Sector Pulse Blog
US and Japan sector performance: week of 2026-10-16
Weekly sector returns for all 11 US SPDR sectors and all 17 TOPIX-17 sectors, side by side. Consumer Staples led the US at +5.02%; Pharmaceutical led Japan at +5.26%.
Comparing Japan and US Sector Returns: Why the Currency Column Matters
A Japanese sector that rose 5% in yen can be flat or down for a dollar-based investor. Here is how currency changes combine with local returns, and how to compare the two markets fairly.
Relative Volume: How to Read a Volume Spike That Comes Without a Price Move
A stock trading at five or eight times its normal volume is telling you that attention has arrived. Here is how relative volume is calculated, what it can and cannot tell you, and how to use it in a weekly review.
US and Japan sector performance: week of 2026-10-02
Weekly sector returns for all 11 US SPDR sectors and all 17 TOPIX-17 sectors, side by side. Technology led the US at +1.80%; Steel & Nonferrous Metals led Japan at +6.08%.
1 Week, 1 Month or Year-to-Date: Which Sector Return Window Should You Trust?
The same sector can lead on one window and lag on another. Here is what each window actually measures, what it is good for, and a simple rule for reading all three together.
How to Build a Sector Watchlist You'll Actually Check Every Week
Most watchlists fail because they are too large to read and too vague to act on. Here is a smaller design — a fixed set of sectors, a fixed set of columns, and a written trigger for each row.
US and Japan sector performance: week of 2026-09-25
Weekly sector returns for all 11 US SPDR sectors and all 17 TOPIX-17 sectors, side by side. Technology led the US at +3.52%; Electric & Precision led Japan at +6.92%.
Defensive vs Cyclical Sectors: How to Tell Which Regime You're In
The defensive/cyclical split is the oldest sector framework there is, and it still works as a regime detector. Here is which sectors sit on each side in both the US and Japan, and how to read the rotation without over-fitting a single week.
The Japanese Market Calendar: Earnings Season, Ex-Dividend Dates and Golden Week
Japanese sector returns have a calendar shape that US investors do not expect — a March fiscal year end, two earnings clusters, semiannual ex-dividend dates and a week-long May holiday. Here is when each one distorts the weekly table.
Reading Sector Breadth: When a Rally Is Narrow and Why It Matters
An index can rise while most sectors fall. Breadth is the count of what is participating, and it is a simple weekly check that a headline return number cannot give you.
Why the Yen Moves Japanese Sectors More Than Earnings Do
A large share of week-to-week dispersion between Japanese sectors is the currency, not company news. Here is which sectors gain from a weak yen, which lose, and how to stop misreading FX moves as fundamental ones.
SPDR Sectors vs TOPIX-17: A Mapping Table for Cross-Market Comparison
You cannot compare US and Japanese sector returns one-to-one. This is a practical mapping between the 11 SPDR sector ETFs and the 17 TOPIX sectors, including the three pairs where the comparison quietly misleads you.
What TOPIX-17 Actually Is: Japan's 17 Sectors Explained for Foreign Investors
The US has 11 GICS sectors. Japan's TOPIX-17 has seventeen, and they are not a translation of the US set. Here is what each one contains, which are large enough to move the index, and where the mapping to US sectors breaks.
Why AI Sector Picks Beat Random Chance: A 12-Week Backtest Approach
How to actually verify an AI-based sector pick before trusting it. A honest look at what "AI stock picking" claims mean and the minimum data required to trust one.
Weekly Sector Newsletter Fatigue: How to Extract the 3 Signals That Matter
Most sector newsletters bury 3 useful signals in 40 paragraphs of narrative. Here is how to skim any of them in 5 minutes and get the trade-relevant data.
US vs JP Sector Divergence: Why the Same Theme Prices Differently (2026)
US and JP sectors reflect the same global theme (AI, energy, rates) but often diverge in timing and magnitude. Here is how to read the gap and where it becomes an opportunity.
Sector Rotation for Busy Investors: A 15-Minute Weekly Routine (2026)
A no-nonsense weekly checklist for tracking US and JP sector performance in under 15 minutes. What to look at, what to ignore, and when to actually rebalance.
US and Japan sector performance: week of 2026-09-04
Weekly sector returns for all 11 US SPDR sectors and all 17 TOPIX-17 sectors, side by side. Energy led the US at +2.20%; Electric Power & Gas led Japan at +5.40%.
Reading Japanese and US Market Sectors Side by Side: A Beginner's Guide
Japan and US markets often move together — until they don't. This beginner's guide explains how to read sector performance in both markets side by side, what the divergences tell you, and how to track it. Not investment advice.