BUZZ-Comm services, tech top S&P 500 sector performers in 2024, materials lag

** Communication services and information technology set to post biggest annual gains among the eleven major S&P 500 sectors in 2024

** Streaming giant Netflix NFLX.O, with its near 85% gain this year, is the best performer among communications services stocks .SPLRCL that hit a record high in December this year

** The sector also benefited from gains in index heavyweights Google parent Alphabet GOOGL.O and Facebook parent Meta Platforms META.O

** Information technology .SPLRCT is the second-best sector performer with its 37% gain so far this year, led by Palantir Technology PLTR.O's nearly 350% rise

** AI-chip bellwether Nvidia NVDA.O, new trillion-dollar company Broadcom AVGO.O and megacaps Microsoft MSFT.O and Apple AAPL.O also lifted the sector

** Consumer discretionary .SPLRCD shares, which house EV maker Tesla TSLA.O and e-commerce giant Amazon.com AMZN.O also gained over 30% YTD, till Monday's close

** All three sectors are poised for their second straight year of gains, although the rise is smaller than compared to 2023

** The materials sector .SPLRCM, that contains U.S. miners, only S&P 500 sector to lose ground with about 2.2% annual loss

** Celanese CE.N, Albemarle ALB.N among top decliners in miners

** Healthcare .SPXHC, Energy .SPNY also lag, both set to rise less than 1% for the year

** The benchmark S&P 500 has hit multiple record highs this year, gaining over 23% YTD, till last close, compared with a 24.3% gain logged in 2023

(Reporting by Purvi Agarwal in Bengaluru)

((Purvi.Agarwal@thomsonreuters.com))