1.
Party Rally Running Out of Fuel
2025-10-09 21:46:00 by Mark Vickery from ZacksThursday, October 9, 2025
This is nobody’s idea of a struggling stock market. Today closed not at new record-setting highs, but we don’t that every day (even though for a while there it seemed like it.) The Dow was down -243 points today, -0.52%. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq were down -18 points each: -0.28% and -0.08%, respectively. The small-cap Russell 2000 slipped -13 points, -0.53%.
What more is there to say about the AI infrastructure trade? Not that it isn’t a viable enterprise — and not that it won’t one day change major parameters in all our lives — but only so much can be done a day at a time. For a while there, it seemed as if OpenAI's Sam Altman was tying together all the business partnerships for the entire enterprise, but even that had to slow down sometime.
And, of course, without any federal economic reports coming out — today would have been Weekly Jobless Claims and August Wholesale Inventories — we get even less for market participants to act upon, to say nothing of the Fed. And even considering all this, Q3 earnings season is a slow trickle at this time and the next Fed meeting isn’t for weeks yet.
The shutdown continues, but even gold has pulled back from all-time highs yesterday north of $4000 for the first time ever. Gold is still considered a main hedge against a potentially wobbly equities market going forward — should we ever get one. Bitcoin pulled back another -2% today.
And what can be expected to pull market trading interest back up to earlier levels? Tough to see. We’ll get preliminary Consumer Sentiment for August (this morning we saw the NRF Retail Monitor swing to a negative on both the headline and core reads), which is expected to come down to 53.5 from 60.4 a month ago. But no Monthly U.S. Federal Budget data will be forthcoming, as had been planned.
Just about every catalyst for the market going higher has already come to pass this week. Unless there is some significant progress in ending the shutdown — and even that’s no gimme: markets usually like it when Congress can’t get anything done — we don’t see a lot to pull markets much higher into the end of the week. Barring another big blockbuster merger deal, which I suppose we can never completely rule out.
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2.
The QQQ ETF Wants to Lower Its Expense Ratio and I Don’t Care. Should You?
2025-10-09 19:39:55 by Rob Isbitts from Barchart
Some exchange-traded fund (ETF) news alerts catch my attention, and some don’t. There’s a third type that hits my email inbox from time to time. I’d classify it as important, but only because it brings an opportunity to point out a common investor misperception.
In this case, it is one of the most common questions I get about ETFs from investors. For traders, it is not very relevant. It concerns those who, in an effort to be cost-conscious, overestimate the significance of an ETF’s expense ratio.
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It is not that cost-minimization should not be a goal. However, I find that some self-directed investors look at the expense ratio (ER) and focus simply on it as a cost. To me, expense ratios are all about getting what you pay for. Like many things in life.
As a shareholder of the Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (QQQ), one of the most well-known ETFs in the world, I recently received such an alert. QQQ is doing what many hoped it would. It is attempting to lower its expense ratio, from 0.20% to 0.18%.
Do ETF Expense Ratios Matter? How to Decide.
Now, if you have an 8- or 9-figure investment in QQQ, this is real money. That’s a 10% drop in the cost of holding it for a year.
You might be wondering at this point why such a standard ETF, that simply tracks the Nasdaq-100 Index ($IUXX), has been sitting at a 0.20% expense ratio for so long. In part, since there has not been a run on assets in protest, there was no urgency for the issuer to make a change. QQQ is dominant enough to have its own television commercials. Pretty good for a passive investment product.
A big part of why QQQ is “the go-to” for owning the big dogs of tech is the level of option activity on it. It is tremendous. Thus, while investors can buy less expensive clones of QQQ, if they want to use options around it, and do so in size, this is the one.
Options activity might not trigger a great deal of investor emotion. But it is just one example of how we often overstate the importance of “cost” without understanding more thoroughly what that cost entails.
This is just one isolated example, and my message is more about going beyond the statistics when it comes to ETF investment cost. Frankly, I’ve seen a lot more money lost chasing past performance than I have paying 0.5% for an industry-focused or thematic ETF that is well-constructed and fits my objectives.
Yet in that generic example, I often get comments such as “what a waste of money, when you can have (some similar sounding ETF) at just 0.35%.”
The bottom line here: Know what you own, and don’t overthink it when it comes to expense ratio. It is but one factor to consider when making important decisions. And often, it is not significant enough to focus on.
3.
Exchange-Traded Funds Drop as US Equities Fall After Midday
2025-10-09 17:08:29 by MT Newswires from MT NewswiresBroad Market Indicators
Broad-market exchange-traded funds IWM and IVV declined. Actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was down 0.4%.
US equity indexes declined with gold futures, while government bond yields traded mostly higher in midday trading on Thursday.
Energy
iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) and the Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) both lost 1.1%.
Technology
Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) 0.5% lower; iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) and iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) declined as well.
SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) dropped 0.9%, and iShares Semiconductor (SOXX) shed 0.9%.
Financial
The Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF) fell 0.5%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) slipped 1.7%, and its bearish counterpart, Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ), gained 1.4%.
Commodities
Crude oil was down 1.6%, and the United States Oil Fund (USO) lost 1.4%. Natural gas dipped 1.6%, and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was down 1.7%.
Gold on Comex dipped 1.9%, and SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) fell 1.8%. Silver was down 3%, and iShares Silver Trust (SLV) shed 2.5%.
Consumer
Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) added 0.1%. The Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) rose 0.3%, while iShares Dow Jones US Consumer Goods (IYK) gained 0.2%.
Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) fell 1%. VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) was down 0.6%, and SPDR S&P Retail (XRT) lost 1.1%.
Health Care
Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV) fell fractionally, and iShares US Healthcare (IYH) and Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) edged higher; iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was up 0.3%.
Industrial
Industrial Select Sector SPDR (XLI) was 1.3% lower. Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) and iShares US Industrials (IYJ) were in the red.
Cryptocurrency
In midday activity, bitcoin (BTC-USD) lost 2.5%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, ProShares Bitcoin ETF (BITO) was down 2.7%, ProShares Ether ETF (EETH) slipped 5.1%, and ProShares Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) dropped 1.3%.
4.
Exchange-Traded Funds, Equity Futures Steady Pre-Bell as Investors Hope for Rate Cut, Await Earnings
2025-10-09 13:22:26 by MT Newswires from MT NewswiresThe broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) were little changed in Thursday's premarket activity, as investors looked forward to the Federal Reserve's interest rate cut and awaited earnings.
US stock futures were also flat, with S&P 500 Index futures gaining 0.01%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slipping 0.03%, and Nasdaq futures retreating 0.01% before the start of regular trading.
The wholesale inventories bulletin for August is slated to be released at 10 am ET, followed by the weekly EIA natural gas report at 10:30 am ET.
US Federal Reserve Board Governor Michael Barr speaks at 12:45 pm ET at the Economic Club of Minnesota Luncheon, Minneapolis, while Fed Vice Chair Michelle Bowman is due to speak at 3:45 pm ET at the Community Bank Conference in Washington, DC.
In premarket activity, bitcoin was down by 0.5%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 0.4% lower, Ether ETF (EETH) retreated 3.1%, and Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) was down by 0.2%.
Power Play:
Health Care
The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) advanced 0.2%. The Vanguard Health Care Index Fund (VHT) was marginally down by 0.01% and the iShares US Healthcare ETF (IYH) was 0.02% lower. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) retreated 0.4%.
Telomir Pharmaceuticals (TELO) shares were 20% higher before Thursday's opening bell, after the company said its new evaluations showed that Telomir-1 "significantly decreases" the viability of aggressive triple-negative breast cancer cells.
Winners and Losers:
Technology
The Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) was marginally up by 0.04%, and the iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) was 0.3% higher, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was up 0.2%. Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) added 0.7%, and the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) was down by 0.01%.
Plug Power (PLUG) shares were down nearly 6% before Thursday's bell, a day after the company said it signed a warrant inducement deal with a current investor for the immediate exercise of all of the company's outstanding warrants issued in March to buy roughly 185.4 million common shares at $2 apiece, for expected gross proceeds of approximately $370 million.
Consumer
The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP) was up 0.2%, and the Vanguard Consumer Staples Fund (VDC) gained 0.1%. The iShares US Consumer Staples ETF (IYK) advanced 0.01%, while the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) retreated 0.2%. The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) was inactive, while the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) was 0.5% higher.
Delta Air Lines (DAL) stock was up 8% in recent Thursday premarket activity after the airline posted higher Q3 adjusted earnings and operating revenue from a year earlier.
Energy
The iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) was inactive, while the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) was 0.1% lower.
Cenovus Energy (CVE) stock was up 1.4% pre-bell Thursday, after Raymond James upgraded the company to strong buy from outperform and raised its price target to CA$32 from CA$30.
Industrial
Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLI) advanced 0.1% while the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) and the iShares US Industrials ETF (IYJ) were inactive.
Hycroft Mining (HYMC) shares were down 1.5% in recent Thursday premarket activity, after the company said it is commencing a public underwritten offering of its class A common shares for gross proceeds of roughly $100 million.
Financial
Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) was flat. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was up 0.03%, while its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was 0.2% lower.
Citizens Financial Group (CFG) shares were 1.4% higher pre-bell Thursday, after BofA Securities upgraded the company to buy from neutral with a $65 price target.
Commodities
Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil added 0.5% to $62.83 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas gained 0.9% to reach $3.36 per 1 million British Thermal Units. The United States Oil Fund (USO) was 0.7% higher, and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) advanced by 1.5%.
Gold futures for December slipped 0.2% to $4,063.90 an ounce on the Comex, while silver futures were down by 0.6% at $48.69 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) retreated 0.1%, and the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was 1.3% higher.
5.
Invesco QQQ Sponsor Spotlight: Rethinking Innovation
2025-10-09 01:15:24 by BloombergTim McLaughlin, QQQ Equity Product Strategist, Invesco speaks with Bloomberg Live's Mark Miller about rethinking innovation at The Future Investor: Finding the Opportunities event in Los Angeles.
6.
OPEC+ Limits Oil Hike As Oversupply Fears Grow
2025-10-08 21:53:30 by Moz Farooque ACCA from GuruFocus.comThis article first appeared on GuruFocus.
OPEC is taking a cautious step forward. The oil alliance agreed to a modest 137,000 barrels per day production increase for November the smallest on the table as members grow wary of flooding the market amid signs of slowing global demand, Reuters reported, citing insiders.
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The group's decision reflects growing concern about a potential glut as rival producers like the U.S., Brazil, and Guyana ramp up supply. Brent crude prices dropped nearly 8% to under $65 a barrel after reports hinted at a larger hike, extending a slide that's kept prices between $60 and $70 since April well below the $82 seen at the start of the year.
Analysts say Saudi Arabia seems intent on reclaiming market share, with OPEC+ collectively adding over 2.7 million barrels a day since April, about 2.5% of global demand. But so far, only about three-quarters of that planned increase has actually reached the market, limited by production constraints. Much of the added supply has gone into Chinese storage tanks and seasonal fuel use.
With summer driving and harvest demand fading, inventories are piling up fast. J.P. Morgan estimates global oil and product stockpiles rose 123 million barrels in September, with China accounting for over a third of the build.
Looking ahead, the balance could still shift if new sanctions hit Russia or if China's buying habits change. But for now, OPEC+ seems content to play defense choosing discipline over another price drop.
7.
Exchange-Traded Funds Edge Higher as US Equities Rise After Midday
2025-10-08 17:11:22 by MT Newswires from MT NewswiresBroad Market Indicators
Broad-market exchange-traded funds IWM and IVV rose. Actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was up 0.8%.
US equity indexes rose in midday trading on Wednesday amid gains in technology ahead of the start of the Q3 earnings season.
Energy
iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) and the Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) both lost about 0.4%.
Technology
Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) 1.3% higher; iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) and iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) advanced as well.
SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) added 2.2%, and iShares Semiconductor (SOXX) gained 2.5%.
Financial
The Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF) rose 0.2%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) climbed 0.6%, and its bearish counterpart, Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ), shed 0.4%.
Commodities
Crude oil was up 1.4%, and the United States Oil Fund (USO) added 0.9%. Natural gas declined 4.8%, and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) lost 5.2%.
Gold on Comex added 1.8%, and SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) rose 1.9%. Silver was up 3.2%, and iShares Silver Trust (SLV) gained 3.4%.
Consumer
Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) shed 0.4%. The Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) dipped 0.4%, while iShares Dow Jones US Consumer Goods (IYK) shed 0.6%.
Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) rose 0.2%. VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) was up 0.1%, and SPDR S&P Retail (XRT) gained 0.4%.
Health Care
Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV) added 0.3%, and iShares US Healthcare (IYH) and Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) moved higher as well; iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was up 1.6%.
Industrial
Industrial Select Sector SPDR (XLI) was 1% higher. Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) and iShares US Industrials (IYJ) rose as well.
Cryptocurrency
In midday activity, bitcoin (BTC-USD) added 1.1%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, ProShares Bitcoin ETF (BITO) was up 1.5%, ProShares Ether ETF (EETH) was fractionally higher, and ProShares Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) gained 0.3%.
8.
Exchange-Traded Funds, Equity Futures Higher Pre-Bell Wednesday Ahead of Fed's Meeting Minutes
2025-10-08 12:49:20 by MT Newswires from MT NewswiresThe broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was up 0.1% and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was 0.2% higher in Wednesday's premarket activity, ahead of the release of the Federal Reserve's meeting minutes.
US stock futures were also higher, with S&P 500 Index futures up 0.1%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures advancing 0.2%, and Nasdaq futures gaining 0.2% before the start of regular trading.
US mortgage applications fell 4.7% in the week ended Oct. 3 even as borrowing costs eased, Mortgage Bankers Association data showed Wednesday.
The EIA's weekly petroleum status report will be released at 10:30 am ET.
Minutes of the Federal Reserve's Sept. 16-17 policy session will be posted at 2 pm ET.
Federal Reserve officials Governor Michael Barr, Minneapolis President Neel Kashkari, and Chicago President Austan Goolsbee are slated to speak on Wednesday.
In premarket activity, bitcoin was up by 1.1%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 1.1% higher, Ether ETF (EETH) retreated 0.5%, and Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) rose by 2.1%.
Power Play:
Technology
Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) advanced 0.2%, and the iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) was 0.1% higher, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was up 0.4%. Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) declined by 0.1%, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) rose by 0.1%.
Confluent (CFLT) shares were up more than 17% in recent premarket activity amid reports that the company is considering a possible sale after attracting interest from tech companies and private equity firms.
Winners and Losers:
Industrial
Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLI) advanced 0.4% while the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) and the iShares US Industrials ETF (IYJ) were inactive.
Joby Aviation (JOBY) stock was down more than 10% before the opening bell after the company priced a public offering of 30.5 million shares at $16.85 each for estimated gross proceeds of about $513.9 million.
Financial
Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) advanced 0.2%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was up 0.5%, while its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was 0.4% lower.
Iren (IREN) shares were down more than 3% pre-bell after the company said Tuesday it plans to offer $875 million in convertible senior notes due 2031 in a private placement to institutional buyers, with an option for initial purchasers to buy an additional $125 million.
Health Care
The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) advanced 0.1%. The Vanguard Health Care Index Fund (VHT) was up 0.5%, while the iShares US Healthcare ETF (IYH) and the iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) were inactive.
UniQure (QURE) stock was up more than 2% premarket after RBC raised its price target to $65 from $55 and maintained its outperform rating.
Consumer
The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP) was up 0.1%, while the Vanguard Consumer Staples Fund (VDC) gained 0.2%. The iShares US Consumer Staples ETF (IYK) was inactive, and the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) advanced 0.4%. The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) was inactive, while the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) was 0.4% higher.
Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) shares were up nearly 1% pre-bell after the company filed for an offering of up to about 6.9 million common shares after issuing warrants as a special dividend to its existing stockholders.
Energy
The iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) was flat, while the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) was up by 0.2%.
Dragonfly Energy Holdings (DFLI) said Wednesday it has raised $28.75 million through an underwritten offering of 23 million shares at a public offering price of $1.25 per share. The company's stock was edging 0.7% lower premarket.
Commodities
Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose 1.4% to $62.59 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas gained 0.9% to reach $3.53 per 1 million British Thermal Units. The United States Oil Fund (USO) was 0.9% higher, while the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) advanced by 0.5%.
Gold futures for December rose 1.4% to $4,058.50 an ounce on the Comex, while silver futures were up by 2.4% at $48.65 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) advanced by 1.5%, and the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was 2.5% higher.
9.
Markets Take a Break from Setting New All-Time Highs
2025-10-07 22:13:00 by Mark Vickery from ZacksTuesday, October 7, 2025
Markets took a breather in this latest bull run in the markets, with red closes among all major indexes snapping a seven-day winning streak on the S&P 500. The Dow slid -91 points, -0.20%, the S&P 500 -25, -0.38%, the Nasdaq -155, -0.68%, and the small-cap Russell 2000 -25, -1.02%. Bond yields retreated as well, with the 10-year at 4.13% and the 2-year down to 3.57%.
We here at “Ahead of Wall Street” will try to refrain from patting ourselves on the back, but with pre-markets in the green we openly questioned this morning whether we can trust the AI trade to continually catapult market indexes to new all-time highs after new all-time highs. Now Wall Street considers to what extent we may be inside an AI-trade “bubble,” and to what extent these growing multiples are justified.
Gold prices today tiptoed over the $4K line for the first-time ever, after stepping up to the line a few times in recent trading days. Spot gold prices rose another +0.76% today to $3981 per troy ounce. We tend to look at gold-buying as a hedge against potential froth in the equities market, which becomes common when we see things like the S&P 500 close at new all-time highs for a week straight.
August Consumer Credit Hits the Brakes
Following an advancement of Consumer Credit of $16.0 billion a month ago and expectations of another $14.0 million in today’s August report, we saw a big drawback to $363 million. Analysts cite deteriorating credit quality, raising credit card balances and increased delinquencies as the reason for the pullback. Revolving Credit marked its third decline of the year, with Revolving Debt sinking -5.5% year over year.
This is another set of data pointing to a softening of the U.S. economy, joining a somewhat unraveling labor market that nevertheless does not see an historically high rate of job layoffs, but shows vastly dwindling employment opportunities. This, combined with creeping costs based on inflation levels beginning to assert themselves, is helping lead to things like Consumer Credit pulling notably back.
What to Expect from the Stock Market Tomorrow
We had no major economic reports scheduled for release for Wednesday, and with the government shutdown we were already assured of not getting any new data anyway. Fed Governor Michael Bar and Fed Presidents Austan Goolsbee (Chicago), Neel Kashkari (Minneapolis) and Alberto Musalem (St Louis) will all make appearances, before and after the Fed minutes from the September Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, which saw the first rate cut since December of last year.
We already know every voting member but one sought a 25 basis-point (bps) cut at the meeting, bringing the Fed funds rate to 4.00-4.25% for the first time in three years. That one outlier was President Trump’s Chair of Economic Advisors Stephen Miran, who has openly advocated — as Trump has — for drastically lowered interest rates. Miran’s vote was for a 50 bps cut last month.
The next FOMC meeting comes Halloween Week, and although the dot-plot for the Fed suggests another 25 bps cut is forthcoming, this becomes a bit more problematic with no government reports on inflation, jobs and other economic metrics due to the government shutdown. What the September minutes will hopefully show is the overall vibe among the FOMC in continuing to take rates down, whether on the hawkish side or more dovish.
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10.
Trump Delays 25% Tariff On Imported Heavy Trucks
2025-10-07 18:58:12 by Moz Farooque ACCA from GuruFocus.comThis article first appeared on GuruFocus.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the U.S. will slap a 25% tariff on all medium and heavy-duty trucks imported into the country starting November 1, 2025. The new import duty, which was initially planned to begin October 1, was pushed back a month after automakers and trade groups made last-minute appeals to the administration.
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Beginning November 1st, 2025, all Medium and Heavy Duty Trucks coming into the United States from other Countries will be Tariffed at the Rate of 25%, Trump wrote on Truth Social, thanking readers for their attention to this matter.
The move adds a fresh twist to Washington's escalating trade push and could shake up global supply chains. Automakers that depend on imported trucks or parts may need to rethink pricing and production strategies. Analysts say it could also pressure European and Asian truck makers that rely heavily on U.S. sales.Investors will be watching how the industry reacts in the coming months before the tariff kicks in.
11.
Exchange-Traded Funds Edge Lower as US Equities Fall After Midday
2025-10-07 17:12:20 by MT Newswires from MT NewswiresBroad Market Indicators
Broad-market exchange-traded funds IWM and IVV declined. Actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was down 0.5%.
US equity indexes fell, with the S&P 500 set for its first drop in eight trading sessions, amid declines in growth sectors such as consumer discretionary, technology, and communication services.
Energy
iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) and the Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) both lost 0.7%.
Technology
Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) 0.7% lower; iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) and iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) fell.
SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) shed 1.5%, and iShares Semiconductor (SOXX) lost 1.6%.
Financial
The Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF) rose fractionally. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) dipped 0.1%, and its bearish counterpart, Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ), shed 0.1%.
Commodities
Crude oil was down 0.4%, and the United States Oil Fund (USO) fell 0.5%. Natural gas gained 2.9%, and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was 1.9% higher.
Gold on Comex added 0.5%, and SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) rose 0.5%. Silver was down 2.3%, and iShares Silver Trust (SLV) dropped 2%.
Consumer
Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) added 0.8%. The Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) gained 0.7%, while iShares Dow Jones US Consumer Goods (IYK) rose 1.1%.
Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) declined 1.2%. VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) was down 0.4%, and SPDR S&P Retail (XRT) dipped 1.3%.
Health Care
Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV) added 0.2%, and iShares US Healthcare (IYH) and Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) moved higher as well; iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was down 0.2%.
Industrial
Industrial Select Sector SPDR (XLI) was 0.6% higher. Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) and iShares US Industrials (IYJ) were in the red.
Cryptocurrency
In midday activity, bitcoin (BTC-USD) lost 2.9%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, ProShares Bitcoin ETF (BITO) was down 3.1%, ProShares Ether ETF (EETH) lost 4.7%, and ProShares Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) slipped 3.3%.
12.
3 ETFs to Buy as Washington Stalls
2025-10-07 12:54:04 by Geoffrey Seiler, The Motley Fool from Motley FoolKey Points
The Invesco QQQ has consistently outperformed the S&P 500 over time.
The Vanguard Growth ETF gives investors a heavy concentration in top AI stocks.
The Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF also includes top non-U.S. AI stocks.
Another standoff in Washington has led to a government shutdown, but investors have seen this movie before and know the market rarely cares for long. In fact, this time around, the market seems to have barely taken notice. While the news may grab headlines, the reality is that the companies driving this bull market keep chugging along regardless of political gridlock. Tech and artificial intelligence (AI) stocks are still seeing strong growth, and that is unlikely to change because Congress cannot pass a budget.
All in all, whatever is going on in Washington shouldn't change your long-term investment strategy. I'd still highly recommend that investors keep adding money regularly, no matter where the market is trading or what the government is fighting about at the moment. This is called dollar-cost averaging, and it is one of the simplest and most effective ways to build wealth over the long term.
Let's look at three exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that investors can start dollar-cost averaging into today to ride the AI wave.
Invesco QQQ Trust
Among the major market indexes, the Nasdaq Composite has been a standout performer this year. This isn't a new trend either, as the tech-heavy index has been outperforming the S&P 500 for years. Within the Nasdaq Composite is a more focused index called the Nasdaq 100, which is made up of the largest non-financial companies on the broader exchange. One of the best ways to tap into the strength of the Nasdaq is through the Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ: QQQ), which tracks the Nasdaq-100. The QQQ Trust gets you a portfolio heavily skewed toward technology and other high-growth businesses.
More than 60% of ETF's assets are in tech stocks, and that concentration has paid off in the form of some great returns over the years. Over the past decade, the ETF has returned over 536% in total, averaging about 20.3% a year, which crushes the S&P 500 over the same period. What's even more impressive is that the Invesco QQQ Trust has beaten the S&P 500 on a rolling 12-month basis nearly 90% of the time during that stretch. That level of consistent outperformance is hard to beat.
Vanguard Growth ETF
The Vanguard Growth ETF (NYSEMKT: VUG) is another great option for investors to consider. It tracks the growth side of the S&P 500, which means you are getting a heavy allocation to the same technology and AI-driven companies powering the market's gains.
The ETF owns roughly 165 stocks, but more than half of its portfolio is in just the top seven AI names: Nvidia, Microsoft, Apple, Alphabet, Amazon, Broadcom, and Meta Platforms, which together make up more than 55% of its holdings. That concentration has been a huge tailwind, with the ETF posting an average annual return of 18% over the past decade and a 31.7% annualized return over the past three years.
For investors who want to invest in a collection of leading growth stocks, the Vanguard Growth ETF is an excellent option to buy and keep adding to over time.
Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF
If you want a more focused AI approach that goes beyond the U.S. megacap names, the Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF (NASDAQ: AIQ) is worth considering. The fund was designed specifically to invest in AI stocks, holding nearly 90 stocks across semiconductors, software, cloud computing, and other industries where AI adoption is expanding rapidly.
Nearly 70% of its portfolio is in U.S. companies, but the ETF also includes global players such as Alibaba and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, which are critical to the future of AI. Notably, U.S.-focused index ETFs, like the ones above, do not own these stocks, so this is a great way to get some international AI stock exposure.
The ETF has averaged an 18.5% annual return since launching in 2018, but its recent performance has been even stronger, posting a 37.4% annualized average return over the past three years. Its expense ratio of 0.68% is higher than the other ETFs, but you are paying for access to a more diversified AI portfolio that spans geographies.
Should you invest $1,000 in Invesco QQQ Trust right now?
Before you buy stock in Invesco QQQ Trust, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Invesco QQQ Trust wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $627,363!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,137,335!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 1,061% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 192% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.
*Stock Advisor returns as of October 7, 2025
Geoffrey Seiler has positions in Alphabet and Invesco QQQ Trust. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, and Vanguard Index Funds - Vanguard Growth ETF. The Motley Fool recommends Alibaba Group, Broadcom, and Nasdaq and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
3 ETFs to Buy as Washington Stalls was originally published by The Motley Fool
13.
Exchange-Traded Funds, Equity Futures Higher Pre-Bell Tuesday Amid Continued US Government Shutdown
2025-10-07 12:44:26 by MT Newswires from MT NewswiresThe broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was up 0.04% and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was 0.1% higher in Tuesday's premarket activity amid the continued US government shutdown.
US stock futures were also higher, with S&P 500 Index futures up 0.03%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures advancing 0.04%, and Nasdaq futures gaining 0.1% before the start of regular trading.
The ongoing US government shutdown is likely to postpone the international trade in goods and services report for August, which was originally scheduled to be released at 8:30 am ET.
The Federal Reserve's August consumer credit report will be released at 3 pm ET.
Fed officials Raphael Bostic, Michelle Bowman, Stephen Miran, and Neel Kashkari are slated to speak Tuesday.
In premarket activity, bitcoin was down by 0.8%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 0.7% lower, Ether ETF (EETH) retreated 0.2%, and Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) fell 1.3%.
Power Play:
Consumer
The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP) retreated 0.03%, while the Vanguard Consumer Staples Fund (VDC) gained 0.3%. The iShares US Consumer Staples ETF (IYK) was inactive, and the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) lost 0.2%. The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) was inactive, while the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) was up 0.2%.
Dollar Tree (DLTR) shares were down more than 4% pre-bell after Jefferies downgraded the company to underperform from hold and cut its price target to $70 from $110.
Winners and Losers:
Financial
Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) advanced 0.04%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was down 0.2%, while its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was 0.1% higher.
Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) shares were up more than 3% pre-bell after the company said it has signed a deal to invest up to $2 billion in Polymarket, reflecting a roughly $8 billion pre-investment valuation.
Technology
Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) advanced 0.3%, and the iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) was 0.02% higher, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was up 0.9%. Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) gained 0.7%, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) rose by 0.9%.
International Business Machines (IBM) shares were up more than 4% in recent premarket activity after the company and Anthropic said they will form a partnership to integrate the Claude family of large language models into the technology company's software portfolio.
Energy
The iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) was inactive, while the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) was up by 0.2%.
Solaris Energy Infrastructure (SEI) stock was down more than 4% before Tuesday's opening bell after the company said it priced an upsized $650 million offering of 0.25% convertible senior notes due 2031, with a $97.5 million overallotment option and settlement expected Oct. 8.
Health Care
The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) retreated 0.2%. The Vanguard Health Care Index Fund (VHT) was down 0.3%, while the iShares US Healthcare ETF (IYH) was inactive. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) advanced 0.01%.
GE HealthCare Technologies (GEHC) stock was down more than 2% premarket after Citigroup downgraded the company to neutral from buy and cut its price target to $83 from $93.
Industrial
Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLI) advanced 0.1%, while the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) retreated 0.4% and the iShares US Industrials ETF (IYJ) was inactive.
Commodities
Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil gained 0.2% to reach $61.79 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas rose 2.2% to $3.43 per 1 million British Thermal Units. The United States Oil Fund (USO) was 0.1% lower, while the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) advanced by 0.9%.
Gold futures for December were up 0.3% at $3,988.70 an ounce on the Comex, while silver futures gained by 0.1% to reach $48.48 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) advanced by 0.3%, and the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was 0.1% higher.
14.
Daily Flows: QQQ Tops the List
2025-10-06 21:00:05 by etf.com Staff from etf.com
Top 10 Creations (All ETFs)
| Ticker | Name | Net Flows ($, mm) | AUM ($, mm) | AUM % Change |
| QQQ | Invesco QQQ Trust Series I | 1,574.70 | 387,223.61 | 0.41% |
| DIA | SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust | 720.78 | 40,337.20 | 1.79% |
| SPLG | SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF | 574.50 | 88,063.63 | 0.65% |
| SPY | SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust | 568.67 | 676,807.13 | 0.08% |
| IBIT | iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF | 466.55 | 93,949.11 | 0.50% |
| SGOV | iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF | 361.38 | 58,212.65 | 0.62% |
| VXUS | Vanguard Total International Stock ETF | 320.21 | 108,572.44 | 0.29% |
| HYG | iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF | 306.82 | 19,894.78 | 1.54% |
| LQD | iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF | 301.38 | 31,846.18 | 0.95% |
| IDEV | iShares Core MSCI International Developed Markets ETF | 290.61 | 23,018.56 | 1.26% |
Top 10 Redemptions (All ETFs)
| Ticker | Name | Net Flows ($, mm) | AUM ($, mm) | AUM % Change |
| IVV | iShares Core S&P 500 ETF | -605.04 | 703,156.07 | -0.09% |
| SLV | iShares Silver Trust | -363.52 | 23,116.80 | -1.57% |
| OBIL | US Treasury 12 Month Bill ETF | -282.96 | 292.99 | -96.58% |
| TLT | iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF | -241.62 | 48,816.22 | -0.49% |
| EMXC | iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF | -239.76 | 12,755.37 | -1.88% |
| FXR | First Trust Industrials/Producer Durables AlphaDEX Fund | -236.09 | 1,853.34 | -12.74% |
| FXL | First Trust Technology AlphaDEX Fund | -231.09 | 1,464.40 | -15.78% |
| IEF | iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF | -222.15 | 38,325.05 | -0.58% |
| IWM | iShares Russell 2000 ETF | -219.65 | 69,422.05 | -0.32% |
| FXU | First Trust Utilities AlphaDEX Fund | -208.92 | 1,723.58 | -12.12% |
ETF Daily Flows By Asset Class
| Net Flows ($, mm) | AUM ($, mm) | % of AUM | |
| Alternatives | 114.90 | 12,215.76 | 0.94% |
| Asset Allocation | -24.27 | 29,280.00 | -0.08% |
| Commodities E T Fs | -300.83 | 277,624.22 | -0.11% |
| Currency | 940.46 | 199,760.27 | 0.47% |
| International Equity | 1,414.41 | 2,118,392.42 | 0.07% |
| International Fixed Income | 642.83 | 336,142.90 | 0.19% |
| Inverse | 264.61 | 14,814.62 | 1.79% |
| Leveraged | -1,382.75 | 158,323.28 | -0.87% |
| Us Equity | 3,583.01 | 7,842,496.76 | 0.05% |
| Us Fixed Income | 2,570.17 | 1,817,896.45 | 0.14% |
| Total: | 7,822.55 | 12,806,946.68 | 0.06% |
Disclaimer: All data as of 6 a.m. Eastern time the date the article is published. Data is believed to be accurate; however, transient market data is often subject to subsequent revision and correction by the exchanges.
15.
How to Defer Taxes Like the Rich and Famous
2025-10-06 19:28:00 by Neena Mishra from Zacks- (1:00) - What Is A 351 ETF Exchange and What Are The Benefits To Investors?
- (7:00) - What Are The Current Requirements To Take Advantage of This Process?
- (11:30) - How Does This Process Differ From An Exchange Fund?
- (13:45) - Breaking Down Cambria ETF Offerings: TAX, ENDW & GEW
- (18:00) - Should Investors Diversify Their Portfolios With International Investments Right Now?
- (22:50) - Episode Roundup: GVAL & FYLD
- Podcast@Zacks.com
In this episode of ETF Spotlight, I speak with Meb Faber, co-founder and CIO of Cambria Investment Management. We discuss the 351 ETF exchange, which helps investors defer capital gains on legacy stock positions with large appreciations, and the importance of global diversification.
ETFs have surged in popularity for many reasons, including transparency, intraday liquidity, low fees, and tax efficiency. Now there is one more reason to love them, especially if you have stocks in a taxable account that have risen significantly.
US large-cap stocks have been in an incredible bull run for more than a decade. The S&P 500 ETF SPY is up almost 315%, while the Nasdaq 100 ETF QQQ has returned close to 540% over the past 10 years.
And if you were wise or lucky enough to invest in shares of Nvidia NVDA, your gains would be over 30,000% during this period.
If you want to diversify, selling those appreciated holdings and moving into an ETF would normally trigger a hefty tax bill. The good news is that investors can now use a 351 ETF conversion to turn their stock portfolio into a low-cost, broadly diversified ETF without realizing capital gains taxes.
There are, however, certain diversification requirements on contributions, and taxes are still due eventually when investors sell their ETF shares.
Cambria’s Global Equal Weight ETF GEW recently joined the Tax Aware ETF TAX and the Endowment Style ETF ENDW following a 351 ETF exchange. Another such fund is set to make its debut in December.
Meb has long been a believer in international diversification. This year, in fact, international stocks have performed well after many years of underperformance. Take a look at the Cambria Global Value ETF GVAL and the Foreign Shareholder Yield ETF FYLD.
Tune in to the podcast to learn more. Make sure to be on the lookout for the next edition of ETF Spotlight! If you have any comments or questions, please email podcast@zacks.com.
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Invesco QQQ (QQQ): ETF Research Reports
SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY): ETF Research Reports
Cambria Foreign Shareholder Yield ETF (FYLD): ETF Research Reports
Cambria Global Value ETF (GVAL): ETF Research Reports
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
16.
Exchange-Traded Funds Rise as US Equities Remain Mixed After Midday
2025-10-06 17:12:42 by MT Newswires from MT NewswiresBroad Market Indicators
Broad-market exchange-traded funds IWM and IVV rose. Actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was up 0.8%.
US equity indexes were mixed, with gains in semiconductors and software companies pushing the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite higher in midday trading on Monday.
Energy
iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) and the Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) both added about 0.8%.
Technology
Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) 1.4% higher; iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) and iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) advanced.
SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) climbed 2.4%, and iShares Semiconductor (SOXX) rose 4%.
Financial
The Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF) gained 0.1%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) advanced 0.2%, and its bearish counterpart, Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ), dropped 0.2%.
Commodities
Crude oil was up 1.6%, and the United States Oil Fund (USO) added 1.4%. Natural gas gained 2.1%, and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was 2.3% higher.
Gold on Comex added 1.7%, and SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) rose 1.7%. Silver was up 0.9%, and iShares Silver Trust (SLV) climbed 1.3%.
Consumer
Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) lost 0.6%. The Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) fell 0.6%, while iShares Dow Jones US Consumer Goods (IYK) shed 0.7%.
Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) added 0.5%. VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) was down 0.3%, and SPDR S&P Retail (XRT) dipped 1.2%.
Health Care
Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV) shed 0.3%, and iShares US Healthcare (IYH) and Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) moved lower as well; iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was down 0.2%.
Industrial
Industrial Select Sector SPDR (XLI) was 0.5% higher. Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) and iShares US Industrials (IYJ) rose as well.
Cryptocurrency
In midday activity, bitcoin (BTC-USD) added 2.2%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, ProShares Bitcoin ETF (BITO) was up 2.2%, ProShares Ether ETF (EETH) climbed 3.7%, and ProShares Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) gained 2%.
17.
If You'd Invested $1,000 in the Invesco QQQ Trust ETF 5 Years Ago, Here's How Much You'd Have Today
2025-10-06 13:35:00 by Neil Patel, The Motley Fool from Motley FoolKey Points
The Invesco QQQ Trust ETF has outperformed the S&P 500 in the past five years.
This ETF has been lifted by the monster success of the “Magnificent Seven” group of businesses.
Investors who have a long time horizon should still consider buying the Invesco QQQ Trust ETF.
While huge gains can be had if investors find the right individual stocks to buy early on, strong performance can also come from owning exchange-traded funds (ETF). The Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ: QQQ) is proof of this.
This booming ETF has put up a stellar return. And it's currently trading at record levels. Had you invested $1,000 in the Invesco QQQ Trust five years ago, here's how much money you'd have today.
Impressive performance
Any investor would be pleased had they bought the Invesco QQQ Trust in the fall of 2020. In the past five years, it has generated a total return of 120% (as of Oct. 2). From a starting $1,000 investment, that figure would've ballooned to $2,200 today. This comes up slightly ahead of the total return of the S&P 500.
Key factors driving big gains
The QQQ owns the 100 stocks that are in the Nasdaq-100 Index. Even with this many holdings, massive tech stocks are the major driving force. The "Magnificent Seven" represents 44% of the asset base. It's no surprise that the impressive success of some of these businesses has propelled the Invesco QQQ Trust to tremendous gains.
Even at an all-time high, I still believe it's a smart idea for investors to consider this ETF for their portfolios. Especially with the advent of artificial intelligence, it can be beneficial to have exposure to this trend, and that's something the Invesco QQQ Trust offers.
Should you invest $1,000 in Invesco QQQ Trust right now?
Before you buy stock in Invesco QQQ Trust, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Invesco QQQ Trust wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $621,976!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,150,085!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 1,058% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 191% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.
*Stock Advisor returns as of September 29, 2025
Neil Patel has positions in Invesco QQQ Trust. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
If You'd Invested $1,000 in the Invesco QQQ Trust ETF 5 Years Ago, Here's How Much You'd Have Today was originally published by The Motley Fool
18.
Exchange-Traded Funds, Equity Futures Higher Pre-Bell Monday Amid AMD-OpenAI AI Chip Deal, Rate Cut Hopes
2025-10-06 12:53:53 by MT Newswires from MT NewswiresThe broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was up 0.3% and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was 0.6% higher in Monday's premarket activity amid the Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)-OpenAI partnership and hopes for looser monetary policy.
US stock futures were also higher, with S&P 500 Index futures up 0.3%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures advancing 0.2%, and Nasdaq futures gaining 0.6% before the start of regular trading.
In premarket activity, bitcoin was up by 1.4%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 1.5% higher, Ether ETF (EETH) gained 1.2%, and Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) advanced 1.3%.
Power Play:
Technology
Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) advanced 0.9%, and the iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) was 0.3% higher, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was inactive. Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) was up 1.2%, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) rose by 2.9%.
Advanced Micro Devices shares were up more than 35% in recent premarket activity after the company agreed to supply Microsoft (MSFT)-backed OpenAI with 6 gigawatts of graphics processing units as part of a multiyear deal.
Winners and Losers:
Health Care
The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) advanced 0.2%. The Vanguard Health Care Index Fund (VHT) gained 0.3%, while the iShares US Healthcare ETF (IYH) slipped 0.3%. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was up 0.1%.
Abivax (ABVX) stock was up more than 7% premarket after the company said Sunday that results from two clinical trials showed that a 50 milligram daily dose regimen of its potential moderate-to-severely active ulcerative colitis treatment obefazimod met its primary endpoint of clinical remission at week eight.
Industrial
Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLI) advanced 0.3%, the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) gained 0.6%, while the iShares US Industrials ETF (IYJ) was inactive.
Firefly Aerospace (FLY) stock was up more than 9% before the opening bell after the company said Sunday it agreed to acquire security technologies firm SciTec for $855 million, consisting of $300 million in cash and $555 million in Firefly stock priced at $50 per share.
Financial
Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) advanced 0.4%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was up 1.1%, while its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was 1.3% lower.
Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) shares were down more than 2% pre-bell, while Comerica (CMA) stock was up more than 14% after the companies said they agreed to merge in an all-stock deal valued at $10.90 billion.
Energy
The iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) was flat, while the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) was up by 0.6%.
Sable Offshore (SOC) stock was up more than 2% before Monday's opening bell after the company said it is set to move Monday to update its lawsuit against the California Coastal Commission to formally seek more than $347 million in damages for the delay in restarting its Las Flores oil pipeline.
Consumer
The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP) was down 0.1%, while the Vanguard Consumer Staples Fund (VDC) was flat. The iShares US Consumer Staples ETF (IYK) gained 0.1%, and the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) advanced 0.7%. The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) and the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) were inactive.
Tesla (TSLA) shares were up over 2% premarket after the electric carmaker hinted at an event or announcement likely scheduled for Tuesday.
Commodities
Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil gained 0.8% to reach $61.35 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas rose 3.8% to $3.45 per 1 million British Thermal Units. The United States Oil Fund (USO) was 1.1% higher, while the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) advanced by 3.5%.
Gold futures for December were up 1.3% at $3,959.30 an ounce on the Comex, while silver futures gained by 0.2% to reach $48.10 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) advanced by 1.1%, and the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was 1.2% higher.
19.
The Smartest AI ETF to Buy With $2,000 Right Now
2025-10-06 12:30:00 by Neil Patel, The Motley Fool from Motley FoolKey Points
By buying this ETF, investors will automatically get exposure to some of the leading tech and internet companies in AI.
Returns over the past decade have been truly exceptional.
Should AI progress stall, the overall market could take a hit.
The amount of money that companies are spending to expand their technical infrastructure is eye-popping. However, it's all being done to better handle the demand for artificial intelligence (AI) products and services. From an investing perspective, the best thing you can do is to figure out ways of benefiting from this powerful trend.
Finding the right exchange-traded fund (ETF) can give adequate exposure in a diversified and effortless manner. There's one that has performed exceptionally well in recent years. Here's the smartest AI ETF that investors can buy right now with $2,000.
Know what you own
It's a good idea to consider the Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ: QQQ) if you're an investor who wants exposure to the AI boom. This ETF contains 100 stocks, tracking the performance of the Nasdaq-100 index. This consists of the 100 largest non-financial companies that trade on that exchange. Compared to the widely followed S&P 500, this is a much more concentrated index.
By buying the Invesco QQQ Trust, investors immediately own 100 different securities. However, it's not equally weighted. In fact, the most valuable businesses feature prominently. For instance, the "Magnificent Seven" group, an elite cohort of disruptive, innovative, and tech-forward enterprises, together represent 45% of the QQQ's asset base. Unsurprisingly, investors must be bullish on internet-driven tailwinds if they're looking to own this ETF.
The top position is Nvidia. It's already a major winner in the AI race, providing critical graphics processing units that support data center operations for its customer base. Microsoft and Apple round out the top three holdings. Both are investing time and resources into AI initiatives, whether it's via the Microsoft Azure cloud business or with Apple's upcoming enhanced Siri assistant.
There are clear winners in the AI wars today. Looking out a decade from now, there will certainly be other companies that rise up the ranks. Investors don't have to try to pick these winners early on. The Invesco QQQ Trust ensures you'll own these stocks.
Big gains at a low price
It shouldn't come as a shock that because of its huge positions in those previously mentioned businesses, the Invesco QQQ Trust has been a fantastic performer. In the past decade, it has registered a total return of 536% (as of Oct. 1). Had you invested $2,000 in this ETF at the start of October 2015, you'd have $12,730 today. This comes out to a yearly gain of 20%.
The monster success of those dominant companies, showcased by increasing revenue and earnings, has driven share prices higher. Valuation expansion is another key variable in the equation that can't be overlooked.
Investors aren't being asked to pay a pretty penny to capture such a phenomenal return. The Invesco QQQ Trust charges a 0.2% expense ratio. That presents an extremely attractive proposition, leaving more money in the portfolio at the end of the day.
Keep this in mind
Buying the QQQ makes sense as part of a well-diversified portfolio. There are certainly risks to pay attention to. The most obvious is if progress with artificial intelligence proves to be less successful than many hope, and the returns on all this capital spending disappoint. If the market starts to become pessimistic in its views, questioning the assumption that AI is actually a revolutionary technology, then these massive tech stocks could take a hit. Maybe that would bring about a bear market.
I believe this ETF is still worthy of a $2,000 investment, especially for investors with a five- or 10-year time horizon. Even before everyone became enamored with AI, these businesses were still selling products and services that were facing strong demand from users and customers. If AI ends up being a game-changing tech shift, then the upside could be significant. But even if the eventual outcome is more muted, investors' portfolios should still gain.
Should you invest $1,000 in Invesco QQQ Trust right now?
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Neil Patel has positions in Invesco QQQ Trust. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The Smartest AI ETF to Buy With $2,000 Right Now was originally published by The Motley Fool
20.
Questcorp Mining Provides Update on Private Placement
2025-10-06 07:15:00 by NewsfileVancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 6, 2025) - Questcorp Mining Inc. (CSE: QQQ) (OTCQB: QQCMF) (FSE: D910) (the "Company" or "Questcorp") announces that it has revised the terms of its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Offering"). The Company will now offer up to 7,500,000 units (each, an "AI Unit") at a price of $0.20 per AI Unit for gross proceeds of up to $1,500,000 pursuant to the accredited investor exemption (the "Accredited Investor Exemption") under Section 2.3 of National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions ("NI 45-106"). In addition, the Company will also offer up to 11,111,112 units (each, a "LIFE Unit") at a price of $0.18 per LIFE Unit for gross proceeds of up to $2,000,000 pursuant to the listed issuer financing exemption under Part 5A of NI- 45-106 (the "Listed Issuer Financing Exemption").
Each AI Unit will consist of one common share of the Company (each, a "Share") and one-half-of-one share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, an "AI Warrant"). Each AI Warrant will entitle the holder to acquire an additional common share of the Company at a price of $0.30 for a period of twenty-four months following closing of the Offering, subject to accelerated expiry in the event the closing price of the Shares is $0.50 or higher for ten consecutive trading days.
Each LIFE Unit will consist of one Share and one-half-of-one share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, an "LIFE Warrant"). Each LIFE Warrant will entitle the holder to acquire an additional common share of the Company at a price of $0.24 for a period of twenty-four months following closing of the Offering.
The Company expects to utilize the proceeds of the Offering for advancement of ongoing exploration and drill work at the La Union Gold and Silver Project, upcoming exploration work at the North Island Copper Property, and for general working capital purposes. The Company anticipates that UK-based institutional investor, Sorbie Bornholm LP, will participate in a portion of the Offering.
There is an offering document related to the Offering that will be made available under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company's website at: www.questcorpmining.ca. Prospective investors should read this offering document before making an investment decision.
In connection with completion of the Offering, the Company will pay finders' fees to eligible third-parties who have introduced subscribers to the Offering. All securities issued in connection with the Accredited Investor Exemption will be subject to restrictions on resale for a period of four-months-and-one-day in accordance with applicable securities laws. All securities issued in connection with the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption will not be subject to a hold period. Completion of the Offering remains subject to receipt of regulatory approvals.
About Questcorp Mining Inc.
Questcorp Mining Inc. is engaged in the business of the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties in North America, with the objective of locating and developing economic precious and base metals properties of merit. The Company holds an option to acquire an undivided 100% interest in and to mineral claims totaling 1,168.09 hectares comprising the North Island Copper Property, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, subject to a royalty obligation. The Company also holds an option to acquire an undivided 100% interest in and to mineral claims totaling 2,520.2 hectares comprising the La Union Project located in Sonora, Mexico, subject to a royalty obligation.
Contact Information
Questcorp Mining Corp.
Saf Dhillon, President & CEO
Email: saf@questcorpmining.ca
Telephone: (604) 484-3031
This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the intended use of proceeds from the Offering. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: the ability of Riverside to secure geophysical contractors to undertake orientation surveys and follow up detailed survey to confirm and enhance the drill targets as contemplated or at all, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, uncertain capital markets; and delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals. There can be no assurance that the geophysical surveys will be completed as contemplated or at all and that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/269182
21.
SPX- AI Stocks Driving the Gains and Why There's More to Come
2025-10-06 05:01:00 by MoneyShowThe S&P 500 Index (^SPX) added 1.3% in the last two weeks and hit a new all-time record Friday. It’s up 14.2% year-to-date – and AI-related stocks have accounted for 75% of S&P 500 returns. If the AI revolution plays out like the dotcom revolution, as I expect it will, the underinvested have a few years of pain ahead, observes Michael Murphy, editor of New World Investor.
To get more articles and chart analysis from MoneyShow, subscribe to our Top Pros’ Top Picks newsletter here.)
AI stocks have also accounted for 80% of earnings growth and 90% of capital spending growth since ChatGPT launched in November 2022. The top 10 holdings in the S&P 500 now make up nearly 39% of the index, the highest concentration on record.
But there are still a lot of “underinvested.” Goldman Sachs’ Sentiment Indicator, which measures US equity investor positioning across retail, institutional, and foreign investors, has rebounded to -0.6 from its low of -0.9 four weeks ago. But it’s negative.
Not one of the nine positioning measures in the indicator are in “stretched” territory. Goldman says that readings below -1.0 or above +1.0 indicate extreme positions that are significant in predicting future returns.
When will we see that sideline money flow in? Citadel Securities’ Retail Equity client seasonal demand trends from the last eight years show that September is the weakest, October builds, and November builds more. January is huge.
See also: XAR: A Way to Capitalize on Defense Drone Revolution
This is not just a US bull market. Global stock market breadth is not just positive, it is relentless. A 73-day streak of more new highs than new lows marks the strongest run of worldwide participation since May 2021.
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22.
Meet the First ETF to Surpass $2 Trillion in Net Assets. Here's Why It's a Great Buy in October
2025-10-05 18:45:00 by Daniel Foelber, The Motley Fool from Motley FoolKey Points
The Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF is a simple way to bet on the U.S. economy.
It is very broad-based, having around 3,000 more holdings than the S&P 500.
The fund is ideally suited for “set it and forget it” types of investors.
Some of the largest index funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the world track the S&P 500. The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO) has a staggering $1.37 trillion in net assets. Other popular ETFs, like the SPDR S&P 500 ETF and the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF, each have over $650 billion in net assets. The Invesco QQQ Trust, which mirrors the performance of the Nasdaq-100, has over $365 billion in net assets.
As large as these popular funds are, they are no match for the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (NYSEMKT: VTI) -- which just surpassed $2 trillion in net assets. Here's what separates this ETF from S&P 500 index funds and why it's a top buy for long-term investors right now.
Differences between the total stock market and the S&P 500
The most valuable U.S. companies have been leading the market to new heights. Nvidia, Microsoft, and Apple alone make up a combined 20% of the S&P 500 index. The "Ten Titans," which are Nvidia, Microsoft, Apple, and seven other mega-cap growth stocks, make up a combined 39% of the index.
The S&P 500 is massive, comprising 80% of the U.S. stock market. But what about the other 20%? That's where the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF gains its edge.
It has over 3,500 components compared to 504 for the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. And best of all, both funds have the same expense ratio at just 0.03%, or just $0.30 for every $1,000 invested. This means there is no added cost to go with the Total Stock Market ETF over an S&P 500 index fund.
Granted, the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF has slightly outperformed the Total Stock Market ETF over the past decade, mainly because of mega-cap growth stocks. So even a little more exposure to Ten Titans stocks has been enough to move the needle.
Low-cost ETFs offer excellent ways for investors to create a diversified portfolio without needing a lot of capital. In addition to their low fees, the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF both have minimum investment amounts of just $1. These low requirements and fees would have been unimaginable just a couple of decades ago.
The Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF is an excellent choice for folks looking to buy the U.S. stock market and not just an index like the S&P 500 or Nasdaq-100. But since the S&P 500 is such a big part of the U.S. stock market, you can expect the Total Stock Market ETF to perform close to lockstep with the index.
Let ETFs work for you
Instead of getting bogged down by the differences between these funds, a better objective is to determine what you're trying to get out of ETFs.
ETFs can serve as role players in a portfolio. For example, if you want exposure to artificial intelligence (AI) stocks but don't know where to begin, you can invest in AI ETFs. Or if you're a growth stock investor looking to boost your passive income stream, then high-yield ETFs may be a good fit. These kinds of ETFs are especially useful for filling a need in your portfolio when you don't already have high-conviction ideas in a given theme.
Buying ETFs that are built around stocks you already own creates duplicate holdings and fails to achieve diversification. For example, if an investor's largest holdings are mega-cap tech stocks like Nvidia, Microsoft, and Apple, then buying an S&P 500 index fund in the hopes of gaining exposure to a basket of hundreds of stocks doesn't do much good, given the dominance of these companies.
Therefore, the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF is best-suited for investors who aren't trying to fill a specific objective but rather, as a catch-all way to put capital in the market with slightly less exposure to the top names than the S&P 500.
Should you invest $1,000 in Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF right now?
Before you buy stock in Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $621,976!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,150,085!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 1,058% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 191% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.
*Stock Advisor returns as of September 29, 2025
Daniel Foelber has positions in Nvidia and Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, and Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Meet the First ETF to Surpass $2 Trillion in Net Assets. Here's Why It's a Great Buy in October was originally published by The Motley Fool
23.
Shutdown Effect Likely Small, PNC's Chief Strategist Maintains
2025-10-03 19:12:03 by Moz Farooque ACCA from GuruFocus.comThis article first appeared on GuruFocus.
PNC Asset Management's chief strategist Yung-Yu Ma thinks the latest U.S. government shutdown is unlikely to leave much of a mark on Wall Street, even though it's already in its second day.
In an interview with CNBC, Ma pointed out that markets usually take shutdowns in stride. But he added that this one feels a little different because the labor market looks softer than in past cycles. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq dipped Thursday after touching record highs at the open.
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We still don't expect it to have a major impact, but it is a different time when there's a bit more fragility in the labor market, Ma said. He flagged the risk that potential permanent cuts to federal workers could stretch the impact beyond the usual short-term noise.
Even with those worries, Ma kept an optimistic tone. He said robust business spending, steady demand from wealthier households, and long-term momentum in tech and AI are fueling growth. The trajectory overall is favorable, he added, though he expects the Fed to keep labor market weakness on its radar through year-end.
24.
Exchange-Traded Funds Rise as US Equities Climb After Midday Friday
2025-10-03 17:09:23 by MT Newswires from MT NewswiresBroad Market Indicators
Broad-market exchange-traded funds IWM and IVV rose. Actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) shed less than 0.1%.
US equity indexes set new records in midday trading on Friday, as healthcare led the sector charts, and investors remained unperturbed about the ongoing partial federal government shutdown.
Energy
iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) and the Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) both added 1%.
Technology
Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) 0.1% lower; iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) and iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) moved higher.
SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) climbed 1.3%, and iShares Semiconductor (SOXX) rose 0.1%.
Financial
The Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF) gained 1%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) advanced 2.9%, and its bearish counterpart, Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ), dropped 2.8%.
Commodities
Crude oil was up 1.1%, and the United States Oil Fund (USO) added 0.7%. Natural gas declined 2.6%, and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was 2.3% lower.
Gold on Comex gained 1%, and SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) rose 0.7%. Silver was up 3.6%, and iShares Silver Trust (SLV) added 2.6%.
Consumer
Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) added 0.3%. The Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) rose 0.4%, while iShares Dow Jones US Consumer Goods (IYK) gained 0.1%.
Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) lost 0.8%. VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) fell 0.2%, and SPDR S&P Retail (XRT) added 0.7%.
Health Care
Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV) advanced 1.4%, and iShares US Healthcare (IYH) and Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) moved higher as well; iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was up 0.6%.
Industrial
Industrial Select Sector SPDR (XLI) was 0.6% higher. Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) and iShares US Industrials (IYJ) rose as well.
Cryptocurrency
In midday activity, bitcoin (BTC-USD) added 2%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, ProShares Bitcoin ETF (BITO) was up 1.2%, ProShares Ether ETF (EETH) shed 0.6%, and ProShares Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) climbed 2.3%.
25.
No News Is Good News: Pre-markets Up on Dormant BLS Report
2025-10-03 14:16:00 by Mark Vickery from ZacksFriday, October 3, 2025
Pre-market futures are mostly in the green this morning, although heading south with an arrow a half hour before the open. A dearth of economic data this morning due to the continuing federal government shutdown, including the all-important Employment Situation report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which had been due out this morning.
The Dow is currently +44 points, the S&P 500 +1.5 points and the Nasdaq +0.25 points. The small-cap Russell 2000, after having dipped a toe into the red momentarily, is now +6. All of these indexes are in the green for the trading week, plus-mid-single digits for the month, and double digits (except for the Dow, +9%) year to date.
The Jobs Report That Wasn’t
The government shutdown comes at a particularly inopportune time for labor market data. We have seen a rapid deceleration of non-farm payrolls over the past year, and today’s numbers would have helped us understand whether a bottom is being formed or the Employment Situation has farther to fall.
Take the trailing four-month average in new jobs filled from the BLS: +27K, including a -13K reported (upon revision) for June. The prior four-month average was almost +100K jobs more per month: +123K. Before that, we see a four month average of +222K — almost another +100K above that. Where is the labor market headed? Inquiring minds wants to know.
The Unemployment Rate was expected to remain at an overall fairly benign 4.3%, but this does not tell the whole story. For months, if not longer, we have reminded market participants in this space that retiring Baby Boomers (and older Gen-X) were effectively taking workers out of the labor force — that final pink slip simply became an opportunity to enter that next phase of life.
But we also should consider young people just leaving school: if they have yet to find meaningful employment, they’re not yet considered part of the workforce, meaning their unemployment does not show up on the Unemployment Rate, either. Even the U-6 number in the BLS report — aka “real unemployment” — doesn’t account for these citizens, and at +8.1% for August, it’s already the highest level we’ve seen since October of 2021.
What to Expect from the Stock Market Today
Thankfully, private-sector data is not shut down currently. After the opening bell rings in today’s normal trading session, S&P final Services PMI and ISM Services, both for September, are expected roughly in-line with prior-month prints: +53.9% on S&P and +52.0% on ISM. Both figures are importantly north of the 50-threshold, which determines growth from loss.
Otherwise, we’re still a couple weeks away from the onset of Q3 earnings season, which will coincidentally be the same week we (won’t) see fresh Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Producer Price Index (PPI) for September, including a new Inflation Rate. This will increase the difficulty for the Fed, at its next monetary policy meeting on the 28th and 29th of this month, to determine whether inflation is benign enough — and the labor force struggling enough — to continue cutting interest rates.
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26.
Exchange-Traded Funds, Equity Futures Higher Pre-Bell as Investors Eye Another Interest Rate Cut for 2025
2025-10-03 13:24:09 by MT Newswires from MT NewswiresThe broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was up 0.1% and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was also 0.1% higher in Friday's premarket activity, as investors were eyeing another US Federal Reserve's interest rate cut for this year.
US stock futures were also higher, with S&P 500 Index futures up marginally, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures advancing 0.1%, and Nasdaq futures also gaining 0.1% before the start of regular trading.
The S&P Global US Services Purchasing Managers' Index report for September is due at 9:45 am ET, followed by the ISM Services Index report for September at 10 am ET.
The Baker Hughes domestic oil-and-gas rig count report is slated to be released at 1 pm ET.
Federal Reserve Dallas President Lorie Logan speaks at 1:30 pm ET at the 10th Annual Conference of International Economics, while Fed Vice Chair Philip Jefferson speaks at 1:40 pm ET at the Drexel Economic Forum in Philadelphia.
In premarket activity, bitcoin was down by 0.5%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 0.3% lower, Ether ETF (EETH) slipped 0.4%, and Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) was flat.
Power Play:
Health Care
The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) gained 0.3%. The Vanguard Health Care Index Fund (VHT) was down marginally, while the iShares US Healthcare ETF (IYH) was flat. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was up 0.7%.
Ovid Therapeutics (OVID) shares were up 25% before Friday's opening bell, after the company said it has signed a securities purchase deal for a private investment in public equity financing for expected gross proceeds of up to $175 million. Separately, the company said that topline data from a phase 1 study of OV329 showed that the drug candidate achieved "statistically significant" inhibition of GABA-aminotransferase across multiple metrics.
Winners and Losers:
Industrial
Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLI) added 0.2%, the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) was 0.3% up, while the iShares US Industrials ETF (IYJ) was flat.
USA Rare Earth (USAR) shares were 15% higher before the opening bell on Friday, a day after CNBC reported that Chief Executive Barbara Humpton said the company was in close communication with the White House regarding an agreement with the Trump administration.
Technology
Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) and the iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) advanced slightly. The iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) gained 0.7%. Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) was 0.4% higher, and the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) rose by 0.3%.
Rumble (RUM) stock was up 12% pre-bell Friday after the company said overnight it collaborated with Perplexity to support AI-powered search and content discoverability across its video platform.
Financial
Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) advanced 0.2%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was up 0.4%, while its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was 0.4% lower.
Banco Santander (SAN) shares were 1.4% higher in recent Friday premarket activity, after the bank said its UK Chief Executive Mike Regnier intends to step down by Q1 next year.
Consumer
The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP) was up by 0.1%, and the Vanguard Consumer Staples Fund (VDC) was 0.5% higher. The iShares US Consumer Staples ETF (IYK) was flat and the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) advanced 0.5%. The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) was inactive, while the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) was marginally down by 0.03%.
Instacart (CART) stock was down 0.8% before the Friday opening bell, after Piper Sandler downgraded the company to neutral from overweight and lowered its price target to $41 from $62.
Energy
The iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) was up 0.6%, while the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) was 0.4% higher.
Chevron (CVX) shares were 0.1% up before Friday's bell, after the energy giant said its fire department personnel and emergency responders are actively responding to an isolated fire at its El Segundo refinery in Los Angeles county. No injuries have been reported.
Commodities
Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose 0.4% to $60.71 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas was down 1.9% at $3.38 per 1 million British Thermal Units. The United States Oil Fund (USO) was 0.4% higher, while the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) retreated 0.7%.
Gold futures for December were up 0.4% at $3,883.90 an ounce on the Comex, while silver futures gained by 2.1% to reach $47.36 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) advanced by 0.1%, and the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was 1.5% higher.
27.
U.S. Shutdown Hits Day 2, Economy Faces Risks
2025-10-03 11:58:07 by Moz Farooque ACCA from GuruFocus.comThis article first appeared on GuruFocus.
The U.S. government shutdown has stretched into its second day, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is warning the standoff could start to weigh on growth if it drags on.
In an interview on CNBC's Squawk Box, Bessent said the political gridlock risks hitting both GDP and working America. Democrats are holding out for extensions on Affordable Care Act subsidies and a rollback of Medicaid cuts, while Republicans are standing firm on their sweeping tax-and-spending package, which they've dubbed the One Big, Beautiful Bill.
This isn't the way to have a discussion, shutting down the government and lowering the GDP, Bessent said. We could see a hit to the GDP, a hit to growth, and a hit to working America.
He also gave an update on the search for a new Federal Reserve chair to replace Jerome Powell. The first round of interviews with 11 candidates should wrap up by next week, before recommendations are handed to President Trump.
For investors, the shutdown fight and Fed succession will be two of the biggest storylines to watch heading into October.
28.
Fitch Says U.S. Shutdown Won't Hit 'AA+' Rating
2025-10-03 11:23:09 by Moz Farooque ACCA from GuruFocus.comThis article first appeared on GuruFocus.
Fitch Ratings says the latest U.S. government shutdown won't hurt America's credit rating in the short run but it does shine a spotlight on Washington's political dysfunction.
The shutdown kicked in at 12:01 AM ET Wednesday after Congress failed to pass either the full slate of 12 funding bills or a stopgap resolution to keep the government running. Fitch said the repeated use of temporary fixes like these was one reason it cut the U.S. rating from AAA' to AA+' last year.
This fight centers on disagreements over Medicaid cuts, expiring health subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, and broader tensions between Congress and the presidency over spending authority. Fitch also flagged recent strains on institutional checks and balances, pointing to clashes with the Fed and turnover in key agencies.
Even so, the agency expects the U.S. dollar to hold its dominant position as the world's reserve currency, a major support for its credit standing. Looking ahead, Fitch forecasts the federal deficit narrowing to 6.8% of GDP in 2025, helped by tariffs that could reach $300 billion this year.
29.
Exchange-Traded Funds, US Equities Mixed After Midday
2025-10-02 17:10:37 by MT Newswires from MT NewswiresBroad Market Indicators
Broad-market exchange-traded fund IWM rose, and IVV edged lower. Actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) added 0.2%.
US equity indexes were mixed in midday trading on Thursday as gains in megacaps-laden technology helped alleviate a broad-based decline across sectors.
Energy
iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) and the Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) fell 0.8% and 0.9%, respectively.
Technology
Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) rose 0.5%; iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) and iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) moved higher.
SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) climbed 2.6%, and iShares Semiconductor (SOXX) rose 1.9%.
Financial
The Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF) lost 0.4%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) slipped 1.3%, and its bearish counterpart, Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ), added 1.2%.
Commodities
Crude oil was down 1.9%, and the United States Oil Fund (USO) dropped 2.2%. Natural gas added 0.2%, and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was 0.2% lower.
Gold on Comex lost 0.8%, and SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) fell 0.6%. Silver was down 3.1%, and iShares Silver Trust (SLV) shed 1.7%.
Consumer
Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) fell 0.5%. The Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) shed 0.5%, while iShares Dow Jones US Consumer Goods (IYK) dipped 0.5%.
Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) lost 0.6%. VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) fell 0.4%, and SPDR S&P Retail (XRT) rose 0.1%.
Health Care
Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV) dropped 0.4%, and iShares US Healthcare (IYH) and Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) declined as well; iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was up less than 0.1%.
Industrial
Industrial Select Sector SPDR (XLI) was 0.1% lower. Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) and iShares US Industrials (IYJ) edged higher.
Cryptocurrency
In midday activity, bitcoin (BTC-USD) added 1.7%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, ProShares Bitcoin ETF (BITO) was up 2.1%, ProShares Ether ETF (EETH) rose 2.8%, and ProShares Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) climbed 2.4%.
30.
MoneyMasters Podcast 10-2-25- The Hidden Side of the Stock Market's Hot Streak
2025-10-02 16:30:00 by MoneyShowIn this episode of the MoneyShow MoneyMasters Podcast, senior alternatives investment strategist Tony Davidow of the Franklin Templeton Institute and managing director Scott Zelniker of UBS-The Zelniker Dorfman Carr & Heritage Group share their insights on the current stock market rally after two years of exceptional gains.
To get more articles and chart analysis from MoneyShow, subscribe to our Top Pros’ Top Picks newsletter here.)
They discuss whether the strong momentum can continue and explore key market drivers, including the Fed’s rate cuts, the ongoing technology revolution, and the resilience of US equities despite geopolitical and trade risks.
Tony also delves into the growing significance of private markets, revealing why private equity, private credit, and real estate debt could be the best opportunities in the years ahead. Plus, they explain why investors should reconsider traditional office real estate and consider diversified approaches in both public and private assets.
Whether you’re navigating the complexities of valuation or looking for actionable investment themes for 2026, this episode offers expert perspectives on balancing optimism with caution in today’s evolving market landscape.
See also: AUR: Driving Innovation in the Driverless Trucking Business
Reminder: Tony and Scott will be speaking at the 2025 MoneyShow Masters Symposium Sarasota, scheduled for Dec. 1-3 at the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota. Click here to register.
More From MoneyShow.com:
- SPX: How Warren Buffett Used the "Snowball Effect" to Build Wealth
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- Market Minute 10/1/25: Gold Soars, Stocks Slide as Government Shuts!
31.
BofA Has Options Play to Bet on Tech Rally as Hedge Funds Sell
2025-10-02 14:10:56 by Bernard Goyder from Bloomberg
(Bloomberg) -- Signs of caution are emerging around high-flying tech shares. But that’s just making it cheaper to use options to bet on further gains in the stocks, Bank of America’s derivatives strategists say.
After scooping up tech shares for months, hedge funds dumped the group last week at the fastest pace since early August while piling into value sectors like banks, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc.’s trading desk. In options, traders aren’t positioning for big gains in the tech sector looking six months ahead.
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If a 45% rally in tech stocks since early April looks like a bubble, it probably won’t burst any time soon, say Bank of America derivatives strategists. They advise investors to play it through a six-month call spread on the Invesco QQQ Trust Series 1 ETF. Buying it now would yield profits of seven times the price paid should the group advance at least 9.4% by late March.
“When looking at today’s price action from a distributional lens and within the context of the behavior of asset bubbles over the past century, we still see further room for a potential AI bubble to inflate,” BofA derivatives strategist Arjun Goyal said. “Buying out-of-the-money QQQ call spreads with a slightly longer six-month tenor can provide an attractive cost-benefit proposition.”
The options team’s recommendation echoes that of the bank’s equity strategists. BofA’s Michael Hartnett studied 10 equity bubbles since the start of the previous century and found that these periods of extreme over-valuation produced average trough-to-peak gains of 244%. After rising around 223% from their March 2023 low, the Magnificent Seven cohort has more room to go, the bank’s strategists wrote in a note last month. The Bloomberg Magnificent Seven Index traded 0.3% higher at 10:08 a.m. in New York.
Not everyone is convinced, however. The cost of hedging against a 10% decline in the QQQ ETF has been creeping up since mid-September relative to cost of contracts hedging against a similar rally. The fund’s six-month call skew is near the flattest it’s been since 2012, according to BofA — a sign that traders don’t expect significant price moves in either direction.
For some on Wall Street, the tech trade — which earlier involved buying an index fund and letting it ride the momentum — is becoming more nuanced, with investors opting for specific stocks while shunning the broader group.
“I haven’t seen a ton of upside call buying for the indexes, where we have seen more and more on the single-stock side,” Joe Mazzola, head trading and derivatives strategist at Schwab, said by phone.
“It’s not just your typical cast of characters — yes you’re going to see the Nvidias and the Palantirs, but we’re also seeing it stretch out in some other names that have some AI sensitivity,” he said, flagging Micron Technology Inc., and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. as companies that Schwab clients are particularly bullish on.
Hedge fund manager David Einhorn was the latest to strike a cautious tone on the AI spending surge. The unprecedented amount of expenditures on artificial intelligence infrastructure may destroy vast amounts of capital, even if the technology itself proves transformative, according to the Greenlight Capital founder.
Read: David Einhorn Sounds Warning on the AI Spending Splurge (2)
But Mazzola thinks betting on gains in the broader tech sector still makes sense. A six-month call spread on the QQQ doesn’t need a huge rally by March to make money, with a modest bounce potentially increasing the value of the QQQ $660 call contract, he said.
“When you’re teaching people options for the first time they’ll say ‘you need a 10% rally for that thing to pay off.’ No, you don’t,” Mazzola said. The tech ETF simply “has to rally enough within a quick amount of time for you to say, ‘Hey, I made 30% or 40% on this spread. Is it worth it for me to take it off? Is it worth it for me to trim?’”
--With assistance from Natalia Kniazhevich.
(Updates share prices in fifth paragtaph.)
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32.
Exchange-Traded Funds Higher, Equity Futures Mixed Pre-Bell Thursday Amid Tech, AI Strength
2025-10-02 12:58:24 by MT Newswires from MT NewswiresThe broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was up 0.3% and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was 0.6% higher in Thursday's premarket activity, boosted by pockets of strength in tech and AI.
US stock futures were mixed, with S&P 500 Index futures up 0.2%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slipping 0.1%, and Nasdaq futures gaining 0.5% before the start of regular trading.
US employers announced plans to cut 54,064 jobs in September, down from August and below year-ago levels, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas on Thursday.
The weekly jobless claims bulletin, originally scheduled for an 8:30 am ET release, was not posted owing to the Federal government shutdown.
Dallas Federal Reserve President Lorie Logan speaks on Thursday.
In premarket activity, bitcoin was up by 1.1%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 1.3% higher, Ether ETF (EETH) advanced 1.2%, and Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) rose 2.2%.
Power Play:
Technology
Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) advanced 0.8%, and the iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) was 0.01% lower, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was up 0.1%. Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) was nearly 1% higher, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) rose by 1.7%.
Fair Isaac (FICO) shares were up more than 21% in recent premarket activity after the company said late Wednesday that it launched a new direct license program that allows tri-merge resellers to calculate and distribute FICO Scores directly to customers.
Winners and Losers:
Industrial
Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLI) advanced 0.02% while the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) fell 5%. The iShares US Industrials ETF (IYJ) was down 0.1%.
Equifax (EFX) stock was down more than 9% before the opening bell after Goldman Sachs cut its price target to $243 from $253.
Consumer
The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP) was down 0.2%, while the Vanguard Consumer Staples Fund (VDC) was flat. The iShares US Consumer Staples ETF (IYK) was inactive, and the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) advanced 0.3%. The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) was inactive, while the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) was 0.03% higher.
Stellantis (STLA) shares were up more than 6% pre-bell after Bloomberg News reported the car-maker is looking to sell its car-sharing business, Free2move.
Energy
The iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) was inactive, while the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) was down by 0.2%.
Occidental (OXY) stock was up more than 2% before Thursday's opening bell after Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A, BRK.B) agreed to acquire Occidental's chemical business OxyChem, for $9.70 billion in cash.
Health Care
The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) retreated 0.3%. The Vanguard Health Care Index Fund (VHT) fell 0.5%, while the iShares US Healthcare ETF (IYH) slipped 0.1%. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was up 0.5%.
Xenon Pharmaceuticals (XENE) stock was down more than 1% premarket after an SEC filing showed that Chief Executive and Interim Chief Financial Officer Ian Mortimer sold 25,000 company shares for roughly $1 million.
Financial
Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) advanced 0.02%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was up 0.02%, while its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was 0.1% lower.
Brookfield Asset Management (BAM) shares were up more than 2% pre-bell after the company said that it is closing a strategic partnership transaction with asset manager Angel Oak.
Commodities
Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell 0.5% to $61.50 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas was down 1% at $3.44 per 1 million British Thermal Units. The United States Oil Fund (USO) was 0.9% lower, while the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) retreated 0.5%.
Gold futures for December were up 0.4% at $3,911.60 an ounce on the Comex, while silver futures gained by 0.01% to reach $47.69 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) advanced by 0.3%, and the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was 0.8% higher.
33.
AI Stocks: Bubble or Boom Ahead?
2025-10-01 18:04:00 by Neena Mishra from ZacksLast Monday, Nvidia (NVDA) and OpenAI announced a "strategic partnership" under which the former will invest as much as $100 billion in the latter. The investment will support new data centers with a capacity of at least 10 gigawatts of power.
According to the Financial Times, the computing capacity could cost nearly $600 billion, with about $350 billion potentially going to Nvidia for its advanced chips used to train and deploy AI models.
Shares of Nvidia rose nearly 4% after the report. The company is the largest in the world, with a market capitalization over $4.5 trillion. Demand for its cutting-edge AI chips shows no signs of slowing.
OpenAI, valued at close to $500 billion, is the most valuable privately held company. While its ChatGPT boasts more than 700 million monthly users, its path to profitability remains unclear.
Nvidia has already invested in several AI-related companies, though at smaller scales. It recently invested $5 billion in Intel (INTC), holds a 7% stake in AI cloud-computing company CoreWeave (CRWV), and is also an investor in Elon Musk’s xAI.
Some analysts raised concerns about the circular structure of the agreement, comparing it to vendor-financing subsidies seen during the dot-com bubble. Critics have also warned about a potential AI bubble, suggesting these large investments are designed to boost demand for Nvidia’s chips.
Nvidia is not alone. Other mega-cap companies such as Microsoft (MSFT) and Amazon (AMZN) have also made large investments in AI startups that, in turn, rely on their cloud-computing products. Microsoft is one of the biggest stakeholders in OpenAI, and Amazon has made huge investments in Anthropic.
Unlike the dot-com bubble, however, the leading players in the race to artificial general intelligence today are highly profitable, cash-rich mega-cap companies investing hundreds of billions to stay ahead.
For them, the greater risk lies in underinvesting and losing the race, not in overspending. Artificial general intelligence could transform our lives and result in enormous productivity gains. Further, valuations are not as extreme as during the dot-com bubble.
These big investments will likely result in handsome returns for some companies, while others may lose money. Some companies are already showing the positive impact of AI on their businesses. That’s why diversified exposure to AI beneficiaries via ETFs makes a lot of sense.
In fact, over the past few weeks we have already seen the AI trade broaden beyond the “Mag 7” group. Companies like Palantir (PLTR) and Oracle (ORCL) have performed much better.
To learn more about the Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF (AIQ), iShares Future AI & Tech ETF (ARTY) and Roundhill Generative AI & Technology ETF (CHAT), please watch the short video above.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
34.
ADP Sees Negative -32K Jobs in September
2025-10-01 14:14:00 by Mark Vickery from ZacksWednesday, October 1, 2025
This morning, Automatic Data Processing ADP is out with new private-sector payrolls for September. Results are not good: -32K jobs were created in the private sector last month, way down from the +45K expected from analysts. This follows a big downward revision for August: from +54K originally posted to -3K this morning. Non-farm payroll estimates from the BLS — should we get it (which looks unlikely) is still at +51K for now.
The ratio between goods-producing and services jobs remained roughly in-line: -3K in Goods jobs last month, -28K in Services. Only large corporations (500+ employees) made gains in the private-sector labor market, +33K. Small companies (under 50 employees) lost -40K private-sector jobs last month, while medium-sized firms shed -20K.
Breakdown of Private-Sector Jobs Data
Importantly, these figures reflect the downward shift in BLS numbers from the federal government, which removed -911K jobs from the yearly tally. Without this revision, today’s headline ADP number would have been +11K. That’s still weak — aside from government employment, which stands to only get worse now that the federal government is shut down on an impasse regarding a budget resolution — and does not cover the total number of retirees from the labor force per month.
By industry, Education & Healthcare unsurprisingly led the way with +33K new private-sector jobs created. Natural Resources & Mining brought in +4K. Most of the other usual sectors noted in employment reports came with negative numbers last month: Trade/Transportation/Utilities came in -7K, Professional/Business Services -13K and Leisure & Hospitality — for years the singular jobs growth driver, particularly during the Great Reopening following the Covid pandemic — lost -19K positions in August.
A unique metric to ADP jobs data is the rate of income change between Job Stayers and Job Changers. Until fairly recently, we would see a big gap between those who found new jobs, but in the current labor market Stayers stood to make +4.5% more than a year ago, whereas Changers are up +6.6%. This is down half a percentage point from August’s +7.1%.
Pre-market futures are not enthralled with these numbers. The Dow is selling off -160 points at this hour, the S&P 500 is -30 and the Nasdaq -130 points. The small-cap Russell 2000 is down -11 points. Bond yields, especially in the 10-year, are down notably: +4.10% on the 10-year and +3.55% on the 2-year. Clearly, these weak jobs numbers are pointing toward more interest rate cuts.
This may be the last jobs numbers we see this week, now that the federal government is shut down. The U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which report Weekly Jobless Claims and non-farm payrolls for the prior month, respectfully, are unlikely to report this week. (We’ve seen no attempts at negotiations between the two parties since the deadline was breached last night.) So these ADP numbers are as close as we are likely to get in understanding the level of unraveling in the recently healthy labor market.
What to Expect from the Stock Market Today
After today’s open, the final print on S&P Manufacturing PMI is expected to come out. This is expected to remain at +52.0, down a tad from the three-year high 53.0 reported in August. ISM Manufacturing should tick up slightly to +49.0% from +48.7% previously. Construction Spending for August is likely to come down to -0.2% from -0.1% the previous month. Auto sales from various auto dealers are expected to be released throughout the day.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
35.
Exchange-Traded Funds, Equity Futures Lower Pre-Bell Wednesday as Government Shutdown Impact Weighs on Investors
2025-10-01 13:10:51 by MT Newswires from MT NewswiresThe broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was down 0.4% and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was 0.3% lower in Wednesday's premarket activity as investors grow uneasy over fiscal gridlock and its impact on policy visibility.
US stock futures were also lower, with S&P 500 Index futures down 0.4%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slipping 0.4%, and Nasdaq futures retreating 0.5% before the start of regular trading.
US mortgage applications fell 12.7% in the week ended Sept. 26 as 30-year rates moved higher, Mortgage Bankers Association data showed Wednesday. Refinancing activity fell 21%, while purchase applications slipped 1% on a seasonally adjusted basis.
US private payrolls fell by 32,000 in September, defying expectations for a gain of 51,000, according to ADP data.
The S&P Global US September manufacturing purchasing managers index bulletin will be released at 9:45 am ET, followed by the September ISM manufacturing index and the construction spending report at 10 am ET.
The Energy Information Administration's weekly petroleum status report will be released at 10:30 am ET. The EIA said its website and scheduled publications will continue without interruption until further notice.
Federal Reserve Richmond President Thomas Barkin is slated to speak on Wednesday.
In premarket activity, bitcoin was up by 2.1%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 2.2% higher, Ether ETF (EETH) rose 3%, and Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) was up 1.3%.
Power Play:
Technology
Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) retreated 0.4%, the iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) was 0.4% lower, and the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was down 0.4%. Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) declined by 1.7%, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) fell by 0.6%.
Rezolve AI (RZLV) shares were up more than 20% in recent premarket activity after the company said it is increasing its 2025 annual recurring revenue exit rate guidance to a minimum of $150 million from $100 million previously.
Winners and Losers:
Health Care
The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) retreated 0.1%. The Vanguard Health Care Index Fund (VHT) gained 0.4% while the iShares US Healthcare ETF (IYH) was inactive. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was 0.2% lower.
Pharming Group (PHAR) stock was up more than 8% premarket after the company said the US Food and Drug Administration accepted its supplemental new drug application for leniolisib to treat children ages four to 11 with APDS.
Industrial
Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLI) retreated 0.5% while the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) and the iShares US Industrials ETF (IYJ) were inactive.
AAR (AIR) stock was down more than 7% before the opening bell after the company priced a public offering of 3 million shares at $83 per share.
Energy
The iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) was inactive, while the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) was down by 0.2%.
Tenaris (TS) stock was up more than 2% before Wednesday's opening bell after the company said late Tuesday it has completed the first $600 million tranche of its $1.20 billion share buyback launched in June.
Consumer
The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP) was down 0.1%, while the Vanguard Consumer Staples Fund (VDC) retreated 0.2%. The iShares US Consumer Staples ETF (IYK) was inactive, and the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) lost 0.3%. The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) was inactive, while the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) was flat.
Nio (NIO) shares were up more than 1% pre-bell after the company reported vehicle deliveries of 34,749 in September, up 64% from a year earlier.
Financial
Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) retreated 0.4%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was down 1.2%, while its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was 1% higher.
Commodities
Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil declined 0.6% to $62.10 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas rose 2.4% to reach $3.38 per 1 million British Thermal Units. The United States Oil Fund (USO) was 0.8% lower, while the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) advanced 1.5%.
Gold futures for December were up nearly 1% at $3,911.70 an ounce on the Comex, while silver futures rose by 1.9% to $47.53 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) advanced by 0.4%, and the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was 1.3% higher.
36.
‘2 Out of 3 Ain’t Bad’ When It Comes to Charting the S&P 500’s Top 3 Stocks
2025-10-01 12:45:01 by Rob Isbitts from Barchart
What’s for dinner? Meatloaf!
You might be picturing an iconic scene from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Will Ferrell in Wedding Crashers screaming “Ma, the meatloaf!” as he entertained new friends, or the singer Meat Loaf, born as Marvin Lee Aday.
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That singer will be forever known for his hit “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad.” And it turns out that’s exactly what I think right now about the trio of uber-large-cap stocks leading the S&P 500 Index ($SPX) and the Nasdaq-100 Index ($IUXX).
These three stocks – Nvidia (NVDA), Apple (AAPL), and Microsoft (MSFT) – account for more than 21% of the SPDR S&P 500 Trust ETF (SPY) and more than 26% of the Invesco QQQ ETF (QQQ). This is unprecedented in investing history.
Other global stock markets may be this concentrated, but the U.S. is breaking dot-com era records in this regard.
Based on their charts, in a swing-trader’s time frame, they each appear a bit differently to me. Here they are in order of near-term attractiveness. As a reminder, I focus on risk first, second, and third. In other words, I use the chart to take my belief that any stock can go up at any time, and separate one potential trade from another by asking “how much risk am I taking to pursue that upside?”
NVDA Stock Is Charging Toward $5 Trillion
First, here’s Nvidia. I chart the entire S&P 500 each week, but I start with the 20 largest by market capitalization. This is the biggest, now at around $4.5 trillion. And I can’t believe I’m even writing that. But such are the times we live in.
I see a stock doing its best to make a dash toward an even $5 trillion in market cap. That Percentage Price Oscillator (PPO) at the bottom section is crossing up nicely into positive territory. And the 20-day moving average up top in red is making a similar move. NVDA just hit another all-time high, and let’s face it, the broad market probably needs this stock to go up in order to continue this manic S&P 500 runup that began back in April.
Microsoft’s Chart That Looks a Lot Like Nvidia’s
As for Microsoft, the second largest by market cap, it shows a similar pattern, albeit still 7% below its all-time high. It makes sense that these two stocks move in sync, given all of the index money chasing them.
Apple Is Not Worth Taking a Bite Out of Here
And as for Apple, it does not have the AI-driven frenzy that drives NVDA and MSFT these days. And the third largest stock by market cap may have just shown us its last big up move for a while, after a 25% rise during the just-completed third quarter.
In summary, NVDA and MSFT look promising for further gains, while AAPL appears to me to have more risk. Like the big man sang back in the 1970s, “two out of three ain’t bad.”
All Revved Up with a Collar to Go
We can collar anything we want, as long as we can foot the bill for owning 100 shares of the underlying stock. In the case of NVDA, that means holding about $18,650 worth of stock (100 shares) as of Tuesday’s close. Here’s a collar example that aims to capitalize on a possible 10% move toward $5 trillion, but protecting below that recent low around $165. Let’s see what the Barchart.com options tables point me to.
I was looking for a 2:1 upside/downside opportunity, which is tougher to find than it has been in a while. That’s thanks to an IV Rank of 14%, which means that over the past 12 months, NVDA has typically been much more volatile than it is now. That means cheap puts (good, since I’m paying for that) but cheap calls too (bad, since I’m not getting as much for capping my upside).
That all adds up to 16% upside, 8% downside, and a cost of under 2%. NVDA can go to around $5.3 trillion or so before I’m at risk of getting called. An option collar, with nice upside and low cost. As for the 8% downside risk, that’s a bit more than I prefer. But you know what they say. Two out of three ain’t bad!
37.
More Record Closing Highs as Fed Government May Be Closing
2025-09-30 22:24:00 by Mark Vickery from ZacksTuesday, September 30, 2025
Three of the four top market indexes notched fresh all-time closing highs today on renewed exuberance for AI, with NVIDIA NVDA becoming the first company ever to reach a market capitalization of $4.5 trillion. Even the small-cap Russell 2000, which spent most of the session in the red and is still shy of a new high, managed to eke out gains. The Dow was +81 points, the S&P 500 +27, the Nasdaq +68 and the Russell +1.6 points.
NIKE Beats Q1 Estimates, Brings Revenue Growth
Very good news for NIKE NKE this afternoon: the global shoes and apparel giant reported much better-than-expected fiscal Q1 earnings, at 49 cents per share versus expectations for a mere 27 cents. It's still below the 70 cents per share reported a year ago, but keep in mind this is one of the most tariff-affected companies on the planet. Revenues surprised to the upside, reporting +1% year over year growth to $11.7 billion. This is compared to an expected contraction of nearly -5% for the quarter.
The company's focus on the North American market paid off in the quarter, as +4% revenue growth was higher than projections. Wholesale and Running sub-sectors performed particularly well in Q1. The Mainland China market grew another +9%. Shares were up +2% initially on the news, but have pulled back somewhat. Shares are still down -6% year to date.
Economic Prints Underwhelm for August and September
Earlier today, we saw a number of reports helping to articulate our present economic position, or at least that of our last month or two. Chief among them is the latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) for August, which saw a bump up to 7.23 million job openings last month, up from the 7.1 million expected. This follows the slightly upwardly revised 7.21 million the prior month.
Leisure & Hospitality had the most open jobs by industry at +97K, followed by Healthcare & Social Assistance at +81K and Retail at +55K. Negative job openings were seen in Construction, -115K, and Federal Government, -61K. By region, the South has the most labor demand, +86K, with the Midwest +44K. The Northeast and West were down -66K and -46K, respectively. Job Quits reached +1.9% in August, the lowest of the year so far.
Importantly, with a looming federal government shutdown based on the failure to pass a budget resolution today, this may be the only government report we see on jobs this week, with Thursday’s expected Weekly Jobless Claims provided by the U.S. Department of Labor and Friday’s nonfarm payroll report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Wednesday’s private-sector payrolls report from Automatic Data Processing (ADP) are expected, as per normal.
The Chicago Business Barometer (PMI) for September today came in below expectations: 40.6 from a 43.8 projected, following 41.5 the previous month. It’s also the 22nd straight month below the 50 threshold determining expansion from contraction. It’s a prolonged sour note for business owners in the Chicagoland area, the most populous U.S. region outside of New York or Los Angeles.
Consumer Confidence for September also came in below projections earlier today: 94.2, versus the 96.0 analysts were looking for. This comes from an upwardly revised 97.8 the prior month. Its Present Situation survey fell seven points to 125.4, and its Expectations Index dropped -1.3 points to 73.4. Generally, any tally sub-80 indicates expectations are for a recession on the horizon.
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38.
Apollo's Slok Sees Strong Economy, Inflation Threats Ahead
2025-09-30 17:13:30 by Moz Farooque ACCA from GuruFocus.comThis article first appeared on GuruFocus.
Apollo Global Management's chief economist Torsten Slok is pushing back against the idea that the U.S. labor market is cooling, saying the economy still looks much stronger than Wall Street is pricing in.
Most forecasts call for just 50,000 jobs in September's payroll report, but Slok argues that view is too bearish. He points to easing trade and policy uncertainty, rising consumer confidence, stronger corporate spending plans and jobless claims near record lows as signs of resilience.
He also highlights high-frequency data: TSA numbers show steady air travel, Broadway and movie attendance remain solid, weekly retail sales are firm, bank lending is picking up, bankruptcies are falling and new business formation is holding strong. The Atlanta Fed is tracking Q3 GDP at 3.9%, far above expectations.
Slok says any hiring softness may owe more to immigration limits and the spread of AI than true weakness. But he warns inflation risks are building, from ISM services data to tariffs, tighter immigration rules and a weaker dollar. In his view, the Fed should be thinking about more hikes, not cuts.
39.
Exchange-Traded Funds Decline as US Equities Fall After Midday
2025-09-30 17:08:28 by MT Newswires from MT NewswiresBroad Market Indicators
Broad-market exchange-traded funds IWM and IVV edged lower. Actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) shed 0.2%.
US equity indexes fell along with government bond yields and the dollar after midday Tuesday as the likelihood of a last-minute deal between Republicans and Democrats to avert a government shutdown receded.
Energy
iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) and the Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) each fell about 1.4%.
Technology
Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) rose 0.1%; iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) and iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) declined.
SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) dipped 0.1%, and iShares Semiconductor (SOXX) fell 0.1%.
Financial
The Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF) lost 1.1%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) slipped 3.6%, and its bearish counterpart, Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ), added 3.5%.
Commodities
Crude oil was down 1.1%, and the United States Oil Fund (USO) dropped 0.8%. Natural gas added 2%, and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) gained 1.9%.
Gold on Comex added 0.5%, and SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) advanced 0.5%. Silver fell 0.8%, and iShares Silver Trust (SLV) shed 0.7%.
Consumer
Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) rose 0.4%. The Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) added 0.4%, while iShares Dow Jones US Consumer Goods (IYK) was up 0.4%.
Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) lost 1%. VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) fell 0.4%, and SPDR S&P Retail (XRT) dropped 1.1%.
Health Care
Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV) climbed 1.7%, and iShares US Healthcare (IYH) and Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) moved higher; iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) gained 1.1%.
Industrial
Industrial Select Sector SPDR (XLI) rose 0.2%. Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) and iShares US Industrials (IYJ) advanced.
Cryptocurrency
In midday activity, bitcoin (BTC-USD) dropped 1.3%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, ProShares Bitcoin ETF (BITO) was down 1.5%, ProShares Ether ETF (EETH) lost 1.8%, and ProShares Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) fell 1%.
40.
Exchange-Traded Funds, Equity Futures Lower Pre-Bell Tuesday Amid Government Shutdown Fears
2025-09-30 12:50:40 by MT Newswires from MT NewswiresThe broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was down 0.2% and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was 0.1% lower in Tuesday's premarket activity as a potential government shutdown weighed on investors ahead of the job openings report.
US stock futures were also lower, with S&P 500 Index futures down 0.2%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slipping 0.2%, and Nasdaq futures slipping 0.1% before the start of regular trading.
The Case-Shiller Home Price Index and the Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index, both for July, will be released at 9 am ET.
The Conference Board's consumer confidence report for September and the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey for August are slated for a 10 am ET release.
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President Susan Collins is slated to speak at 9 am, while Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee speaks at 1:30 pm. Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan's remarks are due at 7:10 pm.
In premarket activity, bitcoin was down by 1.3%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 1.5% lower, Ether ETF (EETH) slipped 0.9%, and Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) declined by 0.6%.
Power Play:
Technology
Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) retreated 0.2%, and the iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) was 0.2% lower, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was inactive. Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) declined by 0.3%, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) slipped by 0.1%.
Wolfspeed (WOLF) shares were up more than 25% in recent premarket activity after the company said late Monday that it had completed its financial restructuring and emerged from Chapter 11 protection.
Winners and Losers:
Health Care
The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) slipped 0.3%. The Vanguard Health Care Index Fund (VHT) was inactive while the iShares US Healthcare ETF (IYH) slipped 0.5%. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was inactive.
Nanobiotix (NBTX) stock was up more than 7% premarket after the company said Monday that updated data from a phase 1 trial evaluating JNJ-1900 in patients with recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma demonstrated "early efficacy signals" and a well-tolerated safety profile.
Financial
Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) retreated 0.3%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was down 0.8%, while its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was 0.8% higher.
Bit Digital (BTBT) shares were down more than 9% pre-bell after the company said it priced a $135 million public offering of 4% convertible senior notes due Oct. 1, 2030, upsized from a previously planned $100 million.
Energy
The iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) was flat, while the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) was down by 0.3%.
Energy Fuels (UUUU) stock was down more than 6% before Tuesday's opening bell after the company said late Monday it plans to issue $550 million of convertible senior notes due 2031 to institutional buyers.
Industrial
Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLI) retreated 0.1%, while the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) gained 0.2% and the iShares US Industrials ETF (IYJ) was inactive.
NuScale Power (SMR) stock was down more than 3% before the opening bell after BofA Securities downgrades it to underperform from neutral.
Consumer
The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP) was down 0.1%, while the Vanguard Consumer Staples Fund (VDC) was up 1.3%. The iShares US Consumer Staples ETF (IYK) fell 1%, and the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) lost 0.3%. The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) and the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) were inactive.
Coty (COTY) shares were up more than 3% pre-bell after the company said it has initiated a strategic review of its consumer beauty division to explore options including partnerships, spin-offs, or a sale.
Commodities
Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil declined 0.8% to $62.97 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas was up 0.8% at $3.29 per 1 million British Thermal Units. The United States Oil Fund (USO) was 0.5% lower, while the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) advanced 0.6%.
Gold futures for December were down by 0.3% at $3,844.40 an ounce on the Comex, while silver futures retreated by 1.3% to $46.41 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) declined by 0.4%, and the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was 1.3% lower.
41.
Exchange-Traded Funds, Equity Futures Higher Pre-Bell Monday Ahead of Trump, Democrats Meeting
2025-09-29 12:57:59 by MT Newswires from MT NewswiresThe broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was up 0.5% and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was 0.6% higher in Monday's premarket activity amid hopes that President Trump's meeting with Democrat leaders will help break the deadlock over federal funding.
US stock futures were also higher, with S&P 500 Index futures up 0.5%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures gaining 0.4%, and Nasdaq futures gaining 0.6% before the start of regular trading.
The pending home sales index for August will be released at 10 am ET, followed by the Dallas Fed Manufacturing Survey for September at 10:30 am ET.
Federal Reserve officials John Williams, New York president; Alberto Musalem, St. Louis president; and Raphael Bostic, Atlanta president, speak on Monday.
In premarket activity, bitcoin was up by 1.6%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 2.9 higher, Ether ETF (EETH) was up 2%, and Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) was down 0.7%.
Power Play:
Health Care
The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) advanced 0.2%, the Vanguard Health Care Index Fund (VHT) gained 0.5%, while the iShares US Healthcare ETF (IYH) rose 1.2%. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was 0.9% higher.
Merus (MRUS) stock was up more than 37% premarket, while Genmab (GMAB) shares were more than 3% lower after the companies said Genmab has agreed to acquire the biotechnology firm in an all-cash deal worth about $8 billion.
Winners and Losers:
Financial
Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) advanced 0.4%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was up 1.1%, while its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was inactive.
KKR (KKR)'s shares were up more than 1% pre-bell after the European Commission approved its acquisition of sole control of the UK's Spectris.
Industrial
Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLI) advanced 0.6%, the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) gained 0.7%, while the iShares US Industrials ETF (IYJ) was inactive.
Lockheed Martin's (LMT) stock was up more than 2% before the opening bell after its Sikorsky subsidiary received a five-year, $10.90 billion contract from the US Navy to build up to 99 CH-53K King Stallion helicopters.
Consumer
The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP) was up 0.2%, while the Vanguard Consumer Staples Fund (VDC) advanced 0.1%. The iShares US Consumer Staples ETF (IYK) was inactive, and the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) gained 0.5%. The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) was inactive, while the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) was 0.3% higher.
Stellantis (STLA) shares were up more than 1% pre-bell after the company said it has appointed Joao Laranjo as chief financial officer, effective immediately.
Energy
The iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) was inactive, while the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) was down by 0.2%.
Occidental Petroleum (OXY) stock was up nearly 2% before Monday's opening bell after the Financial Times reported Sunday that Occidental is working with advisers to sell its OxyChem unit in a deal likely to be worth at least $10 billion.
Technology
Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) advanced 0.6%, and the iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) was 0.5% higher, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was up 0.4%. Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) rose 1.3%, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) was nearly 1% higher.
Commodities
Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell 2.1% to $64.35 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas was down 2% at $3.14 per 1 million British Thermal Units. The United States Oil Fund (USO) was 1.3% lower, while the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) declined by 0.5%.
Gold futures for December were up by 1.2% at $3,854.10 an ounce on the Comex, while silver futures gained 0.7% to reach $46.97 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) advanced 1.3%, and the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was 1.3% higher.
42.
The Ultimate Growth ETFs to Buy With $1,000 Right Now
2025-09-29 12:30:00 by Geoffrey Seiler, The Motley Fool from Motley FoolKey Points
Growth stocks have been leading the market higher, and growth ETFs are a great way to invest in this trend.
The Invesco QQQ and Vanguard Growth ETF are two great broad-based growth ETF options.
Also consider the Vanguard Information Technology ETF and Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF.
The market is being carried on the back of growth stocks, and artificial intelligence (AI) has become the story everyone wants a piece of these days. While it's tempting to buy individual AI stocks like Nvidia, perhaps the better strategy for many investors is to invest in the trend through a growth-oriented exchange-traded fund (ETF), especially if you're just starting out.
Growth ETFs can give you a collection of the companies at the center of AI innovation. This lets you ride the wave without having to pick individual winners. Even if you have $1,000 or less to put to work, I'd recommend ETFs over individual stocks, as they give you an instant portfolio.
However, starting with $1,000 and just letting it sit is not going to build wealth. The key is to consistently invest through dollar-cost averaging and let compounding do its magic. Since ETFs are portfolios of stocks, they are a much easier way to implement this strategy.
Let's look at four growth ETFs that you can start investing in now.
Invesco QQQ Trust
The Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ: QQQ) has been one of the most reliable ways to invest in growth stocks over the past decade. It tracks the Nasdaq-100 index, which consists of the 100 largest Nasdaq-listed non-financial companies. The Nasdaq has always been tech-heavy, which means you're getting a portfolio of top growth stocks.
The ETF has given investors a 19.4% average annual return over the past 10 years, which easily surpasses the return of the S&P 500. Even more impressive is that it's beaten the S&P 500 on a 12-month rolling basis nearly 90% of the time during this stretch.
Vanguard Growth ETF
The Vanguard Growth ETF (NYSEMKT: VUG) is another great option. It's built around the growth side of the S&P 500, which also gives you a heavy dose of tech stocks.
Many of the companies at the forefront of AI make up its top holding. In fact, Nvidia (12.3%), Microsoft (11.5%), Apple (10.5%), Alphabet (6.6%), Amazon (6.5%), Broadcom (4.4%), and Meta Platforms (4.4%) account for more than 55% of its portfolio. The ETF has been a strong performer over the years, generating a 17.1% yearly return over the past 10 years.
Vanguard Information Technology ETF
If you want to strip away everything else and just own tech stocks, the Vanguard Information Technology ETF (NYSEMKT: VGT) could be right for you. While it's still an index fund, the ETF is unapologetically concentrated in technology stocks. Its top three holdings of Nvidia, Microsoft, and Apple make up about 44% of its holdings.
That concentration has led the ETF to generate a 22.4% average annual return over the past 10 years. One downside of the fund is that it does not include some top AI names, including Amazon and Alphabet, nor does it have any international AI beneficiaries. That said, its return has been tough to beat.
Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF
For those who want a pure-play AI angle, the Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF (NASDAQ: AIQ) is one of the best ways to go. Unlike broader growth ETFs, this one was built specifically to capture the AI theme. It owns nearly 90 stocks across semiconductors, software, and other sectors where AI adoption is accelerating.
About 69% of its portfolio is in U.S. stocks, so it's also giving you exposure to top international AI companies. This includes its top holding, Alibaba Group Holding, as well as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The ETF is also not as concentrated as the ones listed above.
Since launching in 2018, the ETF has delivered a 16.6% average annual return. However, it's been performing better more recently, with a three-year average annual return of 28.3%. The fund's expense ratio is a bit high at 0.68%, but what you get is exposure that cuts across industries and geographies, since AI's effect is not limited to U.S. mega-caps.
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Geoffrey Seiler has positions in Alphabet and Invesco QQQ Trust. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, and Vanguard Index Funds - Vanguard Growth ETF. The Motley Fool recommends Alibaba Group and Broadcom and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The Ultimate Growth ETFs to Buy With $1,000 Right Now was originally published by The Motley Fool
43.
PCE Delivers Goldilocks Numbers for the Stock Market
2025-09-26 14:18:00 by Mark Vickery from ZacksFriday, September 26, 2025
Ahead of today’s open, pre-market futures are climbing higher on mostly expected results from August Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) this morning. The Dow is currently up +225 points, the S&P 500 +28 and the Nasdaq +105 points. Even the small-cap Russell 2000, which was in the red ahead of the PCE release, is +6 points at this hour.
PCE Index Numbers In-Line: +0.3%, +2.7%
PCE reports come with a whole host of numbers, starting with income and spending metrics for the prior month. Personal Income for August was 10 basis points (bps) warmer than anticipated at +0.4%, equalling July. Personal Spending was also 10 bps above consensus at +0.6%, also warmer than the +0.5% reported for the prior month.
These are good numbers for those looking for signs of overall strength in the U.S. economy. “Real” Spending, adjusted for inflation, reached +0.3% last month — still warmer than we’d like to see for advanced interest rate cuts from the Fed going forward, but well below the year-to-date high of +0.7% back in March.
The headline PCE Index was right in line with expectations at +0.3%, 10 bps warmer than the prior month but below the +0.4% reported back in February. Core PCE month over month — subtracting volatile food and energy expenditures — actually cooled 10 bps to +0.2% from July, and as anticipated.
Year over year, headline PCE came in at +2.7% — as expected, but also matching multi-year highs last reached in February, and 10 bps above the previous month. Core PCE year over year was in-line with expectations at +2.9%. This is a smidge below the +2.95% we saw back in February.
What PCE Means for Inflation, the Fed & Interest Rates
The easy answer here is that investors love these numbers for good reason: the economy is not rudderless and consumers are doing their part pushing forward. Inflation is still present, but not running out of control. And yet the Fed is still in the mode of reducing interest rates to help ease some pressure on the labor market.
What it also means, especially teetering on 3% core PCE year over year, is that deeper cuts (50 bps per meeting, for instance) to the Fed funds rate are not likely in the cards. The Fed still considers its current rate of 4.00-4.25% to be mildly restrictive, which may be interpreted as holding inflation somewhat in place. Their goal is still 2% inflation, which they won’t get by continually cutting rates, but at least they’ve tamped down the +5.6% PCE core we were seeing back in September of 2022.
What to Expect from the Stock Market Today
This was the biggie for this Friday, although we do expect a final University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment survey to come out after the opening bell today. The 55.4 reported in the preliminary issue is expected to hold — down a bit from the 60+ levels we were seeing in June and July, but still above the low 50s we saw this past spring.
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44.
Exchange-Traded Funds, Equity Futures Higher Pre-Bell Friday Amid New Tariffs
2025-09-26 13:05:35 by MT Newswires from MT NewswiresThe broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was up 0.2% and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was 0.1% higher in Friday's premarket activity as President Donald Trump announced sweeping new tariffs.
US stock futures were also higher, with S&P 500 Index futures up 0.1%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures gaining 0.2%, and Nasdaq futures advancing 0.01% before the start of regular trading.
US personal income gained 0.4% in August while personal consumption expenditures rose 0.6%, both above forecasts, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis data on Friday. The PCE price index increased 0.3% month over month and rose 2.7% from a year earlier, with the core measure up 0.2% month over month and steady at 2.9% annually.
The University of Michigan consumer sentiment report for September at 10 am ET, and the Baker Hughes domestic oil-and-gas rig count at 1 pm ET.
Fed officials Thomas Barkin and Michelle Bowman are scheduled to speak Friday.
In premarket activity, bitcoin was down by 0.5%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 0.5% lower, Ether ETF (EETH) was down 0.6%, and Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) was flat.
Power Play:
Technology
Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) retreated 0.1%, and the iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) was flat, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was down 0.1%. Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) was retreated 0.3%, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) rose by 0.2%.
Concentrix (CNXC) shares were down more than 20% in recent premarket activity after the company reported lower-than-expected fiscal Q3 non-GAAP earnings and revenue.
Winners and Losers:
Industrial
Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLI) advanced 0.5% while the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) and the iShares US Industrials ETF (IYJ) were inactive.
Mirion Technologies (MIR) stock was up more than 4% before the opening bell after the company said it priced its upsized offering of $325 million of convertible senior notes due Oct. 1, 2031, to institutional buyers.
Health Care
The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) advanced 0.5%. The Vanguard Health Care Index Fund (VHT) gained 0.2%, while the iShares US Healthcare ETF (IYH) advanced 0.6%. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was flat.
Eli Lilly (LLY) stock was up more than 1% premarket after the company said late Thursday the European Commission approved Kisunla, or donanemab, to treat early symptomatic Alzheimer's disease.
Financial
Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) advanced 0.2%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was up 0.6%, while its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was 0.5% lower.
Cipher Mining (CIFR) shares were up nearly 1% pre-bell after the company disclosed a 5.4% stake from Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL), alongside a $3 billion multiyear deal for Fluidstack to lease computing power from Cipher's Texas facility.
Energy
The iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) was inactive, while the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) was up 0.3%.
TechnipFMC (FTI) stock was up more than 3% before Friday's opening bell after the company said late Thursday it received a contract valued between $250 million and $500 million from Exxon Mobil (XOM) Guyana to supply subsea production systems for its Hammerhead project in the Stabroek Block.
Commodities
Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil declined 0.1% to $64.90 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas was up 0.7% at $2.92 per 1 million British Thermal Units. The United States Oil Fund (USO) was 0.7% lower, while the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) advanced by 0.4%.
Gold futures for December were up by 0.2% at $3,780.40 an ounce on the Comex, while silver futures advanced 0.6% to $45.36 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) advanced 0.2%, and the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was 0.3% lower.
45.
Market Indexes Stay Lower 2nd Straight Day, PCE On Deck
2025-09-25 22:20:00 by Mark Vickery from ZacksThursday, September 25, 2025
Markets never really broke into positive territory today, coming off mixed performances from Europe and Asia early in the day. We’ve also sort of run out of near-term catalysts for a refreshment to the bull run, at least until tomorrow’s PCE report comes out, or possibly Jobs Week next, or earnings season kicking off the week after that.
The blue-chip Dow index is -173 points as of the day’s close, -0.38% for the day. The S&P 500 slipped -33 points, -0.50%, while the Nasdaq ran an identical -0.50% (-113 points). The small-cap Russell 2000 was down -25 points today, -1.05%. Bond yields continue to creep higher: +4.17% on the 10-year, +3.66% on the 2-year.
Existing Home Sales +20.5% in August
As expected, we saw a big jump this morning in Existing Home Sales numbers for August: +20.5%, for a total of 4.00 million seasonally adjusted, annualized units. This is down a smidge from expectations for 4.01 million, but above the consensus estimate for 3.96 million. The Midwest posted the biggest gains per region, though it may be important to point out the median home price in the Midwest is -22% below the national median.
Costco Beats on Q4 Earnings, Stock Slips
Warehouse membership giant Costco COST reported fiscal Q4 results this afternoon after the close, posting earnings of $5.87 per share versus $5.81 in the Zacks consensus. Revenues were slightly below expectations, however: $86.16 billion versus $86.18 billion anticipated. It’s the third earnings beat in the last four quarters for Costco, but shares are slipping a bit in late trading. Shares are only up around +3% year to date.
What to Expect from the Stock Market Tomorrow
We can sum up tomorrow’s contribution to potential economic impacts to the stock market in one word — or, rather, three letters: PCE. Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE), as you likely know, is the Fed’s preferred gauge on inflation, as it gathers data from other sources to make up the comprehensive report. PCE for August hits the tape ahead of Friday’s opening bell.
Personal Income is expected to cool just a tad in August, to +0.3% from +0.4% the prior month. Personal Spending is expected to remain slightly elevated at +0.5%, same as July. The PCE Index month over month forecasts +0.3% on headline, +0.2% core — we saw the reverse in the previous month. Year over year PCE is expected up 10 basis points (bps) to +2.7% month over month, +2.9% on core year over year, in-line with July.
PCE data is among the least revised and surprised monthly economic there is. Perhaps that’s another reason the Fed likes it so much. But last month’s +2.9% on core year over year matches the highs we saw in February of this year and December of last year. And if we do see a tick higher, it would be the loftiest PCE level since March of 2024, when these numbers were moving in quite the opposite direction.
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46.
Markets Invest In Gold — And Risk. Here's What That Tells Us
2025-09-25 22:00:43 by MIKE JUANG from Investor's Business DailyCall it the duality of traders. Why there's a move to invest in gold and growth at the same time.
47.
Exchange-Traded Funds, US Equities Decline After Midday
2025-09-25 17:09:21 by MT Newswires from MT NewswiresBroad Market Indicators
Broad-market exchange-traded funds IWM and IVV were lower. Actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) fell 0.5%.
US benchmark stock indexes traded lower in midday trading on Thursday as investors assessed a slew of economic data.
Energy
iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) and the Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) each added about 0.6%.
Technology
Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) slipped 0.4%; iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) and iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) moved lower as well.
SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) fell 0.9%, and iShares Semiconductor (SOXX) was down 0.3%.
Financial
The Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF) lost 0.2%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) fell 0.6%, and its bearish counterpart, Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ), gained 1%.
Commodities
Crude oil lost 0.4%, and the United States Oil Fund (USO) was down 0.1%. Natural gas rose 1.8%, and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) gained 1.5%.
Gold on Comex fell 0.1%, and SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) were up 0.1%. Silver climbed 1.9%, and iShares Silver Trust (SLV) added 2.1%.
Consumer
Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) fell 0.7%. The Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) was down 0.6%, while iShares Dow Jones US Consumer Goods (IYK) lost 1%.
Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) shed 1.1%. VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) slipped 0.8%, and SPDR S&P Retail (XRT) lost 1.6%.
Health Care
Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV) was down 1.8%, and iShares US Healthcare (IYH) and Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) also fell; iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) fell 1.8%.
Industrial
Industrial Select Sector SPDR (XLI) was down 0.6%. Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) and iShares US Industrials (IYJ) were in the red.
Cryptocurrency
In midday activity, bitcoin (BTC-USD) lost 2.2%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, ProShares Bitcoin ETF (BITO) was down 2.2%, ProShares Ether ETF (EETH) fell 5.5%, and ProShares Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) shed 2.3%.
48.
MoneyMasters Podcast 9-25-25- Mobius' Favorite Global Markets for 2025-2026
2025-09-25 16:30:00 by MoneyShowIn this episode of the MoneyShow MoneyMasters Podcast, emerging markets legend Dr. Mark Mobius shares his outlook on global markets, from Asia’s top growth engines to Latin America’s reform stories.
To get more articles and chart analysis from MoneyShow, subscribe to our Top Pros’ Top Picks newsletter here.)
Mobius explains why China is outperforming India, how Japan’s corporate reforms are creating new opportunities, and why Taiwan and Vietnam remain hotspots for tech and manufacturing. He also highlights the role of Brazil and Argentina in the next wave of growth, and why he favors defense ETFs, technology stocks, and gold over crypto.
Plus, he lays out his views on the US dollar, Fed policy, and President Trump’s potential impact on global markets, while addressing geopolitical risks in Europe and Taiwan. Finally, Mobius reveals why stop-loss discipline is essential after the big run in global equities. You won’t want to miss which global markets are Mobius’ favorites for 2025-2026 – and why.
See also: SPX: Two Forces are Sending Stocks Higher Despite Job Worries
For more investing guidance from top experts, join us at the 2025 MoneyShow/TradersEXPO Orlando, scheduled for Oct. 16-18 at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate. Click here to register.
More From MoneyShow.com:
- Small Caps: Fed Cuts Plus Cheap Valuations Make These Stocks VERY Attractive
- IPO: An ETF for Accessing New Stocks Amid Offering Resurgence
- Market Minute 9/23/25: Gold Surges; Tech Rallies on AI Tie Up
49.
Econ Data Surprisingly Good: Jobless Claims, Q2 GDP, Durable Goods & More
2025-09-25 14:32:00 by Mark Vickery from ZacksThursday, September 25, 2025
Pre-market futures are still swimming in the red at this hour, even with a large amount of economic data hitting the tape better than expected. Market indexes are moving fairly rapidly, but currently we’re -70 points on the Dow, -28 on the S&P 500 and -145 points on the Nasdaq. Bond yields are ticking higher, notably on the 2-year: +3.66%; the 10-year is approaching +4.19%.
Q2 GDP Revised Up Half a Percentage Point
In a very unusual move this morning, the third and final revision to Q2 Gross Domestic Product (GDP), instead of remaining where the second revision was or moving incrementally higher or lower, blossomed from +3.3% to +3.8% — half a percentage point. It now registers as the strongest quarter of growth since Q3 2023.
The biggest jump came from Consumption: last posted at +1.6%, it now jumps to +2.5%. The Price Index ticked up 10 basis points (bps) on both headline, +2.1%, and core: +2.6%. Shipments remained relatively chilly at -0.3%. We’ll take this as an increased appetite for the U.S. consumer, but not shared among our trading partners.
Weekly Jobless Claims Stay Well-Behaved
Some of the most consistently positive economic numbers for the majority of this year come from Weekly Jobless Claims, and so it remains today. Initial Jobless Claims slid to their lowest level since mid-summer: 218K, down -17K from estimates and -14K from a modestly revised 232K the previous week, and a whopping -64K claims lower than two weeks ago.
Continuing Claims rose from the prior week’s tally — 1.926 million from an upwardly revised 1.928 million the week before that. Continuing jobless claims are reported a week in arrears from new claims. But this is now the third-straight week longer-term jobless claims have been below 1.94 million, where it spent the previous 12 weeks.
Durable Goods Orders Stronger than Expected
August Durable Goods Orders swung to a positive +2.9% from the prior month’s slightly upwardly revised -2.7% and the consensus estimate of -0.5%. Subtracting Transportation orders, this comes back to a more closely aligned-with-estimates +0.4%, down from the prior month’s revised +1.0%. Non-defense, ex-aircraft orders came in at +0.6%, down 20 bps from the downwardly revised +0.8% in the last go-around.
Trade, Retail & Wholesale Numbers Come in Lower
The Advanced U.S. Trade Balance for August came in lower than the prior month, as expected: -$85.5 billion, an improvement from the revised -$102.8 billion. Advanced Retail Inventories, also for August, was unched from an expected +0.2%, matching lows not seen since April. Advanced Wholesale Inventories swung to -0.2% from an original +0.2% reported.
What to Expect from the Stock Market Today
Existing Home Sales for August are expected at 10 am ET today. Forecasts are for 3.96 million seasonally adjusted, annualized units, down from the 4.01 million reported for July. However, New Home Sales vastly outperformed expectations yesterday — 800K from 649K anticipated — so perhaps we’ll see something similarly outsized in this metric, as well.
Warehouse club giant Costco COST reports fiscal Q4 results after today’s closing bell. The Zacks Rank #3 (Hold)-rated stock is expected to have grown +12.8% on earnings year over year and +8.1% on revenues. Costco has outperformed earnings expectations in three of its past four quarters.
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SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (DIA): ETF Research Reports
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
50.
Exchange-Traded Funds, Equity Futures Lower Pre-Bell Thursday Ahead of Data Deluge
2025-09-25 12:46:08 by MT Newswires from MT NewswiresThe broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was down 0.3% and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) retreated 0.5% in Thursday's premarket activity, ahead of a deluge of economic data releases.
US stock futures were also lower, with S&P 500 Index futures down 0.4%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slipping 0.1%, and Nasdaq futures retreating 0.5% before the start of regular trading.
The existing home sales report for August and the Q2 Quarterly Services survey will be released at 10 am ET, followed by the weekly EIA natural gas report at 10:30 am ET, and the Kansas City Fed Manufacturing Index for September at 11 am ET.
Federal Reserve officials slated to speak on Thursday include Austan Goolsbee, president of Chicago; Jeffrey Schmid, president of Kansas City; Governor Michelle Bowman; Governor Michael Barr; Lorie Logan, president of Dallas; and Mary Daly, president of San Francisco.
New orders for US durable goods rebounded by 2.9% in August following a decline of 2.7%, compared with expectations for a 0.3% drop in a survey compiled by Bloomberg as of 7:35 am ET.
US initial jobless claims fell to a level of 218,000 in the week ended Sept. 20 from an upwardly revised 232,000 level in the previous week, compared with expectations for an increase to 233,000 in a survey of analysts compiled by Bloomberg as of 7:35 am ET.
The US advance international trade in goods deficit narrowed to $85.54 billion in August from $102.84 billion in July, according to data released by the US Census Bureau. This was a narrower gap than the $95.4 billion deficit expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg as of 7:35 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) fell 3.8%, and Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) retreated 1.9%.
Power Play:
Health Care
The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) retreated 0.1%. The Vanguard Health Care Index Fund (VHT) gained 0.3% while the iShares US Healthcare ETF (IYH) was inactive. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) declined marginally by 0.01%.
Immuneering (IMRX) stock was up more than 30% premarket after the company said Sanofi (SNY) has agreed to purchase 2.7 million shares in a private placement.
Winners and Losers:
Consumer
The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP) gained 0.01%, while the Vanguard Consumer Staples Fund (VDC) was inactive. The iShares US Consumer Staples ETF (IYK) was inactive, and the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) lost 0.2%. The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) and the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) were inactive.
LuxExperience (LUXE) shares were up more than 19% pre-bell after the company swung to fiscal Q4 earnings and reported higher sales.
Energy
The iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) was inactive, while the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) retreated by 0.03%.
Centrus Energy (LEU) stock was down more than 4% before Thursday's opening bell after the company said it plans a "major expansion" of its uranium enrichment plant in Piketon, Ohio.
Industrial
Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLI) retreated 0.2% while the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) was flat and the iShares US Industrials ETF (IYJ) was inactive.
Hertz Global Holdings (HTZ) stock was down more than 2% before the opening bell after the company said that one of its subsidiaries has agreed to sell in a private placement $375 million of 5.5% exchangeable senior notes due 2030.
Technology
Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) retreated 0.5%, and the iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) was 0.4% lower, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was inactive. Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) fell 0.9%, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) declined by 1.3%.
SAP SE (SAP) shares were up more than 2% in recent premarket activity after the European Commission said it is conducting a formal investigation into the company over allegations that it may have engaged in anti-competitive practices in the aftermarket for maintenance and support services in enterprise resource planning software.
Financial
Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) retreated 0.1%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was down 0.5%, while its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was 0.6% higher.
HSBC Holdings (HSBC) shares were down more than 1% pre-bell after the company said it agreed to sell its retail banking business in Sri Lanka to Nations Trust Bank. The company also said that a trial conducted with International Business Machines (IBM) to explore the use of quantum computers in optimizing bond trading yielded "promising" results.
Commodities
Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell 0.4% to $64.69 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas was up 1.4% to $2.90 per 1 million British Thermal Units. The United States Oil Fund (USO) was 0.3% lower, while the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) advanced by 1.4%.
Gold futures for December were up by 0.4% to $3,782 an ounce on the Comex, while silver futures rose 2.1% to $45.11 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) advanced 0.5%, and the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was 2.1% higher.