The broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was down 0.2% and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) advanced 0.5% in Wednesday's premarket activity, as markets traded mixed amid caution about fresh employment and inflation indicators.
US stock futures were mixed, with S&P 500 Index futures down 0.1%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slipping 0.3%, and Nasdaq futures gaining 0.2% before the start of regular trading.
US mortgage applications fell 2.5% in the week ended May 29, extending the prior week's decline despite lower 30-year mortgage rates, Mortgage Bankers Association data showed Wednesday.
US private-sector employment increased by 122,000 jobs in May, slightly exceeding expectations, with hiring led by education and health services, trade, transportation and utilities, and construction, ADP data showed Wednesday.
The May purchasing managers' index composite final report from S&P Global will be released at 9:45 am ET, followed by the Institute for Supply Management's services survey for May at 10:00 am ET.
Factory orders data for April are scheduled to be released at 10:00 am ET, followed by the weekly oil stocks data at 10:30 am ET.
Federal Reserve Governor Michael Barr and Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan are due to speak on Wednesday.
In premarket action, bitcoin was down by 0.3%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 0.5% lower, Ether ETF (EETH) retreated by 1.8%, and Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) gained 0.01%.
Power Play:
Financial
The State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) retreated by 0.5%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was down 1.3%, while its bearish counterpart, Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ), was 1.1% higher.
Blackstone (BX) shares were down more than 5% pre-bell after Bloomberg reported the company is mulling the sale of payments services provider, SP.LINKS, looking to fetch about 100 billion Japanese yen ($626 million) from the transaction.
Winners and Losers:
Health Care
The State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) retreated by 0.3%, the Vanguard Health Care Index Fund (VHT) was up 0.1%, while the iShares US Healthcare ETF (IYH) was inactive. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was 0.01% lower.
Technology
The State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) advanced by 0.4%, and the iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) was 0.4% higher, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was up 0.6%. Among semiconductor ETFs, the State Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) gained 1.5%, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) rose by 2%.
Sprinklr (CXM) shares were down more than 5% in premarket activity after the company reported lower fiscal Q1 non-GAAP earnings.
Industrial
The State Street Industrial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLI) declined by 0.5%, while the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) was down 0.7% and the iShares US Industrials ETF (IYJ) was inactive.
T1 Energy (TE) stock was up 3% before the opening bell after the company said it had agreed to acquire Kore Power in a deal valued at $32 million in equity, cash, and assumed debt.
Consumer
The State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) was up 0.02% and the Vanguard Consumer Staples Index Fund ETF Shares (VDC) was down 0.4%. The iShares US Consumer Staples ETF (IYK) was flat. The State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) lost 0.2%. The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) was inactive, while the State Street SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) decreased by 0.8%.
Ferrari (RACE) shares were down 1% pre-bell after closing the prior day with a 1.3% rise. The vehicle maker said Wednesday it has signed a multi-year contract extension with Charles Leclerc.
Energy
The iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) was up 0.7%, while the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) was up by 0.6%.
BP (BP) stock was up more than 1% before market open, following a 1% gain in the previous session. The Financial Times reported Tuesday that the company held advanced talks to sell its UK North Sea assets to Ithaca Energy in a nearly 2 billion British pounds ($2.7 billion) deal, though negotiations failed in recent weeks, with the oil major still exploring a sale to other potential buyers.
Commodities
Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil gained by 2.2% to $95.82 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas was up 0.3% to $3.18 per 1 million British Thermal Units. The United States Oil Fund (USO) rose by 2.7%, while the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was 0.4% higher.
Gold futures for July retreated by 0.7% to $4,488.90 an ounce on the Comex. Silver futures declined by 1.2% to $74.66 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) was down by 0.5%, and the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) decreased by 1%.
