S&P 500 Banks Outperform the Index YTD: 5 Stocks to Watch

The first nine months of 2024 were exceptional for the S&P 500 Index. The index rallied 21.4% during the period. The primary drivers of the steady uptrend in the index were the clarity on the path of interest rates and robust economic growth, along with persistently cooling inflation numbers. Thus, almost all sectors within the S&P 500 Index rallied in the year-to-date (YTD) period. Among the top four was Financial Services, which appreciated nearly 19.9% during the period. One of the largest constituents o ...