US stocks have crashed in 2022. Here are 4 charts that show what’s happening as tech tumbles and energy soars.

US stocks have crashed in 2022. Here are 4 charts that show what’s happening as tech tumbles and energy soars.

Stocks have tumbled this year. The has hiked rates, bringing the easy-money era to a screeching halt. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has sent oil prices spiking. And investors are worried about red-hot inflation and slowing global growth. The had fallen more than 16% from recent highs as of Thursday's close. The tech-heavy had cratered roughly 26%. It's been something of a car crash. But, look under the hood, and some parts of the car have been destroyed while others have escaped unscathed. Unprofitable and speculative tech companies and so-called meme stocks have taken the biggest hit in what's been dubbed the "spec-tech wreck." Meanwhile, buyers have only been interested in one sector: energy. Here are four charts that explain what's going on in stock markets in 2022. (All changes are as of Wednesday's market close.) Stock-market investors have flocked to energy stocks this year as worries about growth have dented the appeal of almost every other sector. Oil and natural gas prices have risen sharply following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, one of the world's most important producers. , the US benchmark oil price, has risen around 50% this year to around $110 a barrel. The S&P 500's energy