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, Alphabet 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.
As of , these are the largest communication services stocks in XLC by fund weight, and the strongest over the past month. Size and recent return are measurements, not recommendations.
Top communication services stocks by fund weight
Ranked by largest share of XLC
- 1Meta PlatformsMETA23.1%
- 2AlphabetGOOGL12.4%
- 3Alphabet IncGOOG10.0%
- 4Walt DisneyDIS4.7%
- 5AT&TT4.5%
Best communication services stocks this month
Ranked by one-month return, among the holdings Zensei prices
- 1Meta PlatformsMETA+14.7%
- 2AlphabetGOOGL+4.2%
- 3Alphabet IncGOOG+4.0%
- 4Echostar CorpECHO+2.1%
- 5Walt DisneyDIS+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%. The table compares 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. Compare with every sector and theme: P/E ratio by sector.
XLC holdings: the communication services stocks inside
This list covers all 22 communication services stocks in XLC, heaviest first; the 10 largest show their returns where Zensei has a price. 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 (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 | 23.1% | +14.7% | +13.2% | +15.5 pts | Strong | Strong |
| 2 | GOOGLAlphabet | 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 | DISWalt Disney | 4.7% | +1.8% | +13.0% | |||
| 5 | TAT&T | 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 | 4.3% | −16.4% | −38.8% | |||
| 9 | VZVerizon | 4.3% | −14.1% | +1.9% | |||
| 10 | NFLXNetflix | 4.3% | −8.8% | −4.4% |
All 22 XLC holdings by weight: Meta Platforms (META) 23.1%, Alphabet (GOOGL) 12.4%, Alphabet Inc (GOOG) 10.0%, Walt Disney (DIS) 4.7%, AT&T (T) 4.5%, Take-Two Interactive Software Inc (TTWO) 4.5%, T-Mobile US Inc (TMUS) 4.4%, AppLovin (APP) 4.3%, Verizon (VZ) 4.3%, Netflix (NFLX) 4.3%, Comcast Corp (CMCSA) 4.0%, Live Nation Entertainment Inc (LYV) 3.6%, Reddit (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 with their own page
Zensei publishes a page for 6 of the stocks in XLC; each page shows the stock against the S&P 500 and its sector.
| Stock | Ticker | Weight in XLC | 1M return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meta Platforms | META | 23.1% | +14.7% |
| Alphabet | GOOGL | 12.4% | +4.2% |
| Walt Disney | DIS | 4.7% | +1.8% |
| AT&T | T | 4.5% | −12.6% |
| AppLovin | APP | 4.3% | −16.4% |
| Verizon | VZ | 4.3% | −14.1% |
Weight is the share of XLC. 1M is the plain one-month return to the close of . All stock pages
Communication Services Stocks: common questions
Communication services stocks list: which stocks are in XLC?
As of 12 October 2026, XLC holds 22 communication services stocks, and this page lists all 22. The three largest by fund weight are Meta Platforms (META, 23.1%), Alphabet (GOOGL, 12.4%) and Alphabet Inc (GOOG, 10.0%). Each one shows its fund weight; the 10 largest also show their one-month and three-month returns where Zensei has a price.
What are the best communication services stocks this month?
As of 12 October 2026, ranked by one-month return, the three strongest communication services stocks in XLC are Meta Platforms (META, +14.7%), Alphabet (GOOGL, +4.2%) and Alphabet Inc (GOOG, +4.0%). This ranks past return only; it does not forecast the next month.
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 (META, 23.1%), Alphabet (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 (META). The table above shows the largest holdings with their weights and returns.
Which ETF holds communication services stocks?
Several ETFs hold communication services stocks. Zensei tracks the group through XLC, the Communication Services Select Sector SPDR. As of 12 October 2026, its published holdings list 22 communication services stocks, and the 10 largest make up 76.6% of the fund.
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.
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, Alphabet, Alphabet Inc, Walt Disney, AT&T. 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.
Compare all sectors: Sector heat map · Sector P/E ratios