the rise and fall of the economy.
The S&P 500's healthcare and utilities sectors were the performance leaders over the last month,rising 2.9 percent and 2.6 percent, respectively. That'sdespite a 1.5 percent fall in year-over-year earnings growth inutilities in the first quarter
ugg outlet a number of companies have sprung up that produce them. However, worst of the S&P's 10 sectors.
Healthcare, long a go-nowhere sector
christian louboutin flats , has had a whoppingrally. The sector has gained for seven straight weeks, and isup 14.9 percent this year, best of the 10 S&P sectors.^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
GRAPHICS:
S&P sector strength r.reuters.com/tez38r)
Defensive outperformance: r.reuters.com/gug59r^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Energy , down 7.8 percent in the last seven weeks,is the worst performer in that time.
Goldman Sachs says it has become "much less confident inthe near-term equity picture
christian louboutin flats ," exiting what it called its "toptrade" in U.S. banks, and doing the same with a trade that waslong industrial shares relative to consumer staples.
Cliggott sees a 10 percent decline at the end of the Fed'sso-called QE2 stimulus program -- which is what happened at theend of the first round of Fed buying -- as the "base case"scenario. The firm continues to recommend a shortfinancial/long health care trade
christian louboutin flats , as well as a long consumerstaples/short consumer discretionary trade.
EPFR Global, which tracks fund flows, said Friday thatglobal equity funds experienced their first outflow sincemid-March.
SMALL CAPS AND IPOS
Small and mid-cap stocks, which typically lead a strongmarket, have started to see their relative outperformance tolarge caps wane. Meanwhile, momentum indicators show thestrength in S&P 500 is starting to decline as well.
There are also signs of fatigue in the IPO market after aflood of Chinese IPOs and leveraged buyouts at the start of theyear.
Shares of Chinese dating website Jiayuan.com (DATE.O: Quote) fellin their Nasdaq debut, while social networking site Renren(RENN.N: Quote)
christian louboutin flats , dubbed China's Facebook, reversed all its gains onits market debut and traded below its offer price.
Goldman argues stocks have been driven further thaneconomic fundamentals justify b