Wall St week ahead: Investors eye wobbling energy sector as gauge for Delta fears

NEW YORK: Energy stocks are becoming a popular bellwether for concerns over how deeply the Delta variant of the coronavirus is expected to impact the U.S. economy, as the so-called reopening trade that boosted some parts of the market earlier this year continues to stumble.

The S&P 500 energy sector is down 12.3% for the quarter-to-date compared with a 3.7% gain for the S&P 500, which stands near record highs. That contrasts with the sector’s performance in the first quarter of the year, when it zoomed 29.3% on expectations that a vaccine-fueled economic rebound will boost energy demand.