Communication Services Stocks
Top 10 of 22 XLC holdings, updated
As of 12 October 2026, communication services stocks are trailing the S&P 500, over the past month and over the longer run. XLC trails the S&P 500 by 2.8 points over one month and ranks #41 of 115 groups Zensei tracks. 8 of the 22 communication services stocks Zensei prices in XLC beat the fund this month.
Where communication services stocks stand now
As of 12 October 2026, Communication Services (XLC) ranks #41 of the 115 groups Zensei tracks by one-month return against the S&P 500. It is out of favor: it trails the S&P 500 on both rotation windows — 2.8 points behind over the past month and 1.1 points behind over the longer, time-shifted window. That is the Underperformers quadrant.
On the shorter tape, XLC's momentum is weakening: the intraday trend that carried the move is cooling across the shorter windows. XLC's relative-strength line has broken below its long-term average — the long-term outperformance trend is no longer intact. Both signals point the same direction here: the market is not rewarding this group on either horizon.
The exposure comes via Communication Services Select Sector SPDR, whose 22 tracked holdings are led by Meta Platforms Inc, Alphabet Inc and Alphabet Inc. Weighted by portfolio, the fund's holdings trade at roughly 16.6× earnings. The thing to watch from here is the one-month spread: underperformers only become interesting when the recent window turns positive first — until then, the market is voting elsewhere.
Top communication services stocks right now
The largest communication services stocks by weight in XLC, and the strongest over the past month. Size and recent return are measurements, not recommendations.
Largest by fund weight
Share of XLC
- 1Meta Platforms IncMETA23.1%
- 2Alphabet IncGOOGL12.4%
- 3Alphabet IncGOOG10.0%
- 4The Walt Disney CoDIS4.7%
- 5At&t IncT4.5%
Strongest this month
1-month return, holdings Zensei prices
- 1Meta Platforms IncMETA+14.7%
- 2Alphabet IncGOOGL+4.2%
- 3Alphabet IncGOOG+4.0%
- 4Echostar CorpECHO+2.1%
- 5The Walt Disney CoDIS+1.8%
Communication Services Stocks vs the S&P 500
Over the week to 12 October 2026, XLC fell 0.2% while the S&P 500 rose 0.4%. XLC and SPY (the S&P 500) over every window Zensei tracks. The spread is the difference: positive means XLC won that window.
Prices as of · computed from daily adjusted closes · how we measure
Communication Services on the rotation map, against the 11 broad S&P 500 sectors. Vertical: 1-month spread vs the S&P 500. Horizontal: the longer, time-shifted window.
Are communication services stocks expensive?
The price-to-earnings ratio of XLC as a whole: the total price of its holdings over their total earnings, weighted by share of the fund. Holdings that lose money are left out.
XLC holdings: the communication services stocks inside
As of 12 October 2026, 8 of the 22 communication services stocks Zensei prices in XLC beat the fund over the past month. 4 of them beat the S&P 500. The strongest is Meta Platforms Inc (META); the weakest is Charter Communications Inc (CHTR). Inside the fund, the holdings split between winners and losers.
| # | Holding | Weight | 1M | 3M | vs fund 1M | Momentum | RS health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | METAMeta Platforms Inc | 23.1% | +14.7% | +13.2% | +15.5 pts | Strong | Strong |
| 2 | GOOGLAlphabet Inc | 12.4% | +4.2% | +0.1% | +4.9 pts | Accelerating | Strong |
| 3 | GOOGAlphabet Inc | 10.0% | +4.0% | −0.4% | +4.8 pts | Cruising | Strong |
| 4 | DISThe Walt Disney Co | 4.7% | +1.8% | +13.0% | |||
| 5 | TAt&t Inc | 4.5% | −12.6% | +5.6% | |||
| 6 | TTWOTake-Two Interactive Software Inc | 4.5% | −3.1% | −14.5% | |||
| 7 | TMUST-Mobile US Inc | 4.4% | −16.7% | −18.5% | |||
| 8 | APPApplovin Corp | 4.3% | −16.4% | −38.8% | |||
| 9 | VZVerizon Communications Inc | 4.3% | −14.1% | +1.9% | |||
| 10 | NFLXNetflix Inc | 4.3% | −8.8% | −4.4% |
All 22 XLC holdings by weight: Meta Platforms Inc (META) 23.1%, Alphabet Inc (GOOGL) 12.4%, Alphabet Inc (GOOG) 10.0%, The Walt Disney Co (DIS) 4.7%, At&t Inc (T) 4.5%, Take-Two Interactive Software Inc (TTWO) 4.5%, T-Mobile US Inc (TMUS) 4.4%, Applovin Corp (APP) 4.3%, Verizon Communications Inc (VZ) 4.3%, Netflix Inc (NFLX) 4.3%, Comcast Corp (CMCSA) 4.0%, Live Nation Entertainment Inc (LYV) 3.6%, Reddit Inc (RDDT) 2.9%, Omnicom Group Inc (OMC) 2.7%, Echostar Corp (ECHO) 1.8%, Fox Corp (FOXA) 1.6%, Charter Communications Inc (CHTR) 1.6%, Tko Group Holdings Inc (TKO) 1.4%, News Corp (NWSA) 1.4%, Fox Corp (FOX) 1.0%, Skydance Corp (SKYD) 0.6%, News Corp (NWS) 0.5%.
Communication Services Stocks: common questions
What are the top 3 communication services stocks?
As of 12 October 2026, the three largest communication services stocks in XLC by fund weight are Meta Platforms Inc (META) (23.1%), Alphabet Inc (GOOGL) (12.4%) and Alphabet Inc (GOOG) (10.0%). Fund weight shows size inside the fund, not a recommendation.
Which communication services stocks are beating the sector?
As of 12 October 2026, 8 of the 22 communication services stocks Zensei prices in XLC beat the fund over the past month. The strongest over the past month is Meta Platforms Inc (META). The list above shows every holding with its weight and returns.
Are communication services stocks outperforming the S&P 500?
No. As of 12 October 2026, XLC trails the S&P 500 by 2.8 points over the past month.
Is it a good time to invest in communication services stocks?
Zensei does not give investment advice, but it measures the trend. As of 12 October 2026, communication services stocks are behind the S&P 500 on both the recent and the longer window. The rotation map and the read on this page show whether that trend is building or fading.
What is XLC?
XLC is Communication Services Select Sector SPDR. Zensei uses it to measure communication services stocks against the S&P 500 (SPY).
What stocks does XLC own?
As of 12 October 2026, the largest of the 22 positions Zensei tracks in XLC are Meta Platforms Inc, Alphabet Inc, Alphabet Inc, The Walt Disney Co, At&t Inc. Each position measured against the fund, with momentum and relative strength, comes with a free Zensei account.
What quadrant is communication services in right now?
As of 12 October 2026, communication services is in the Underperformers quadrant — trailing the S&P 500 on both windows. The Zensei methodology page explains the quadrants.
Recent changes
- ·First tracked: trailing the market
Related sectors
Track communication services against the whole market
Zensei Edge maps 100+ sectors and themes against the S&P 500 — with the stocks inside each one, rotation history and alerts when leadership changes hands.