A close up photograph of a price board from a stock exchange. Most digits are coloured green, some are red. The rows of prices are seperated by orange lines. The entire board is a very large illuminated LED panel.

Sectors

We group the companies on this site into Sectors and Industry Groups using the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS).

In the context of the hierarchy, the GICS sectors represent a hierarchical categorisation of companies based on their primary business activities. The GICS classifies companies into sectors, industry groups, industries, and sub-industries facilitating industry analysis and comparison.

The Sector Hierarchy

The GICS hierarchy starts with the highest level, which is the sector. There are 11 GICS sectors, each representing a broad area of economic activity. These sectors are:

  1. Energy: Companies involved in the exploration, production, or distribution of energy resources, including oil, gas, and coal.
  2. Materials: Companies engaged in the extraction, processing, and distribution of raw materials such as chemicals, construction materials, metals, and mining.
  3. Industrials: Companies involved in the production and distribution of goods and services used in construction, manufacturing, and transportation. This sector includes aerospace, defense, machinery, and transportation services.
  4. Consumer Discretionary: Companies that produce goods and services considered non-essential, typically related to consumer spending. This sector includes industries like automobiles, hotels, restaurants, apparel, and leisure.
  5. Consumer Staples: Companies involved in the production and distribution of essential consumer products such as food, beverages, tobacco, and household goods.
  6. Health Care: Companies engaged in the production, development, and distribution of medical goods, pharmaceuticals, and health care services.
  7. Financials: Companies providing financial services such as banking, insurance, investment management, and real estate.
  8. Information Technology: Companies involved in the development, manufacturing, and distribution of technology products and services, including software, hardware, and IT consulting.
  9. Communication Services: Companies that provide communication and content delivery services such as telecommunications, cable TV, internet services, and media.
  10. Utilities: Companies engaged in the provision of essential services such as electricity, gas, and water supply.
  11. Real Estate: Companies involved in the development, management, and leasing of real estate properties.

Each of the above GICS sectors are further divided into industry groups, industries, sub-industries, and individual companies. The GICS hierarchy provides a standardized framework that helps investors, analysts, and researchers classify and compare companies within and across sectors.