Source page: McKinsey & Company

Commentary

Visual form

Bar Chart: horizontal industry economic-profit bars with 2018 baseline dots.

Layout / body structure

Industries are listed in rows. Each row uses a dot for the 2018 average economic-profit value and a horizontal bar for the longer-term 2020 market-valuation-implied value, with a right-side summary grouping the top, middle, and bottom industries.

What is being compared

It compares average economic profit by industry before the pandemic with longer-term market-implied expectations after the COVID-19 shock. The chart contrasts leading industries with lagging industries.

Measurement system

The horizontal scale is average economic profit by industry in billions of dollars. Dot position marks the 2018 baseline, while bar length and direction show the later implied value.

Visible structure inside the graphic

Leading industries such as semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, software, and technology hardware extend far to the positive side. Lagging industries such as energy, utilities, diversified financials, banks, and insurance sit leftward or remain negative.

Main takeaway from the visual

The chart shows the pandemic widening the gap between industry winners and losers. The strongest industries became more profitable in market expectations, while the weakest industries lost even more economic profit.

Key standout values or extremes

The summary shows the top six industries gaining 275 billion dollars, middle industries adding only 11 billion dollars, and the bottom six industries losing 373 billion dollars.

Controls / sequence, when applicable

This is a static horizontal bar chart; there are no in-chart controls to operate.

Companion media, when applicable

There is no separate companion audio or video; the industry profit chart is the full visual on this page.


The COVID-19 pandemic is widening the gap between leading and lagging industries

COVID-19 | Economics

July 22, 2020 – The six best-performing industries, including semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, and software, have added $275 billion a year to their expected economic-profit pool, while the least profitable six—including insurance, utilities, and energy—have lost $373 billion.

The best industries are getting better, and the worst are getting worse.

To read the article, see “The great acceleration,” July 14, 2020.


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