Real Estate: 93.8/100
Consumer Staples: 90.6/100
Utilities: 76.4/100
Health Care: 28.2/100
Comm. Services: 11.8/100

Read-through

Higher dispersion usually means stock selection and factor tilts matter more than pure index direction.
Use the playbook as a bias check, then size risk around the sector map (leaders vs laggards).