Close Setup

Sector pulse: Communication Services vs Consumer Staples (1% spread) - Netflix (NFLX)

Sector ranking shows Communication Services near the top and Consumer Staples near the bottom. The current spread is 1%, with rotation concentrated in a narrow set of names.

Analyst commentary

What moved and why

Session breadth: 16 gainers vs 13 decliners. High-volume names: 10. Average move: +0.03%.

Spread snapshot

Communication Services is averaging 0.66% while Consumer Staples is averaging -0.34%.

When this gap widens, portfolios usually reward relative-value positioning over broad beta.

Name-level confirmation

Leaders in Communication Services are carrying most of the upside, while names in Consumer Staples are contributing to downside breadth.

The key test is whether leadership expands beyond the first two names.

  • NFLX: 1.81%
  • DIS: -0.5%
  • WMT: -1.73%
  • COST: -0.15%
  • KO: 0.85%

What to monitor

If lagging sectors stabilize on volume, this rotation can cool quickly.

If leaders keep expanding breadth, the rotation can persist into the next session.

News catalysts in focus

Recent headline flow supports this setup: Is Netflix Stock a Buy, Sell, or Hold in 2026?. The update is tied to NFLX and aligns with the current late-session positioning.

A second catalyst from NFLX (The Motley Fool) helps frame whether this move has broad confirmation or remains a single-name event.

  • NFLX: Is Netflix Stock a Buy, Sell, or Hold in 2026? (The Motley Fool, 2026-02-19)
  • NFLX: Down Nearly 40% From Its All-Time High, Is Netflix Stock Too Cheap to Ignore? (The Motley Fool, 2026-02-18)
  • NFLX: Justice Department Probes The Impact Of Warner Bros. Sale On Theatre Businesses: Report (Benzinga, 2026-02-19)

Seven-day trend

Market breadth
Feb 12
Feb 13
Feb 17
Feb 18
Feb 19
Feb 20
GainersDeclinersHigh volume
Recent sessions table
DateGainersDeclinersHigh volumeAvg move
Feb 17, 2026121910-0.25%
Feb 18, 202616910+0.10%
Feb 19, 202671510-0.32%
Feb 20, 2026141610-0.14%

Top gainers

Momentum
GOOGL
+3.38%
GE
+2.53%
AMZN
+2.26%
NFLX
+1.81%

Top decliners

Risk pockets
ORCL-6.11%
XOM-2.33%
JNJ-1.79%
WMT-1.73%

Sector rotation

Relative strength
PHARMACEUTICAL PREPARATIONS-1.79%
Energy-1.39%
ELECTRONIC COMPUTERS+1.16%
SEMICONDUCTORS & RELATED DEVICES+1.11%

Markets in focus

Country concentration
US+0.03%

Methodology

Transparency
  • Coverage universe: 35 liquid public tickers tracked for 2026-02-20.
  • Publication mode: late-session. Reports are generated only when the corresponding market window is valid.
  • Ranking combines absolute move, relative volume, market breadth, and sector dispersion.
  • Each draft is checked against trigger logic and edited for readability before publication.
  • Method notes are intentionally high-level and avoid implementation-specific source details.