Here’s my problem with XLF failing then trying to break out at a double top. Overlaid here (red dashed line) are the banks which are lagging.
The YTD percentage chart here shows that the gains are all due to reits (lime) and insurance (gray) AND NOT BANKS.
In September they will take all reits out of XLF and create a new sector called “Real Estate” (true story), but until then, we have a bit of a distorted picture of “Financials.”
Perhaps best to use the symbols for banks and regionals: $BKX, KRE, KBE.