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  4. The S&P 500 briefly erased its 2020 losses in a wild rally. Here's how much each sector jumped after the coronavirus sell-off.

The S&P 500 briefly erased its 2020 losses in a wild rally. Here's how much each sector jumped after the coronavirus sell-off.

Ben Winck   

The S&P 500 briefly erased its 2020 losses in a wild rally. Here's how much each sector jumped after the coronavirus sell-off.
Traders work on the floor at the opening bell of the Dow Industrial Average at the New York Stock Exchange on March 18, 2020 in New York.Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty Images
  • The S&P 500 erased its year-to-date losses on June 8, ending the coronavirus slump amid growing optimism for economic recovery.
  • The index bottomed on March 23 after sliding 34% from its record high on early coronavirus worries.
  • Since reaching that trough, the S&P 500 has rallied on unprecedented Federal Reserve aid, optimism for a swift rebound, and better-than-expected economic data.
  • Here's how all 11 of the index's sectors have performed since hitting the March 23 floor.
  • Watch the S&P 500 update live here.

On June 8, optimism for a rapid economic recovery retraced the last of the coronavirus-fueled market slump.

A last-minute rally through Monday's session led the S&P 500 to close just above its December 31 level, erasing losses made in the early days of the pandemic. The index slid as much as 34% from its peak to a March 23 floor before the Federal Reserve's announcement of unprecedented relief measures fueled a steady run-up through April and May.

Stocks' surge over recent months hasn't been evenly shared across sectors. Firms viewed as prime stay-at-home plays outperformed at the start of the pandemic before sliding on hopes for a quicker-than-expected rebound. Companies slammed hardest by the initial outbreak soared as economic data suggested the worst was over.

Energy firms posted some of the biggest leaps of all. After oil's historic plunge to negative prices shocked investors around the world, widespread production cuts and recovering demand renewed hope for the struggling commodity.

The index's year-to-date gains lasted only a few days. US stocks nosedived on Thursday as rising coronavirus cases across the nation and cautious messaging from the Federal Reserve revived investor fears. The S&P 500 dropped as much as 5.5% through the session. Yet the index's segments are still up massively from their virus-induced lows.

Here's how all 11 S&P 500 sectors have performed since bottoming on March 23, ranked in ascending order of gains. Data is as of 1:55 p.m. ET Thursday.

Read more: Famed short-seller Andrew Left lays out his methodology for finding the stock market's weakest links — and says he's terrified of newbie day-traders that think they can outsmart Carl Icahn and Warren Buffett

11. Consumer staples

11. Consumer staples
Anthony Souffle/Star Tribune via Getty Images

Return: 19.6%

10. Utilities

10. Utilities
Electric city Ruesselsheim project      Reuters

Return: 30.2%

9. Healthcare

9. Healthcare
Scientist Xinhua Yan works in the lab at Moderna in Cambridge, MA on Feb. 28, 2020.      David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe/Getty Images

Return: 30.5%

8. Communication services

8. Communication services
Eric Yuan, CEO of Zoom Video Communications takes part in a bell ringing ceremony at the NASDAQ MarketSite in New York, New York, U.S., April 18, 2019.      Carlo Allegri/Reuters

Return: 31.2%

7. Financials

7. Financials
The entrance to JPMorgan Chase's international headquarters on Park Avenue is seen in New York      Reuters

Return: 32.8%

6. Real estate

6. Real estate
Workers are seen as new construction takes place at the Umbria a Lennar Corp. project on September 19, 2011 in Miami, Florida.      Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Return: 35.5%

5. Industrials

5. Industrials
Ellen Bennett, founder of Hedley & Bennett wears a mask on her factory floor Thursday, April 16, 2020, in Vernon, Calif. The Southern California company, which normally makes aprons and other workwear, has transitioned their efforts to making masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic.      AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

Return: 40.6%

4. Information technology

4. Information technology
Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Return: 41.5%

3. Materials

3. Materials
A LB Steel LLC's employee manufactures a component for new Amtrak Acela trains in Harvey, Illinois.      Reuters

Return: 41.9%

2. Consumer discretionary

2. Consumer discretionary
A United Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner.      David McNew/Getty Images

Return: 43.3%

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