Top Stock Gainers Today, 5/4/26

The S&P 500 (SPX) pulled back on Monday as tensions in the Strait of Hormuz rose following President Trump’s Project Freedom announcement.

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Let’s break down the sectors behind the performance.

Today’s Top-Performing Sector 

Energy was the top-performing sector as Brent crude oil futures (BZ) surged 5%. Earlier today, the United Arab Emirates issued its first missile warning since the start of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire after one of its oil tankers was targeted by an Iranian drone strike. Furthermore, traffic through Hormuz remains severely restricted as the global oil shock drags on.

Several energy stocks led the sector’s gains, including:

• APA (APA)
• Diamondback Energy (FANG)
• EOG Resources (EOG)
• Occidental Petroleum (OXY)
• Marathon Petroleum (MPC)

Today’s Worst-Performing Sector 

Meanwhile, the materials sector faced the largest drawdown as rising input and energy costs, along with worries about slowing demand, weighed on the group. The sector tends to track commodity prices and economic activity, making it especially sensitive to higher costs and uncertainty around global demand.

Notable materials stocks trading lower include:

• CRH (CRH)
• PPG Industries (PPG)
• Vulcan Materials Company (VMC)
• Smurfit WestRock (SW)
• Linde (LIN)