Consumer Staples ( XLP ) - Is Mean Reversion Over? Gayed, my father, in the second edition re-release of Intermarket Analysis and Investing Below is an assessment of the performance of some of the most important sectors and asset classes relative to each other, with an interpretation of what underlying market dynamics may be signaling about the future direction of risk-taking by investors. Conclusion A significant repricing appears to be underway with money favoring cyclical trades which have lagged throughout the deflation pulse, and defensives which have illogically driven markets higher.