According to the Global Industry Classification Standard, there are 11 sectors on the ASX for investors to choose from.
Excluding real estate options, here is how all those sectors performed in FY 2018.
Consumer Discretionary – 11.4% gain.
The Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL) share price was one of the best performing shares in the consumer discretionary sector with a rise of over 35%.
Consumer Staples – 24.1% gain.
Coles and Bunnings owner and operator Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) was a key driver of this strong gain with a 22% rise in its share price.
Energy – 38.2% gain.
The energy sector was the best performing sector in FY 2018 with a 38.2% gain. The Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) share price was one of the biggest movers by more than doubling in value during the last financial year.
Financials – 3.9% decline.
One of the biggest drags on the performance of the ASX in FY 2018 was the financial sector. The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) share price weighed heavily on the sector with a 12% decline.
Healthcare – 25.4% gain.
The healthcare sector was a strong performer once again in FY 2018. The biggest driver of this gain was the CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) share price which rose almost 40%.
Industrials – 3.1% gain.
The industrials sector was given a boost by a solid performance by Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN). Its shares rose almost 8% in the last financial year.
Information Technology – 29.5% gain.
Australian investors piled into tech shares in FY 2018, helping the sector record the second-best gain. One big mover was the WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) share price which more than doubled in value.
Materials – 25.2% gain.
The materials sector had another strong year in FY 2018 and BHP Billiton Limited (ASX: BHP) played a key role in this with a 45% gain.
Telecommunication Services – 34.9% decline.
Unsurprisingly the telco sector was the worst performer in the last financial year and no prizes for guessing which share weighed heavily on the sector. The Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS) share price lost almost 40% of its value during the period.
Utilities – 5.7% decline.
The AGL Energy Ltd (ASX: AGL) share price fell around 12% in FY 2018, which led to the underperformance of the utilities sector.
