US Stock Market Sector Analysis – Thursday, December 26, 2024 MIXED

Energy weakness led today’s tape as the sector continues a deep 20-day decline of -10.3%, pressuring broader risk appetite in the US stock market. The S&P 500 saw mixed action with 6 sectors up, 11 down and 7 flat, while only 8 of 24 sectors remain above their 50-day moving averages. The Magnificent 7 collectively cooled, with Apple (AAPL) $257.38 up 0.3% and NVIDIA (NVDA) $139.72 down 0.2%, while Tesla (TSLA) $454.13 slid 1.8% after topping the 50-day by 105.2%. Traders reacted to the sector divergence: Chip Supply Chain names showed active dispersion (Broadcom (AVGO) $242.27 +2.4%, AMD $125.06 -1.0%) and defensive Healthcare leadership saw selective strength in names like UnitedHealth (UNH) $492.20 +1.0%.

Market Condition Dashboard

US 10-Year Treasury Yield

Sell / Wait

4.58%

rising

Impact

Confidence

Crude Oil (WTI)

Neutral

$69.62

-0.7% 1D

Impact

Confidence

VIX (Fear Index)

Normal Range

14.7

+3.2% 1D

Impact

Confidence

Tracked Stocks Breadth (50DMA)

Add Cash

48%

33 of 68 above 50DMA · +11.8pp 5D

Impact

Confidence

Put/Call Ratio (5D)

Caution

0.75

Call-Heavy · stable

Impact

Confidence

Signal analysis only — not investment advice

Sector Performance (Base=100)

AI and Technology Sector Analysis

The AI investment theme remains central but nuanced: the Mag 7 continue to lead the narrative with Alphabet (GOOG) $196.08 and Microsoft (MSFT) $432.97 holding above their 50-day trends, yet short-term gains are uneven across the group. Chip Supply Chain participants are trading on mixed signals — Broadcom (AVGO) $242.27 advanced while AMD $125.06 and TSMC (TSM) $199.33 pulled back — suggesting investors are differentiating between secular AI demand and near-term fab cadence. Infrastructure and Enterprise Software remain relevant to AI deployment: strong 50-day breadth in Enterprise Software supports durable enterprise spend, while select infrastructure names are under pressure as capital intensity and timing of data center buildouts are reassessed.

US Stock Sector Overview

Sector	1D	5D	20D	vs 50MA
Mag 7 (AI Spenders)	-0.5%	+3.1%	+12.2%	ABOVE
Chip Supply Chain	-0.3%	+5.6%	+10.3%	BELOW
Infrastructure	-0.1%	+5.5%	-1.3%	BELOW
Enterprise Software	-0.3%	+4.4%	+5.3%	ABOVE
Finance	+0.0%	+4.6%	-3.1%	ABOVE
Healthcare	+0.4%	+4.7%	-7.5%	BELOW
Retail	-0.1%	-0.3%	+0.3%	ABOVE
IT Services	-0.1%	-1.4%	-0.7%	ABOVE
Airlines	-0.3%	+4.5%	+1.4%	ABOVE
Hospitality & Travel	-0.2%	+2.5%	-1.0%	ABOVE
Food & Restaurant	+1.2%	+2.5%	-4.5%	BELOW
Logistics	+1.3%	+2.0%	-7.3%	BELOW
Industrial	+0.6%	+2.0%	-4.0%	BELOW
Cybersecurity	-0.2%	+2.0%	-1.8%	BELOW
Chip Equipment	-0.3%	+2.8%	+2.8%	BELOW
Data Center REITs	-0.3%	+2.2%	-5.3%	BELOW
Utilities	-0.6%	+2.1%	-7.8%	BELOW
Energy	+0.1%	+1.5%	-10.3%	BELOW
Defense & Aerospace	+0.3%	+2.0%	-4.8%	BELOW
Telecom	+0.2%	+1.4%	-6.8%	BELOW
Media & Entertainment	-0.4%	+1.8%	+0.7%	ABOVE
Biotech	-0.0%	+2.2%	-1.5%	BELOW
Materials	-0.3%	+0.9%	-9.2%	BELOW
Analog & Embedded Chips	-0.3%	+4.2%	-8.8%	BELOW

Sector Strength

Logistics +1.3% 20d: -7.3%

FedEx (FDX) +2.5% (20d: -7.7%) [<50MA], UPS +0.1% (20d: -6.9%) [<50MA]

Food & Restaurant +1.2% 20d: -4.5%

Starbucks (SBUX) +2.2% (20d: -9.5%) [<50MA], McDonald's (MCD) +0.3% (20d: +0.5%) [<50MA]

Industrial +0.6% 20d: -4.0%

Honeywell (HON) +1.3% (20d: +1.0%), Caterpillar (CAT) -0.1% (20d: -9.1%) [<50MA]

Healthcare +0.4% 20d: -7.5%

UnitedHealth (UNH) +1.0% (20d: -15.7%) [<50MA], Eli Lilly (LLY) -0.2% (20d: +0.8%) [<50MA]

Defense & Aerospace +0.3% 20d: -4.8%

Lockheed Martin (LMT) +0.4% (20d: -6.2%) [<50MA], General Dynamics (GD) +0.3% (20d: -5.5%) [<50MA], RTX Corp (RTX) +0.2% (20d: -2.7%) [<50MA]

Sector Warnings

Utilities -0.6% 20d: -7.8%

NextEra Energy (NEE) -0.7% (20d: -7.8%) [<50MA], Duke Energy (DUK) -0.6% (20d: -7.8%) [<50MA], Southern Co (SO) -0.4% (20d: -7.7%) [<50MA]

Mag 7 (AI Spenders) -0.5% 20d: +12.2%

Tesla (TSLA) -1.8% (20d: +36.4%), Amazon (AMZN) -0.9% (20d: +10.4%), Meta (META) -0.7% (20d: +6.1%)

Media & Entertainment -0.4% 20d: +0.7%

Netflix (NFLX) -0.9% (20d: +5.3%), Disney (DIS) -0.0% (20d: -3.9%)

Data Center REITs -0.3% 20d: -5.3%

Digital Realty (DLR) -0.5% (20d: -7.5%) [<50MA], Equinix (EQIX) -0.2% (20d: -3.1%)

Chip Supply Chain -0.3% 20d: +10.3%

ARM Holdings (ARM) -1.6% (20d: -2.8%) [<50MA], TSMC (TSM) -1.6% (20d: +12.4%), AMD -1.0% (20d: -8.2%) [<50MA]

Sector Deep Dive

Chip Supply Chain saw intra-sector bifurcation today as the group is -0.3% on the day and sits below its 50-day average, though its 20-day return is +10.3% reflecting recent AI-related restocking. Broadcom (AVGO) $242.27 led gainers with a +2.4% move, while AMD $125.06 was a notable laggard at -1.0% and TSMC (TSM) $199.33 declined -1.6%; over the 50-day window the sector is below the 50-day trend, signaling that short-term AI demand has not fully re-rated the entire supply chain.

Enterprise Software is trading at -0.3% today but stands ABOVE its 50-day moving average with a robust 50-day gain of +30.7%, indicating sustained enterprise investment cycles. Key software providers are benefiting from backlog conversion and cloud migration, underpinning the sector’s outperformance over the last 50 trading days and suggesting durable software spending that supports AI adoption across corporates.

Logistics and Industrials showed differentiated strength: Logistics is +1.3% today but remains below its 50-day average (-1.4%), while Industrial is +0.6% and sits flat against its 50-day (0.0%). FedEx (FDX) $217.65 led with +2.5%, reflecting improving holiday volumes, but the broader 50-day context implies seasonal lift rather than a sustained trend reversal for capacity-sensitive names.

Healthcare dynamics remain defensive as the sector is +0.4% today but is below its 50-day average by -11.7% over the 50-day window, flagged as an active alert area for longer-term underperformance. UnitedHealth (UNH) $492.20 rose +1.0% as payor fundamentals held up, yet the larger group shows negative 50-day breadth and joins several sectors on the watch list for extended declines.

Market Breadth Analysis

US stock market breadth analysis shows 8 of 24 sectors trading above their 50-day moving average, while 16 are below. With the majority of sectors below the 50-day MA, medium-term momentum is deteriorating. The 20-day breadth shows 17 sectors in negative territory, pointing to widespread selling pressure.

Interactive Charts

S&P 500 & NASDAQ 100

50-Day Sector Performance

1-Day vs 5-Day Sector Change

Active Alerts

HIGH Energy down -10.3% over 20 days

HIGH 8 sectors declining >5% over 20 days: Healthcare, Logistics, Data Center REITs, Utilities, Energy, Telecom, Materials, Analog & Embedded Chips

HIGH 5 sectors declining >10% over 50 days: Healthcare, Utilities, Defense & Aerospace, Materials, Analog & Embedded Chips

Stock-Level Detail

Mag 7 (AI Spenders) Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
AAPL	$257.38	+0.3%	+3.7%	+10.3%	+11.9%	ABOVE	0
NVDA	$139.72	-0.2%	+7.1%	+3.4%	+3.1%	ABOVE	1
GOOG	$196.08	-0.2%	+3.9%	+15.5%	+18.3%	ABOVE	1
MSFT	$432.97	-0.3%	+0.2%	+3.6%	+5.5%	ABOVE	1
META	$600.38	-0.7%	+1.3%	+6.1%	+4.7%	ABOVE	1
AMZN	$227.05	-0.9%	+1.7%	+10.4%	+21.5%	ABOVE	1
TSLA	$454.13	-1.8%	+4.1%	+36.4%	+105.2%	ABOVE	1

Chip Supply Chain Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
AVGO	$242.27	+2.4%	+12.7%	+54.1%	+39.1%	ABOVE	0
INTC	$20.44	+0.2%	+7.2%	-13.6%	-8.4%	BELOW	0
MRVL	$115.18	-0.2%	+6.0%	+28.4%	+41.7%	ABOVE	1
QCOM	$153.50	-0.5%	+5.4%	+1.9%	-7.1%	BELOW	1
AMD	$125.06	-1.0%	+5.2%	-8.2%	-19.9%	BELOW	1
TSM	$199.33	-1.6%	+4.3%	+12.4%	+8.7%	ABOVE	2
ARM	$129.69	-1.6%	-1.8%	-2.8%	-15.0%	BELOW	1

Infrastructure Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
HPE	$21.25	+0.6%	+6.1%	+6.6%	+6.1%	ABOVE	0
DELL	$116.28	+0.3%	+6.5%	-4.1%	-5.5%	BELOW	0
CSCO	$57.63	+0.2%	+4.1%	+1.2%	+6.4%	ABOVE	0
VRT	$118.66	+0.1%	+3.0%	-6.3%	+6.5%	BELOW	0
SMCI	$33.74	-1.7%	+8.0%	-3.8%	-30.8%	BELOW	1

Enterprise Software Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
ADBE	$450.16	+0.5%	+2.9%	-12.4%	-10.4%	BELOW	0
PLTR	$82.14	-0.3%	+10.7%	+24.4%	+95.9%	ABOVE	1
NOW	$219.82	-0.6%	+2.3%	+5.5%	+19.6%	ABOVE	1
CRM	$337.78	-0.8%	+1.6%	+3.7%	+17.6%	ABOVE	1

Finance Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
JPM	$234.77	+0.3%	+4.4%	-2.7%	+8.7%	ABOVE	0
GS	$564.14	-0.3%	+4.9%	-3.5%	+10.2%	ABOVE	1

Healthcare Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
UNH	$492.20	+1.0%	+4.5%	-15.7%	-10.2%	BELOW	0
LLY	$785.59	-0.2%	+4.8%	+0.8%	-13.2%	BELOW	2

Retail Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
WMT	$91.55	+0.1%	-0.7%	+1.2%	+14.5%	ABOVE	0
COST	$948.50	-0.3%	+0.1%	-0.6%	+7.9%	ABOVE	1

IT Services Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
IBM	$216.39	+0.2%	+0.4%	-0.9%	-3.0%	ABOVE	0
ACN	$348.18	-0.3%	-3.2%	-0.5%	-3.2%	ABOVE	1

Airlines Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
DAL	$61.18	-0.3%	+3.3%	-1.9%	+10.8%	ABOVE	1
UAL	$100.87	-0.3%	+5.6%	+4.7%	+40.1%	ABOVE	1

Hospitality & Travel Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
MAR	$282.68	+0.1%	+2.7%	+0.3%	+9.4%	ABOVE	0
BKNG	$201.37	-0.5%	+2.3%	-2.3%	+17.7%	ABOVE	1

Food & Restaurant Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
SBUX	$88.39	+2.2%	+3.5%	-9.5%	-3.2%	BELOW	0
MCD	$284.55	+0.3%	+1.6%	+0.5%	-5.2%	BELOW	0

Logistics Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
FDX	$217.65	+2.5%	+1.0%	-7.7%	+3.0%	BELOW	0
UPS	$114.67	+0.1%	+3.0%	-6.9%	-5.8%	BELOW	0

Industrial Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
HON	$221.96	+1.3%	+2.2%	+1.0%	+6.4%	ABOVE	0
CAT	$360.13	-0.1%	+1.9%	-9.1%	-6.4%	BELOW	1

Cybersecurity Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
ZS	$187.63	+0.2%	+2.4%	-8.5%	-2.0%	BELOW	0
CRWD	$91.27	-0.2%	+4.0%	+5.0%	+19.2%	ABOVE	1
PANW	$188.50	-0.5%	-0.5%	-1.9%	+1.0%	BELOW	1

Chip Equipment Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
LRCX	$73.18	+0.2%	+3.9%	+3.7%	+0.1%	BELOW	0
AMAT	$165.48	-0.5%	+3.8%	-2.2%	-9.0%	BELOW	1
ASML	$706.61	-0.5%	+0.8%	+6.8%	+5.0%	ABOVE	2

Data Center REITs Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
EQIX	$917.56	-0.2%	+2.9%	-3.1%	+8.3%	ABOVE	1
DLR	$171.81	-0.5%	+1.5%	-7.5%	+11.4%	BELOW	1

Utilities Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
SO	$78.88	-0.4%	+1.3%	-7.7%	-9.5%	BELOW	1
DUK	$102.76	-0.6%	+1.1%	-7.8%	-8.7%	BELOW	1
NEE	$69.20	-0.7%	+3.7%	-7.8%	-13.7%	BELOW	1

Energy Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
CVX	$135.03	+0.1%	+2.0%	-11.2%	-2.2%	BELOW	0
XOM	$101.35	+0.1%	+0.9%	-9.5%	-11.0%	BELOW	0

Defense & Aerospace Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA
LMT	$470.38	+0.4%	+2.2%	-6.2%	-19.5%	BELOW
GD	$258.01	+0.3%	+2.5%	-5.5%	-12.5%	BELOW
RTX	$114.04	+0.2%	+1.4%	-2.7%	-6.8%	BELOW

Telecom Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA
VZ	$35.60	+0.4%	-0.0%	-10.0%	-9.0%	BELOW
TMUS	$218.01	+0.3%	+2.6%	-9.1%	+2.2%	BELOW
T	$21.21	+0.0%	+1.7%	-1.3%	+5.8%	ABOVE

Media & Entertainment Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
DIS	$110.47	-0.0%	+1.1%	-3.9%	+16.8%	ABOVE	1
NFLX	$92.41	-0.9%	+2.5%	+5.3%	+31.6%	ABOVE	1

Biotech Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
GILD	$90.73	+0.5%	+3.6%	+3.0%	+9.7%	ABOVE	0
AMGN	$251.23	-0.5%	+0.8%	-6.0%	-17.5%	BELOW	1

Materials Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
APD	$282.13	-0.3%	+0.7%	-11.4%	-9.7%	BELOW	1
LIN	$415.97	-0.3%	+1.1%	-6.9%	-12.1%	BELOW	1

Analog & Embedded Chips Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
MCHP	$56.07	-0.2%	+4.4%	-13.8%	-22.4%	BELOW	1
TXN	$183.56	-0.4%	+3.9%	-3.7%	-3.8%	BELOW	1

Key Stock Movers

Today's biggest movers by absolute percentage change: FedEx (FDX) (Logistics) rose 2.5% to $217.65. Broadcom (AVGO) (Chip Supply Chain) rose 2.4% to $242.27. Starbucks (SBUX) (Food & Restaurant) rose 2.2% to $88.39. Tesla (TSLA) (Mag 7 (AI Spenders)) fell 1.8% to $454.13. Super Micro (SMCI) (Infrastructure) fell 1.7% to $33.74. These individual stock movements were key drivers of their respective sector performance.

Risk and Opportunity Assessment

On the risk side, 3 high-severity alerts are currently active, signaling significant sector declines that warrant portfolio risk management attention. Consider reducing exposure to affected sectors and tightening stop-loss levels.

US Stock Market Outlook

Near-term outlook is cautious: active alerts highlight Energy down -10.3% over 20 days and eight sectors off more than 5% over 20 days, while only 8 sectors sit above their 50-day moving averages. Breadth metrics point to a market in selective rotation with the S&P 500 dependent on Mag 7 leadership and clear winners within Enterprise Software and select chip names; watch the 50-day trends for confirmation before adding risk. Positioning guidance: favor high-conviction exposure to Enterprise Software and niche AI infrastructure leaders while trimming cyclicals and energy exposure until the 50-day technical backdrop stabilizes.

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