Sector RS Rank Oct 21: Crypto Stocks Lead, Nat Gas ETFs Fall

💡 Today's US market in three lines

① Today's three stocks: Netskope · Atlassian · ServiceNow — a cloud security company up +10% in a day, a team software maker at a one-year closing high, and a workflow software company one week before its report.

② On October 21, the S&P 500 rose +0.58% to 7,757.17 and the Dow gained +0.69% to 52,856.09. 76 of the 129 ETFs in our universe closed higher, and 7 of the 11 sector SPDRs rose.

③ The Global X blockchain fund rose +3.97%, while the natural gas fund fell -5.05%.

• 🧭 Why Leaders Keep Leading — Reading Sector Rotation Through RS and RRG

 

Today's Sector Relative Strength (RS)

Oct 21 Sector RS — 129 ETFs · RRG v2

• Tech came back. Crypto stocks and cybersecurity bounced the hardest. Natural gas and telecom took the losses.
• The S&P 500 closed at 7,757.17, up +0.58% or 44.60 points. The Nasdaq rose +1.05%, or 278.04 points, to 26,702.86. The Dow gained +0.69%, or 360.21 points, to 52,856.09. Growth led this time. The Russell 1000 Growth fund (IWF) rose +0.92%, against +0.23% for the Russell 1000 Value fund (IWD). The equal-weight S&P 500 fund (RSP) gained +0.36% and the Russell 2000 fund (IWM) +0.25%, so large tech did more of the work than the average stock.
• Breadth was positive but narrower than Tuesday. 76 of the 129 funds in our universe closed higher, 50 fell, and three were flat. Seven of the 11 sector SPDRs rose. Technology led at +1.67%, followed by industrials (+0.91%) and financials (+0.57%). Communication services fell the most, at -1.11%, followed by real estate (-0.76%), consumer staples (-0.73%), and health care (-0.49%).
• SpaceX (SPCX) jumped +7.79% after its third-quarter report. Reports said Elon Musk told analysts that both boards had formed committees to study a merger with Tesla. Tesla rose +3.41% ahead of its own report after the close. The VIX fell -3.64% to 16.68. The 10-year Treasury yield edged up to 5.15% from 5.12%. Brent crude rose +0.86% to $109.73 a barrel. Natural gas futures fell -6.34% to $2.78. Bitcoin gained +2.16% to near $84,730.

 

Today's Leading Sectors TOP 5

• Basis: top 5 by 1-month RS rank on the 'Sector RS (US)' sheet — 129-ETF universe, October 21, 2026. Daily moves are measured from Yahoo closing prices. Trend columns compare price to its 1-month, 1-quarter, and 1-year moving averages.

ETF	1-Day	RS Rank 1M	Short-Term	Mid-Term	Long-Term
WisdomTree Cloud Computing (WCLD)	+2.08%	99	🔺	🔺	🔺
Global X Genomics & Biotechnology (GNOM)	+1.58%	98	🔺	🔺	🔺
Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV)	-0.49%	96	🔺	🔺	🔺
Virtus Reaves Utilities (UTES)	+1.52%	96	🔺	🔺	🔽
Global X HealthTech (HEAL)	-0.32%	95	🔺	🔺	🔺

• Cloud software took first place from health care. WCLD ranks 99 and is up +6.28% over five sessions. XLV slipped from 99 to 96 on a down day for the group, but it still sits above all three moving averages. Four of the five do. UTES is the exception: it is still below its 1-year average.

 

Why They're Strong — Sector Issues

WisdomTree Cloud Computing WCLD Daily

· Cloud software (WCLD) — Software stocks rose with the rest of tech. MongoDB gained +6.71%, Datadog +6.50%, and Atlassian +1.99% to a one-year closing high. Salesforce slipped -0.27% and HubSpot -0.34%, so not every name joined. WCLD is up +8.64% over one month, the best one-month gain among the top five.

Global X Genomics Biotechnology GNOM Daily

· Genomics and health care (GNOM · XLV · HEAL) — Health care split on a busy earnings day. Danaher rose +4.29% and Thermo Fisher +0.97% on the day they reported. Abbott, which also reported, fell -1.89%. Medical devices pulled the group down. Intuitive Surgical lost -2.26%, Boston Scientific -2.35%, and Stryker -2.23%. Eli Lilly gave back -1.01% after Tuesday's record close. GNOM still rose +1.58% and is up +4.26% over five sessions.

 

1-Month RS Trend

45-Day RS Trend — 5 Sectors

• The 45-day chart tracks digital transformation, cybersecurity, semiconductors, natural gas, and copper miners. The VanEck digital transformation fund (DAPP) peaked at 98 on September 9 and is back at 2 on this price-based line. The sheet ranks it 5. The Global X cybersecurity fund (BUG) fell to 19 on September 11, hit 100 on September 21, and now stands at 76, against 84 on the sheet. The iShares semiconductor fund (SOXX) topped out at 100 on September 30 and has dropped to 19, while the sheet still ranks it 77. The US natural gas fund (UNG) reached 100 on October 14 and fell to 29 in five sessions. The sheet has it at 26. The Global X copper miners fund (COPX) went from 97 on August 25 to a low of 5 on October 8 and sits at 13, with the sheet at 16.

 

RS Breakdown Warnings (big 5-day drops)

· The US natural gas fund (UNG) fell -71 points in five sessions, from 100 to 29. The fund is down -11.14% over the same stretch. Its sheet rank fell from 97 to 26, so both measures agree.

· The Roundhill generative AI fund (CHAT) lost -53 points, from 65 to 12, and is down -4.03% over five sessions. Its sheet rank fell from 43 to 33. The chip funds show sharp drops on the price-based line too, but their sheet ranks rose over the same week, so we leave them out. SOXX went from 96 to 19 on the line, while its sheet rank moved from 69 to 77.

 

RS Rebound Signals (sharp bounces off the bottom)

· The iShares regional bank fund (IAT) rebounded +53 points in five sessions, from 16 to 69. Its sheet rank rose only from 33 to 37.

· Oil services followed. The VanEck oil services fund (OIH) gained +44 points, from 22 to 66, and the iShares oil equipment and services fund (IEZ) +39 points, from 18 to 57. The iShares broker-dealer fund (IAI) added +27 points, from 30 to 57. On the sheet, OIH went from 25 to 37, IEZ from 16 to 28, and IAI from 31 to 44.

 

Today's Top Rising Sectors TOP 5 (by 1-day %)

• Basis: top 5 by October 21 closing move — 76 of 129 rose on the day. RS ranks from the 'Sector RS (US)' sheet.

ETF	1-Day	RS Rank 1M	Short-Term	Mid-Term	Long-Term
Global X Space Tech (ORBX)	+4.55%	17	🔽	🔽	🔽
Global X Blockchain (BKCH)	+3.97%	3	🔽	🔽	🔽
VanEck Digital Transformation (DAPP)	+3.88%	5	🔽	🔽	🔽
Roundhill Meme Stock (MEME)	+3.79%	30	🔽	🔽	🔽
Global X Cybersecurity (BUG)	+3.78%	84	🔺	🔺	🔺

• Four of the five rank in the bottom third of our universe. ORBX, BKCH, DAPP, and MEME are all still below their 1-month averages and are down over one month. BKCH is down -27.52% over that month and DAPP -24.77%. BUG is the exception. It ranks 84 and sits above all three averages.

 

Why They Rose — Sector Issues

VanEck Digital Transformation DAPP Daily

· Crypto and space stocks (BKCH · DAPP · ORBX) — Bitcoin rose +2.16% to about $84,730, and reports said it reached its highest level since October 7. Strategy jumped +7.54%, Robinhood +3.79%, and Coinbase +3.65%. Space stocks moved with SpaceX. ORBX rose +4.55% and Rocket Lab +5.44%. These are rebounds from deep lows. BKCH and DAPP still rank 3 and 5.

Global X Cybersecurity BUG Daily

· Cybersecurity (BUG · IHAK · CIBR) — Security software rose across the board. Netskope gained +10.04%, Zscaler +7.84%, Okta +7.54%, Cloudflare +5.32%, and CrowdStrike +5.26%. We found no single headline behind the group move. BUG is up only +0.79% over five sessions, so Wednesday's gain mostly made back the losses of the prior four sessions. CrowdStrike is still down -3.99% over five sessions.

 

Leading Sectors: Cloud Software, Cybersecurity, Health Care

• ① Cloud software is now the top group. WCLD ranks 99, up from 96 on Tuesday, and closed +2.08% higher. Its rise did not lean on chips. The semiconductor funds are still far below their late-September highs on our price line.
• ② Cybersecurity is back near the top. BUG ranks 84 and IHAK 87, and both sit above all three moving averages. CIBR ranks 75. BUG's +3.78% gain was the largest of any fund ranked above 50.
• ③ Health care held its ranks on a weak day. XLV fell -0.49% and still ranks 96. GNOM ranks 98 and HEAL 95. The weak side was natural gas, telecom, and metals. UNG fell -5.05% and is down -11.14% over five sessions. We found no single headline for the natural gas drop. Netflix fell -5.31% after its report, and AT&T dropped -6.45% after adding fewer phone subscribers than expected, according to reports. The copper miners fund (COPX) lost -1.43% and the lithium fund (LIT) -1.66%.
• ④ The last report covered the October 20 close. Its three picks, measured from that close to Wednesday's: Eli Lilly -1.01%, UnitedHealth -0.54%, and HubSpot -0.34%. The S&P 500 rose +0.58% over the same session. All three trailed the index. Eli Lilly closed at $1,270.75, still above its $1,240.34 checkpoint. UnitedHealth closed at $417.00, short of the $436.35 level it needed to clear. HubSpot closed at $249.90, above its $236.49 checkpoint. Recorded as is.

 

Today's Three Stocks — Netskope · Atlassian · ServiceNow Stock Forecast

 

Netskope (NTSK) — 1-Month RS 96: A +10% Day for Cloud Security

Netskope NTSK Daily

RS 1D	RS 5D	RS 1M	1M Return	Held By
100	94	96	+17.6%	iShares Cybersecurity and Tech · Global X Cybersecurity · WisdomTree Cloud Computing

• Up +10.04% to $21.81, and +8.83% over five sessions. The stock is about 10% below its closing high of $24.26 from November 3, 2025, shortly after its 2025 listing. Netskope sells cloud-based security that controls how employees reach apps and data. Reports said Wells Fargo recently raised its price target to $22. We found no single company headline for Wednesday's jump. For the quarter ended July 31, revenue rose +29.2% to $220.5 million from $170.8 million. The operating loss widened to $89.8 million from $46.0 million, and the net loss to $110.8 million from $90.3 million. The loss per share narrowed to $0.27 from $0.84, because many more shares were outstanding after the listing. The Netskope stock forecast depends on whether growth near 30% starts to shrink those losses.

 

Atlassian (TEAM) — 1-Month RS 97: A One-Year Closing High

Atlassian TEAM Daily

RS 1D	RS 5D	RS 1M	1M Return	Held By
82	97	97	+19.5%	WisdomTree Cloud Computing · First Trust Dow Jones Internet · iShares Expanded Tech-Software

• Up +1.99% to $225.51, and +10.19% over five sessions. That is its highest close in at least a year. Atlassian makes Jira and Confluence, the planning and documentation tools that software teams use. Reports said Truist raised its price target to $250. For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2026, revenue rose +26.0% to $6.57 billion from $5.22 billion. Operating income was $10.4 million, against a loss of $130.4 million a year earlier. The net loss narrowed to $53.8 million from $256.7 million. Fiscal first-quarter results are expected on October 29, according to reports. The Atlassian stock forecast depends on whether that report keeps operating profit above zero.

 

ServiceNow (NOW) — 1-Month RS 90: One Week Before Earnings

ServiceNow NOW Daily

RS 1D	RS 5D	RS 1M	1M Return	Held By
85	96	90	+11.8%	iShares Expanded Tech-Software · Global X Cloud Computing · WisdomTree Cloud Computing

• Up +2.39% to $153.12, and +9.39% over five sessions. The stock is still about 19% below its one-year closing high of $189.26 from October 27, 2025. ServiceNow sells software that automates IT, HR, and customer service work inside large companies. For the quarter ended June 30, revenue rose +24.0% to $3.99 billion from $3.22 billion. Operating income fell -54.7% to $162 million from $358 million. Net income fell to $298 million from $385 million, and diluted earnings per share were $0.29, down from $0.37. Sales grew, but profit went the other way. Third-quarter results are scheduled for Wednesday, October 28, after the close. The ServiceNow stock forecast depends on whether that report shows margins recovering.

 

Netskope · Atlassian · ServiceNow Stock Forecast Checkpoints

· Netskope stock forecast — The stock jumped +10.04% in one session. Watch whether it clears $24.26, its November 3, 2025 closing high. A drop back under $19.82, Tuesday's close, would erase the jump.

· Atlassian stock forecast — The stock closed at a one-year high. Watch whether it holds above $221.11, Tuesday's close, into the October 29 report. A drop below it would undo Wednesday's breakout.

· ServiceNow stock forecast — The stock has risen +9.39% in five sessions. Watch whether it holds above $139.55, its 20-day average, through the October 28 report. A close below it would put the stock back under its short-term trend.

 

What to Watch on Next Week's Calendar

• China's Communist Party plenum, Monday, October 26 to Thursday, October 29. The meeting covers party appointments and the next five-year plan. Copper miners (COPX) rank 16 and the lithium fund (LIT) 11, and both fell on Wednesday. Any growth or industry targets from Beijing will test whether metals demand has a floor.
• SK hynix results, Tuesday, October 27, 8:00 p.m. ET, and Samsung Electronics results, Wednesday, October 28, 9:00 p.m. ET. SOXX rose +2.07% on Wednesday, but its price-based RS line is at 19 against 77 on the sheet. The two largest memory makers will show whether chip demand supports a real recovery.
• Fed rate decision, Wednesday, October 28, 2:00 p.m. ET, then Microsoft, Alphabet, and ServiceNow results at 4:00 p.m. ET, after the close. This is the first Fed meeting since the September 16 rate hike, with the 10-year yield at 5.15%. Cloud software leads our ranking with WCLD at 99, and Alphabet fell -1.62% on Wednesday. Microsoft's and Alphabet's cloud numbers will show whether that lead has support.

 

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