S&P 500 snaps 4-week win streak; communication services, real estate, materials weigh
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The S&P 500 on Friday snapped a four-week winning streak, ending 1.21% lower for the five-day session. After hefty gains that has seen the benchmark index add nearly 11% since mid-July, the past few days have been marked by a bout of profit-taking.
Investors digested a host of news, including strong quarterly reports by bellwether companies like Walmart (WMT), Home Depot (HD) and Cisco (CSCO), and minutes from the U.S. Federal Reserve's July meeting, which showed that policymakers were committed to raising rates as high as needed to combat inflation. 
Several sets of economic data were also released, from softer retail sales, to lower weekly jobless claims and a surprisingly strong showing for the manufacturing sector with a rise in the Philly Fed manufacturing index. 
The SPDR S&P 500 Trust ETF (NYSEARCA:SPY) on Friday lost 1.16% for the week alongside the benchmark index. The ETF is -11.12% YTD. 
6 of 11 sectors in the S&P 500 closed in the green for the week, with Consumer Staples the top gainer and Communication Services the top loser. See below a breakdown of their weekly performance as well as the performance of their accompanying SPDR Select Sector ETFs from Aug. 12 close to Aug. 19 close:
#1: Consumer Staples +2.51%, and the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) +1.85%.
#2: Utilities +2.22%, and the Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU) +1.28%.
#3: Energy +1.80%, and the Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) +1.26%.
#4: Health Care +0.74%, and the Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) +0.52%. 
#5: Information Technology +0.33%, and the Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) -1.66%. 
#6: Industrials +0.13%, and the Industrial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLI) -1.00%.
#7: Consumer Discretionary -0.05%, and the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) -1.40%.
#8: Financials -0.12%, and the Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) -1.69%. 
#9: Materials -0.87%, and the Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLB) -2.40%. 
#10: Real Estate -0.91%, and the Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLRE) -1.89%.
#11: Communication Services -1.33%, and the Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLC) -3.14%. 
Below is a chart of the 11 sectors' YTD performance and how they fared against the S&P 500. For investors looking into the future of what's happening, take a look at the Seeking Alpha Catalyst Watch to see next week's breakdown of actionable events that stand out.