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Exchange-Traded Funds, Equity Futures Higher Pre-Bell Friday as Amazon Earnings Offset Apple Weakness

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The broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was up 0.2%, and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) advanced 0.9% in Friday's premarket activity, as Amazon's (AMZN) stronger-than-expected earnings and continued demand for AI services outweighed weakness in Apple (AAPL) shares following its quarterly results.

US stock futures were also higher, with S&P 500 Index futures up 0.4%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures advancing 0.5%, and Nasdaq futures gaining 1.1% before the start of regular trading.

The quarterly US employment cost index rose by 0.9% in Q2, the same as in the previous quarter, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Friday.

July's Chicago PMI report will be released at 9:45 am ET.

The final University of Michigan consumer sentiment reading for July will be released at 10:00 am ET.

In premarket action, bitcoin was down by 1.6%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 1.7% lower, Ether ETF (EETH) retreated 2.3%, and Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) was down 0.03%.

Power Play:

Consumer

The State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) was down 0.1%, the Vanguard Consumer Staples Index Fund ETF Shares (VDC) was up 0.3%, and the iShares US Consumer Staples ETF (IYK) was flat. The State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) rose 2.5%. The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) gained 1.2%, while the State Street SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) was 0.3% higher.

Amazon (AMZN) jumped more than 10% after the company posted higher Q2 results that beat analysts' estimates.

Winners and Losers:

Health Care

The State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) retreated 0.4%, the Vanguard Health Care Index Fund (VHT) was down 0.5%, while the iShares US Healthcare ETF (IYH) was flat. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was 0.4% lower.

Novo Nordisk A/S (NVO) was down 8% premarket after the company said its ziltivekimab did not reduce major adverse cardiovascular events in people with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and inflammation versus a placebo in a phase 3 trial.

Technology

The State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) gained 0.4%, the iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) was 0.9% higher, and the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was up 0.6%. Among semiconductor ETFs, the State Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) increased 4.5%, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) rose by 3.3%.

Apple (AAPL) fell 7.5% pre-market Friday after the company reported lower-than-expected services revenue in fiscal Q3.

Industrial

The State Street Industrial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLI) advanced 1%, the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) gained 0.3%, and the iShares US Industrials ETF (IYJ) was flat.

RBC Bearings (RBC) was up more than 1% before the opening bell after the company reported higher fiscal Q1 adjusted net income and net sales.

Financial

The State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) retreated 0.01%. 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.

Arthur J. Gallagher (AJG) was down 4.4% even after the company reported higher Q2 adjusted earnings and revenue.

Energy

The iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) was inactive, while the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) was up by 0.5%.

Chevron (CVX) was up 0.8% before the market open after the company reported higher Q2 results.

Commodities

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil gained by 2.1% to $85.32 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas was up 1.5% to $2.80 per 1 million British Thermal Units. The United States Oil Fund (USO) increased by 1.8%, while the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was 1% higher.

Gold futures for November retreated by 1.2% to $4,112.80 an ounce on the Comex. Silver futures declined by 1.7% to $57.99 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) was down by 1.5%, and the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) fell by 2.5%.

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