Beyond the Index, Winners, Losers, & What's Next

The S&P 500 is up about 10.2% this year. That average is hiding one of the most lopsided markets in a decade: energy up 28%, communication services negative, and the Magnificent Seven — the stocks that carried the market for three years — collectively underwater.In this week's Money On Tap, Ben Brayshaw and Dan Michelon go beyond the index, sector by sector. They walk the 2026 scoreboard — energy +28.1%, technology +26.8%, industrials +16%, with a 30-point gap between the top and bottom sectors — and unpack the year's most important story: the broadening of the market, with 46.3% of S&P companies now beating the index itself, up from 30.5% last year. Then the mechanics most investors never see: why seven stocks absorb a third of every dollar in a standard S&P fund, why the SPY and QQQ share 8–9 of their top 10 holdings, and why your "diversified" ETFs may be the same bundle of stocks in different wrappers. They close with the Fed's looming rate decision — hike odds jumped from 26% to 73% in one month — and the five durable themes they're watching for the second half.What you'll learn:The 2026 sector scoreboard: all 11 sectors ranked, from energy's +28.1% to communication services' −3.1%The broadening of the index: why 46.3% of S&P companies are beating the index — a decade-plus firstWhy the Mag Seven flipped from engine to anchor (Microsoft down 20%+), and what the index looks like without themThe ETF overlap trap: cap weighting, 35–55% in the top 10, and wrappers around the same stocksWhat a Fed rate hike would do to sector leadership — winners and losers under both scenariosBuffett's warning: "a church with a casino attached," and why down doesn't mean cheapThe dials for outperforming: sector weighting, security selection, valuation discipline, income, cash, and tax managementTaking gains on purpose: the sequence-of-returns lesson in 2026's −4.3% Q1 and +15.2% Q2Five second-half themes: electrification, defense, nuclear renaissance, the aging population, and the infrastructure rebuildPlus Money In The News:73% odds of a Fed rate hike by September — up from 26% just a month earlier — and the two culprits behind itWarren Buffett: it's tough to find value "when everybody is preferring gambling"Blockbuster stock sales — SpaceX's record $75B IPO, Alphabet's $85B raise, SK Hynix ADRs — and whether $500B of new equity can overwhelm the bull marketRead the companion blog: https://www.brayshawfinancial.com/blogSchedule a free consultation: https://app.greminders.com/t/9f3ce72e/initialconsultaBrowse the full Money On Tap library: https://www.brayshawfinancial.com/money-on-tapContact UsPhone: 855-226-8551Email: [email protected]: 116 South River Road, Bedford, NH 03110Web: brayshawfinancial.comSecurities and advisory services offered through Osaic Wealth, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. All other services offered through Brayshaw Financial Group, LLC are independent of Osaic Wealth, Inc. Index and sector performance figures are as of the air date and subject to change. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.Is it too late to fix my retirement at 50?No — the 50s are the catch-up years by design. Catch-up provisions let you contribute above the standard limits to 401(k)s and IRAs, the HSA offers triple tax advantages for future healthcare costs, and a backdoor Roth can build a tax-free bucket even if your income is too high for direct contributions. Pair those with a segmented "bucket" strategy — instead of retreating to CDs and cash — and most late starts can still be rescued. The first step is knowing your income need, not chasing a number.