Something odd has happened over the past month in the market... No, I'm not talking about the dip we saw in stocks. Instead, I'm talking about one of the market's worst-performing sectors.

The Power Gauge Just Spotted a 'Worst to Best' Trap By Vic Lederman, editorial director, Chaikin Analytics Something odd has happened over the past month in the market... No, I'm not talking about the dip we saw in stocks. Instead, I'm talking about one of the market's worst-performing sectors. You see, that sector is flat over the past six months. That's compared with the broad market S&P 500's Index 9% gain. Despite that, something strange is going on. Looking at just the past month, this terribly performing sector jumped 9%. In fact, one subsector in this space soared about 14% in the past month alone. On the surface, it might look like the start of a major turnaround... and a major opportunity. But with the help of the Power Gauge, we can see that something different is going on. As I'll explain, it's a "worst to best" trap. Recommended Links: Your 2025 Financial Game Plan On Tuesday, January 28, our friends at our corporate affiliate Stansberry Research are unveiling a financial game plan for 2025 – the ONE place you can put your money right now for huge potential returns. It's not gold, crypto, the S&P 500, or real estate. But it's the perfect way to grow your money through 2025 and beyond. Everything you need to know is right here. Claim Marc Chaikin's Top 10 Stocks for 2025 When this 50-year Wall Street legend releases his "Top Stocks" list for the year ahead, experienced readers drop what they're doing and go grab a pen and paper. Marc Chaikin's stock system would've helped you identify 44 of the top 50 stocks last year. In 2023, it flashed "bullish" on 44 of the top 50. Today, he wants to hand you two tickers for free. Click here to claim them. If you haven't already guessed, today we're talking about the energy sector... and the oil and gas equipment and services subsector. Put simply, the energy sector has struggled recently. In the Power Gauge, we measure it with the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE). And as you can see from XLE's Power Bar rating, its "bullish" to "bearish" ratio is downright bad... XLE has only one "bullish" stock in it. And three are firmly in "bearish" territory. Things look similarly grim when we zoom in on the SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Equipment & Services Fund (XES). As you can see, XES also has a terrible "bullish" to "bearish" ratio for its Power Bar... But this is where things get strange... Over the past month, XLE has soared by 9%. Meanwhile, XES gained an incredible 14%. At first glance, this might seem like an incredible opportunity to bet on a turnaround. But the Power Gauge shows us that there's still something wrong here. Take a look at this five-year chart of XLE with some data from our system... As you can see, XLE has been largely range-bound since 2023. In fact, the seemly massive move over the past month still falls within this sector's "stuck" range. And XLE is still about 6% below its 2024 peak. Folks, that makes this a worst-to-best trap. If you look at the sector performance over the past month, it looks like energy is seeing a big turnaround. But looking closer, the Power Gauge is "neutral" on the sector. And the long-term chart reveals why. Now, I believe we'll see another bull run in energy eventually. After all, the supply-and-demand cycle in the sector makes it a near inevitability. But the Power Gauge is telling us that it doesn't look like we're there yet. It says that what we're seeing today is simply more volatility from a range-bound sector. So, as exciting as that big move is... I wouldn't act on it. Instead, I'll use the Power Gauge to look for other opportunities. And I recommend you do the same. Good investing, Vic Lederman   Editor's note: If you don't already have access to the Power Gauge, you can get it through a special offer... Right now, you can gain a full year of access to our one-of-a-kind system by signing up for Chaikin Analytics founder Marc Chaikin's Power Gauge Report newsletter. That means access to the Power Gauge's ratings and data on more than 5,000 stocks. And if you aren't satisfied within 30 days, you'll be fully protected by our 100% cash-back guarantee. It's risk-free to try out Power Gauge Report – and our Power Gauge system. Get all the details as part of a special presentation right here. Market View Major Indexes and Notable Sectors     # Hld:     Bullish     Neutral     Bearish Dow 30 +0.27% 12 11 7 S&P 500 +0.56% 96 255 147 Nasdaq +1.28% 31 46 23 Small Caps -0.65% 402 1050 451 Bonds -0.52% Information Technology +2.26% 24 32 13 — According to the Chaikin Power Bar, Small Cap stocks and Large Cap stocks are somewhat Bearish. Major indexes are mixed. *  *  *  * Sector Tracker Sector movement over the last 5 days Information Technology +3.92% Industrials +3.67% Real Estate +2.26% Communication +2.21% Utilities +1.99% Materials +1.95% Financial +1.88% Staples +1.3% Discretionary +1.21% Health Care +1.15% Energy -0.85% *  *  *  * Industry Focus Regional Banking Services 31 86 25 Over the past 6 months, the Regional Banking subsector (KRE) has outperformed the S&P 500 by +1.48%. Its Power Bar ratio, which measures future potential, is Strong, with more Bullish than Bearish stocks. It is currently ranked #10 of 21 subsectors and has moved down 6 slots over the past week. Top Stocks BRKL Brookline Bancorp, I EGBN Eagle Bancorp, Inc. COLB Columbia Banking Sys *  *  *  * Top Movers Gainers NFLX +9.69% MPWR +7.98% MRNA +7.27% APH +7.04% ANET +6.85% Losers FSLR -6.33% EIX -6.33% D -5.33% AES -5.28% PCG -4.97% *  *  *  * Earnings Report Reporting Today Rating Before Open After Close NTRS COF, ISRG ELV MKC, UNP CSX No earnings reporting today. Earnings Surprises DFS Discover Financial Services Q4 $5.11 Beat by $1.75 TRV The Travelers Companies, Inc. Q4 $9.15 Beat by $2.55 APH Amphenol Corporation Q4 $0.55 Beat by $0.05 TDY Teledyne Technologies Incorporated Q4 $5.52 Beat by $0.29 STLD Steel Dynamics, Inc. Q4 $1.36 Beat by $0.07 *  *  *  * You have received this e-mail as part of your subscription to PowerFeed. If you no longer want to receive e-mails from PowerFeed, click here. You're receiving this e-mail at indra21poetra@gmail.com. For questions about your account or to speak with customer service, call +1 (877) 697-6783 (U.S.), 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Eastern time or e-mail info@chaikinanalytics.com. Please note: The law prohibits us from giving personalized investment advice. © 2025 Chaikin Analytics, LLC. All rights reserved. Any reproduction, copying, or redistribution, in whole or in part, is prohibited without written permission from Chaikin Analytics, LLC. 201 King Of Prussia Rd., Suite 650, Radnor, PA 19087. www.chaikinanalytics.com. Any brokers mentioned constitute a partial list of available brokers and is for your information only. Chaikin Analytics, LLC, does not recommend or endorse any brokers, dealers, or investment advisors. Chaikin Analytics forbids its writers from having a financial interest in any security they recommend to our subscribers. All employees of Chaikin Analytics, LLC (and affiliated companies) must wait 24 hours after an investment recommendation is published online – or 72 hours after a direct mail publication is sent – before acting on that recommendation. This work is based on SEC filings, current events, interviews, corporate press releases, and what we've learned as financial journalists. It may contain errors, and you shouldn't make any investment decision based solely on what you read here. It's your money and your responsibility.