The broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was down 1%, and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) retreated by 1.6% in Wednesday's premarket activity, amid renewed clashes between Iran and the US.
US stock futures were also lower, with S&P 500 Index futures down 1%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slipping 0.9%, and Nasdaq futures retreating 1.5% before the start of regular trading.
Mortgage applications rose by 10.8% in the week ended June 5 after a 2.5% decline in Memorial Day week despite an increase in average 30-year mortgage rates, according to Mortgage Bankers Association data released Wednesday.
US consumer prices rose 0.5% in May, matching economists' expectations but slowing from a 0.6% increase in April, while core CPI increased 0.2%, below forecasts for a 0.3% gain and down from a 0.4% rise in the prior month.
The consumer price index report for May is scheduled for an 8:30 am ET release.
The weekly EIA domestic petroleum inventories report will be released at 10:30 am ET.
In premarket action, bitcoin was down by 1.7%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 1.7% lower, Ether ETF (EETH) retreated by 2.4%, and Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) lost 0.01%.
Power Play:
Technology
The State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) retreated 2.3%, and the iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) was 2.2% lower, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was down 2.2%. Among semiconductor ETFs, the State Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) fell 4.5%, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) declined by 3.4%.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM) shares were down more than 3% in premarket activity even after the company reported higher net revenue for the month of May and the period from January to May.
Winners and Losers:
Consumer
The State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) was up 0.4%, and the Vanguard Consumer Staples Index Fund ETF Shares (VDC) was 0.7% higher. The iShares US Consumer Staples ETF (IYK) was inactive. The State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) lost 0.7%. The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) was inactive, while the State Street SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) retreated by 1.2%.
Sea's (SE) shares were down more than 2% pre-bell. Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter, that the company's Shopee division is eliminating hundreds of developer positions, affecting about 8% of the platform's developer workforce.
Health Care
The State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) retreated by 0.2%, the Vanguard Health Care Index Fund (VHT) was down 0.1%, while the iShares US Healthcare ETF (IYH) gained 1.2%. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was 0.8% lower.
Sanofi (SNY) stock was down more than 2% premarket after the company said that it will discontinue a phase 3 trial of its experimental drug riliprubart in patients with a type of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy after an interim review found the study was unlikely to provide "sufficient efficacy."
Financial
The State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) retreated by 0.3%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was down 1.6%, while its bearish counterpart, Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ), was 1.5% higher.
Blackstone (BX) shares were down more than 2% pre-bell after Bloomberg reported the company is divesting Interplex's information and communications technology division to BizLink for roughly $850 million, with the agreement including an additional $50 million earnout based on certain milestones.
Industrial
The State Street Industrial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLI) retreated by 0.6%, while the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) fell 1.6% and the iShares US Industrials ETF (IYJ) was inactive.
Core & Main (CNM) stock was down more than 1% before the opening bell, after the company reported unchanged fiscal Q1 net sales.
Energy
The iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) rose 2.5%, while the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) was up by 0.7%.
APA (APA) stock was up more than 1% before market open after the company said it has agreed to acquire Savant Alaska for about $70 million in upfront consideration, plus contingent payments related to the development of APA's eastern North Slope portfolio.
Commodities
Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil gained by 2.1% to $90.02 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas was up 2.9% at $3.23 per 1 million British Thermal Units. The United States Oil Fund (USO) rose by 1.6%, while the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was 2.6% higher.
Gold futures for July retreated by 2.8% to $4,166.90 an ounce on the Comex. Silver futures declined by 2.3% to $63.72 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) was down by 2.8%, and the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) decreased by 2.4%.
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