Global vs. Domestic Sector Performance

August 19, 2008

Hickey and Walters (Bespoke) submit:

Global vs Domestic Sector Performance

ln the table at right, we highlight the year-to-date performance of the ten MSCI US and World Ex US sectors. This highlights the difference between sector performance in the US and everywhere else in the World. As shown, all sectors except for Financials have done better in the US than outside of the US this year, with both consumer sectors outperforming by the widest margin. Consumer sectors are largely driven by domestic economics, so it says something about where the US stands versus other countries. The Consumer Staples sector in the US is down just 1.37% year to date, while outside of the US, the sector is down 15.84%. Aside from the consumer sectors, Industrials, Materials and Technology have also shown strong outperformance in the US. Energy, Health Care and Utilities are about even.