The sectors of the S&P 500 index are 11 distinct groups of companies that operate in similar industries or sectors. Each sector has its own index and represents a particular portion of the overall market based on their respective size and weight in the S&P 500 index.

The 11 sectors are: Communication Services, Consumer Discretionary, Consumer Staples, Energy, Financials, Health Care, Industrials, Information Technology, Materials, Real Estate and Utilities.

Investors can invest in specific sectors, to build a diversified portfolio. It's advaisable to check whether a sector is particularly expensive, by looking at its P/E.

Furthermore, you can check if a stock is undervalued compared to its sector, by comparing its P/E with the sector's one.

Highest P/E Ratio:
Information Technology: 37.07
Highest deviation vs 10Y Avg P/E:
Financials: +4.41 σ
S&P 500 SECTORS P/E RATIO
Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS)
Last Update: 17 September 2025
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P/E Evaluation
Historical P/E Average
P/E Deviation vs Avg
Trend Margin
S&P 500 Sector P/E Ratio▾ 5 Years 10 Years 20 Years 5 Years 10 Years 20 Years 5 Years 10 Years 20 Years vs SMA-200 Time (ET)
XLK Information Technology 37.07
Overvalued
Expensive
Expensive
 30.43 23.91 18.73
+1.82 σ
+2.27 σ
+3.74 σ
 +14.87% 17 Sep
XLRE Real Estate 35.20
Fair
Fair
-
 38.36 38.13 -
-0.56 σ
-0.79 σ
-
 +1.01% 17 Sep
XLY Consumer Discretionary 29.93
Overvalued
Overvalued
Expensive
 27.28 23.72 19.54
+1.17 σ
+1.62 σ
+2.73 σ
 +11.13% 17 Sep
XLB Materials 27.36
Expensive
Expensive
Expensive
 19.50 17.84 15.85
+2.30 σ
+3.88 σ
+5.47 σ
 +3.68% 17 Sep
SPY S&P 500 Index 27.16
Overvalued
Expensive
Expensive
 22.17 19.18 16.13
+1.87 σ
+2.86 σ
+4.26 σ
 +10.26% 17 Sep
XLI Industrials 26.30
Overvalued
Expensive
Expensive
 22.42 19.34 16.62
+1.58 σ
+2.28 σ
+3.86 σ
 +7.78% 17 Sep
XLV Health Care 24.09
Fair
Overvalued
Expensive
 23.12 20.32 17.63
+0.20 σ
+1.32 σ
+2.46 σ
 -1.22% 17 Sep
XLP Consumer Staples 23.27
Fair
Overvalued
Expensive
 22.29 20.57 18.13
+0.68 σ
+1.72 σ
+2.29 σ
 -0.64% 17 Sep
XLU Utilities 21.02
Overvalued
Overvalued
Expensive
 19.88 18.58 16.40
+1.12 σ
+1.85 σ
+2.30 σ
 +5.01% 17 Sep
XLF Financials 19.72
Expensive
Expensive
Expensive
 14.98 13.78 12.84
+2.78 σ
+4.41 σ
+5.43 σ
 +6.86% 17 Sep
XLC Communication Services 19.43
Fair
Fair
Overvalued
 20.85 17.70 15.81
-0.69 σ
+0.50 σ
+1.37 σ
 +16.31% 17 Sep
XLE Energy 17.76
Overvalued
Fair
Fair
 12.44 18.62 14.35
+1.87 σ
-0.11 σ
+0.68 σ
 +3.38% 17 Sep
Methodology

The Average P/E (μ) and the Standard Deviation (σ) are calculated excluding 20% outliers (i.e. over a range of values excluding 10% of observations from the top and 10% from the bottom of the dataset). Additionally, P/E values greater than 70 or lower than 1 are logarithmically normalized to reduce distortions.

A P/E between (μ - σ) and (μ + σ) is considered "Fair", over a specific timeframe.
A P/E greater than (μ + σ) is defined "Overvalued", greater than (μ + 2σ) is defined "Expensive".
A P/E less than (μ - σ) is defined "Undervalued", less than (μ - 2σ) is defined "Cheap".

The Trend is considered positive if the ETF price is higher than the 200-day moving average (SMA).

S&P 500 SECTORS - EVALUATION DIAGRAM
Long Term Trend and P/E Ratio
Last Update: 17 September 2025

Sector Details

Defensive sectors are those that tend to perform well in economic downturns because they offer products or services that are necessary for everyday life. These sectors include Consumer Staples, Health Care, and Utilities.

  • Consumer Staples include products such as food, beverages, and household goods, which are necessary for daily living.
  • Health Care includes companies in the healthcare industry, which will always be necessary no matter the economic climate.
  • Utilities include companies that provide essential services such as electricity, water, and gas.

Non-defensive sectors, on the other hand, are those that tend to perform well in economic boom times. These sectors include Consumer Discretionary and Information Technology/Communication Services.

  • Consumer Discretionary includes companies that sell products that people can live without, such as luxury goods and entertainment.
  • Information Technology and Communication Services include companies that provide technology-related services and products, such as software and hardware.

The remaining sectors, Energy, Financials, Industrials, Materials and Real Estate, are not necessarily defensive or non-defensive as a whole. They can be influenced by factors such as interest rates, commodity prices, and economic growth.