President Donald Trump crossed a milestone last Friday as his second term reached the 200-day mark.
Though the ride has been anything but calm, the S&P 500 and most major sectors have managed to log gains in the volatile opening stretch of Trump 2.0.
Sector Performance
The S&P 500 has climbed 6.6% so far, trailing the 9% seen at the same point in Trump's first term, according to Bespoke Investment Group.
At the sector level, eight of 11 categories — Technology, Communication Services, Industrials, Utilities, Consumer Staples, Financials, Materials and Real Estate — are higher today.
Nine categories — Technology, Industrials, Utilities, Consumer Staples, Financials, Materials, Real Estate, Health Care and Consumer Discretionary — were higher during the opening months of Trump 1.0.
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For most groups, the gap between eras has been modest — but there are clear standouts. Communication Services is faring far better now, while Consumer Discretionary and Health Care are underperforming noticeably.
Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) stumbles have weighed heavily on discretionary stocks, despite the optimism around CEO Elon Musk immediately after Trump's re-election.
Stock Performance
Palantir Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR) leads all names in the S&P 500 with a stunning 160% gain in Trump's first 200 days.
Dollar General Corp. (NYSE:DG) holds the number two position, but lags behind Palantir by more than 90 points.
Tech companies dominate the winners' list with seven of the top 20 best-performing stocks, more than any other sector.
Trump's first term saw Align Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALGN) from the health care sector as the early standout, alongside Arista Networks, Inc. (NYSE:ANET) and Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRTX). Back then, Consumer Discretionary stocks featured most prominently among the top gainers.
The most surprising thread across both presidencies? Utilities.
NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NRG) delivered strong returns in each period and was the only stock to make the top 20 in both of Trump's terms.
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