Market Leadership

Relative performance leadership across key asset groups versus the selected benchmark.Interprets the question: which groups are outperforming the benchmark?Research tool — not investment advice.

Data as of Market Close: Aug 19, 2026

How to read this dashboard

Read this dashboard in layers: start with relative performance versus the benchmark, then check breadth, trend, and regime for confirmation. Look out for the ⓘ symbol throughout the page for tooltips, definitions, and methodology notes.

Quick Start▾

Choose a universe

Start with US, International, Commodities, or Debt depending on what part of market structure you want to study.

Set the benchmark and window

The benchmark defines what 'outperformance' means, while 1M / 3M / 6M / 9M / 12M changes the trailing period being measured.

Read the tiles and breadth

Breadth answers how many assets are participating. Stronger leadership usually shows up as multiple leaders, not just one standout winner.

Use regime labels and ⓘ tooltips

Regime labels summarize the current snapshot, but they are descriptive rather than predictive. Look for the ⓘ symbol throughout the page for added context.

Key concepts

Relative performance: each tile shows performance versus the selected benchmark over the chosen lookback window.

Positive vs negative: positive values mean the group outperformed the benchmark; negative values mean it lagged.

Relative, not absolute: an asset can still post a positive absolute return while showing a negative value here if it underperformed the benchmark.

Benchmark matters: changing the benchmark changes the question being asked. This dashboard is not showing “what went up the most,” but rather “what outperformed the selected reference point.”

Leader = above benchmarkLaggard = below benchmarkWindow = trailing return periodⓘ = tooltip / definition

Trend Overlay

20 / 50 SMA

↑ Uptrend↓ Downtrend→ Flat / mixed trend

Use trend as context, not as a forecast. Strong relative performance and supportive trend together usually indicate stronger leadership quality than relative strength alone.

Practical takeaway: the best signals usually come from alignment — strong relative performance, improving breadth, supportive trend, and a coherent regime readout. For example, if semiconductors are strongly positive versus the benchmark, breadth is improving, and trend is supportive, that is usually a stronger leadership signal than one isolated outperformer with weak participation elsewhere. Keep an eye out for the ⓘ symbol across the dashboard for definitions, methodology, cluster logic, and supporting context.

Cross-Asset Benchmark Ranking

Window6MRepresentative asset-class benchmarks ranked by trailing return over the selected window

Loading cross-asset leadership...

US Equities

Top Rank

VTI

—

Relative strengthRank #1

International Equities

VXUS

—

Relative strengthRank #2

Commodities

DBC

—

Relative strengthRank #3

Bonds

Bottom Rank

BND

—

Relative strengthRank #4

Ranking

US Equities

—

International Equities

—

Commodities

—

Bonds

—

Leadership Snapshot

7/30 assets leading (23% breadth, 0 neutral)

Neutral band ±0.1%

Leaders 7Neutral 0Laggards 23

Top relative leaders

Semiconductors+23.8%Technology+18.2%Oil & Gas+13.7%

Leadership Regimeⓘ

Innovation / Growth Led

Leadership is skewed toward tech, semis, biotech, and higher-duration growth themes.

Dominance: Innovation (3/7)Commodities: UP (DBC 24%, CPER 10%)

UniverseUSvsVTI

Window6MTrend SMA20/50

Leadership Heatmap

Universe: U.S. LeadershipBenchmark: VTIWindow: 6MBreadth: 5/26 (19%)Scope: U.S. leadership breadth

Mode

Filter

Sort

Relative Heat Scale

Versus VTI over 6M

≤ -2.0%

≥ +2.0%

Neutral = ±0.1%•Area shows relative magnitude•Color shows direction

Strongest group: Growth & Innovation (-0.3%)•Weakest group: Cyclical (-11.7%)•26 assets shown

Area = magnitude of relative performance•Color = direction of relative performance

TAN

Solar

↓

-28.6%

SMH

Semiconductors

↓

+23.8%

ITB

Home Construction

↓

-23.6%

XLK

Technology

↓

+18.2%

GDX

Gold Miners

↑

-17.2%

XLU

Utilities

↓

-15.6%

MOO

Agribusiness

↑

-15.3%

XLC

Communication

↑

-15.0%

XLP

Consumer Staples

↑

-13.9%

XOP

Oil & Gas

↑

+13.7%

BIZD

Private Credit

↑

-13.5%

XLB

Materials

↑

-13.1%

PBW

↓

-12.1%

IBB

↑

+12.0%

XRT

↑

-11.3%

XLY

↓

-10.8%

ITA

↑

-9.7%

XLRE

↑

-8.4%

XLI

↑

-8.2%

KRE

↑

-7.1%

KBE

↑

-6.3%

IYT

↑

-6.3%

XLE

↑

+3.9%

KIE

-2.9%

XLF

↑

-2.8%

XLV

-0.7%

Leadership Timeline (Monthly)

Select a month-end to load the heatmap snapshot as of that date. Relative vs VTI.

Leadership Health

Breadth answers “how many are participating?” Concentration answers “how narrow is outperformance?”

Leadership breadth

23%

Narrow LeadershipNet Breadth -16

Leadership is narrow, negatively skewed, and clearly defined.

Leadership breadth measures the share of the universe outperforming VTI over the 6M window.

0%33%23%66%100%

NarrowMixedBroad

Leaders = rel > +0.1%, Laggards = rel < -0.1%, Neutral = remaining.

Participation split

Laggards Dominant

Leaders

23% of current U.S. equity view

Neutral

0% of current U.S. equity view

Laggards

77% of current U.S. equity view

Balance & confirmation

Clear Separation

Net Breadth

-16

7 leaders vs 23 laggards

Avg rel

+11.4%

Top leader: SMH (+23.8%)

Avg lag

-10.8%

Weakest laggard: TAN (-28.6%)

Leadership summary

Participation:Narrow LeadershipDominant Side:Laggards DominantConfirmation:Clear SeparationDifferentiation:Polarized Structure

Participation is narrow. Laggards currently hold the participation edge. The signal structure is clearly defined. Cross-sectional separation is strong.

Leadership Concentration

Shows whether leadership is dominated by a few standout winners or spread across many leaders

Highly concentrated

92%

Leadership is highly concentrated: 5 of the 7 leaders account for 92% of total leadership strength, indicating that relative outperformance is being driven by a narrow subset of winners.

The top 5 leaders account for 92% of total leadership strength versus VTI over 6M.

Top leaders

Top group

5 of 7 leaders

Leaders

Coverage

23% of universe

Concentration

High

92%

Share of leadership strength

Broad92%Concentrated

DistributedModerateNarrow

Leaders = rel > +0.1%. Concentration reflects how much of total leadership strength is driven by the top-ranked leaders, not simply how many leaders exist.

Top Leaders

Highest relative return (6M)