Groupings of companies that react similarly to given economic conditions. Sectors can be as broadly defined as producer stocks and consumer stocks or specifically defined as sub-sectors. Twelve sectors that have the size, individuality, and representational value to be useful for investment purposes are cyclicals, noncyclicals, basic materials, energy, financial, technology, media and entertainment, utilities, health care, real estate, transportation, and retailers/wholesalers. These have been broken down into one hundred or more sub-sectors representing types of business, such as airlines and chemicals. See also Sector Rotation; Specialized Mutual Fund.




