Screen stocks. Study the context. Keep the ideas you want to revisit.
Read the legend, then look inside the groups. One color cannot tell the whole story.
Start with the legend and date
A heatmap uses color to summarize a measure across many items. The Sector Heatmap · S&P 500 groups S&P 500 stocks by sector: each stock’s area follows its market cap and its color the selected period’s return. Read the legend to identify the performance scale and check the session date. Avoid comparing colors across two views until you know they use the same period and scale.
Look for broad and mixed areas
Notice whether a sector is mostly moving together or contains a mix of positive and negative changes. A sector’s return is market-cap-weighted, so a few of its largest companies can make the whole group look strong. The map helps you locate an area to inspect, but the constituent detail is needed to explain it.
Open a sector
Open a sector to see its S&P 500 stocks. Review the actual values behind the colors and compare individual stocks with the group.
Choose the next view
Open a chart to inspect one stock, a sector’s industries to compare groups, or the Screener to define a watchlist. Write down the question that came from the map. This makes the next step more focused than browsing the strongest color without context.
Read our data and methodology notes for calculation context. This guide explains research tools and observations. It does not recommend a trade or investment.