A new leadership pack emerges in US industries as metals, chips and capital markets drive the tape higher today

Defensive sectors and structurally challenged consumer groups continue to lag even as broader risk appetite improves

Executive Summary Date: Jan 07, 2026

Strength is concentrated in Metals & Mining, Semiconductors, Capital Markets and select Technology Hardware, aligning with renewed equity market highs and strong demand for AI and commodities. Financials, particularly Banks, remain firm participants in the risk-on advance. On the other side, Tobacco, Food Products and parts of Consumer Finance and Diversified Consumer Services are weighed down by regulation, slower spending and credit‑risk concerns. Multi-Utilities and some transportation-linked exposures remain under pressure from energy and macro cross‑currents. Overall, cyclical and growth-oriented technology and resources lead, while defensive staples and structurally pressured consumer industries lag.

Top 10 Strongest Industries
(Long bias)

1. Metals & Mining
   Final Score: 98.87
   Before: #1 → Now: #1
   Why they are strong: Recent market action highlights that gains in mining shares have been key drivers of equity index strength, reflecting continued investor demand for miners.
   Key Players: Freeport-McMoRan, Newmont, Rio Tinto

2. Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment
   Final Score: 95.70
   Before: #3 → Now: #2
   Why they are strong: Chipmakers remain in focus as global equity indices hit records, with investor enthusiasm supported by ongoing demand for advanced semiconductors.
   Key Players: NVIDIA, Intel, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing

3. Capital Markets
   Final Score: 96.15
   Before: #2 → Now: #3
   Why they are strong: Capital markets firms benefit as the S&P 500 and Dow close at fresh records, signaling strong trading, asset management and underwriting conditions.
   Key Players: Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Charles Schwab

4. Machinery
   Final Score: 98.87
   Before: #4 → Now: #4
   Why they are strong: Cyclical, industrially exposed names such as machinery companies tend to perform well alongside record equity benchmarks and broad risk‑on sentiment.
   Key Players: Caterpillar, Deere, Honeywell International

5. Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components
   Final Score: 95.02
   Before: #5 → Now: #5
   Why they are strong: Investor appetite for technology hardware and related components is supported by an AI‑driven demand spike that has lifted data‑centric equipment makers.
   Key Players: TE Connectivity, Keysight Technologies, Corning

6. Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals
   Final Score: 86.67
   Before: #12 → Now: #6
   Why they are strong: Data storage and related hardware stocks have rallied on expectations of an AI‑driven demand surge, particularly for enterprise storage solutions.
   Key Players: Apple, Dell Technologies, Western Digital

7. Banks
   Final Score: 86.42
   Before: #7 → Now: #7
   Why they are strong: Large US bank stocks have advanced alongside a broad market rally that pushed the Dow to record highs, reflecting improving risk appetite in financials.
   Key Players: JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo

8. Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods
   Final Score: 95.02
   Before: #6 → Now: #8
   Why they are strong: Consumer‑facing cyclical and discretionary names, including apparel and luxury, are participating in the equity rally as major indices post new records.
   Key Players: Nike, LVMH, Tapestry

9. Aerospace & Defense
   Final Score: 76.23
   Before: #9 → Now: #9
   Why they are strong: Global defense stocks have surged after new US military action signaled a tougher “hard power” era, boosting expectations for sustained defense spending.
   Key Players: Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, RTX

10. Real Estate Management & Development
    Final Score: 84.02
    Before: #11 → Now: #10
    Why they are strong: Real estate management and development companies are tracking broader equity strength as risk assets rally to records, supporting property and fee income expectations.
    Key Players: CBRE Group, Jones Lang LaSalle, Prologis

Bottom 10 Weakest Industries
(Short bias)

47. Commercial Services & Supplies
    Final Score: 29.21
    Before: #44 → Now: #47
    Why they are weak: Parts of the services workforce face pressure from automation, as new research shows AI can already replace a significant share of US roles.
    Key Players: Waste Management, Cintas, Republic Services

48. Diversified REITs
    Final Score: 36.00
    Before: #46 → Now: #48
    Why they are weak: Diversified REITs are lagging as investors rotate toward sectors more directly leveraged to record equity indices and away from some income‑oriented property vehicles.
    Key Players: Vornado Realty Trust, Weyerhaeuser, Alexandria Real Estate Equities

49. Diversified Consumer Services
    Final Score: 19.61
    Before: #49 → Now: #49
    Why they are weak: High prices are weighing on US consumer spending, with recent data showing a slowdown that pressures fee‑based consumer service providers.
    Key Players: Service Corporation International, Bright Horizons Family Solutions, Chegg

50. Multi-Utilities
    Final Score: 10.42
    Before: #50 → Now: #50
    Why they are weak: Multi‑utility names are challenged as rising gas prices in several US states contribute to a coal comeback, complicating cost structures and transition plans.
    Key Players: Dominion Energy, DTE Energy, Sempra

51. Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail
    Final Score: 21.51
    Before: #51 → Now: #51
    Why they are weak: Even with targeted tariff cuts on foods like beef and coffee, consumer staples retailers face a cautious demand backdrop and uneven volume recovery.
    Key Players: Walmart, Costco Wholesale, Sysco

52. Tobacco
    Final Score: 19.17
    Before: #52 → Now: #52
    Why they are weak: Major tobacco producers are guiding to low growth for 2026 as competition from vaping and tighter regulation erode traditional cigarette volumes.
    Key Players: Altria Group, Philip Morris International, British American Tobacco

53. Food Products
    Final Score: 17.66
    Before: #53 → Now: #53
    Why they are weak: Despite recent tariff reductions on a range of food imports, the sector is still grappling with margin and demand pressures tied to broader inflation concerns.
    Key Players: Kraft Heinz, General Mills, Tyson Foods

54. Health Care Providers & Services
    Final Score: 31.11
    Before: #54 → Now: #54
    Why they are weak: Health care providers remain pressured as payor mix, cost inflation and a cautious consumer environment weigh against the broader equity rally.
    Key Players: UnitedHealth Group, HCA Healthcare, CVS Health

55. Consumer Finance
    Final Score: 56.16
    Before: #43 → Now: #55
    Why they are weak: Rising exposure of US banks to private credit, which is approaching $300 billion, is raising concerns about credit risk that weigh on consumer finance‑linked models.
    Key Players: American Express, Capital One Financial, Synchrony Financial

56. Automobiles
    Final Score: 74.46
    Before: #45 → Now: #56
    Why they are weak: The US car market is showing signs of fatigue as high costs increasingly weigh on vehicle buyers and dampen demand.
    Key Players: General Motors, Ford Motor, Tesla

Additional Readings

1. Metals & Mining: Mining shares help drive benchmark index to record high (Reuters, 2025-10-15)
   Link

2. Banks: US bank stocks rally as Dow jumps to record close (CNBC, 2026-01-05)
   Link

3. Personal Care Products: US retail race intensifies amid TikTok‑driven K‑beauty boom (CNBC, 2025-11-27)
   Link

4. Industrial Conglomerates: FTSE 100 loses its last industrial conglomerate listing (Financial Times, 2025-12-30)
   Link

5. Consumer Finance: US banks’ private credit exposure nears 300 billion dollars (Moody’s, 2025-10-21)
   Link

6. Food Products: US cuts tariffs on beef, coffee and other foods as inflation worries rise (Reuters, 2025-11-16)
   Link

7. Aerospace & Defence: Global defence stocks surge after US strike on Venezuela (CNBC, 2026-01-05)
   Link

8. Tobacco: BAT guides to low 2026 growth amid vape competition and regulation (Reuters, 2025-12-09)
   Link

9. Pharmaceuticals: Wegovy weight‑loss pill launched in US market (Reuters, 2026-01-06)
   Link

10. Automobiles: US car market shows fatigue as high costs hit buyers (Financial Times, 2026-01-06)
    Link

11. Capital Markets: S&P 500 and Dow close at fresh records (CNBC, 2026-01-06)
    Link

12. Multi-Utilities: Rising gas prices spur coal comeback in several US states (Reuters, 2025-11-13)
    Link

13. Health Care Technology: MIT study estimates AI can replace 11.7 percent of US workforce (CNBC, 2025-11-26)
    Link

14. Diversified Consumer Services: US consumer spending slows as high prices curb demand (Reuters, 2025-12-05)
    Link

15. Marine Transportation: Taiwan outlook highlights trade and tariff headwinds (Reuters, 2025-10-28)
    Link

16. Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals: Data storage firms jump on AI‑driven demand spike (Reuters, 2025-10-31)
    Link

17. Professional Services: AI advances signal disruption risk for many service jobs (CNBC, 2025-11-26)
    Link

18. Energy Equipment & Services: Coal comeback complicates energy mix for utilities and service firms (Reuters, 2025-11-13)
    Link

19. Media: Record‑setting equity markets underscore investor rotation into growth and cyclicals (CNBC, 2026-01-06)
    Link

20. Household Durables: Consumer‑linked cyclicals track broader index gains (CNBC, 2026-01-06)
    Link