FINWIRES · TerminalLIVE
FINWIRES

Exchange-Traded Funds, Equity Futures Mixed Pre-Bell Wednesday Amid Fresh Economic Signals

By

The broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was down 0.2% and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) advanced 0.5% in Wednesday's premarket activity, as markets traded mixed amid caution about fresh employment and inflation indicators.

US stock futures were mixed, with S&P 500 Index futures down 0.1%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slipping 0.3%, and Nasdaq futures gaining 0.2% before the start of regular trading.

US mortgage applications fell 2.5% in the week ended May 29, extending the prior week's decline despite lower 30-year mortgage rates, Mortgage Bankers Association data showed Wednesday.

US private-sector employment increased by 122,000 jobs in May, slightly exceeding expectations, with hiring led by education and health services, trade, transportation and utilities, and construction, ADP data showed Wednesday.

The May purchasing managers' index composite final report from S&P Global will be released at 9:45 am ET, followed by the Institute for Supply Management's services survey for May at 10:00 am ET.

Factory orders data for April are scheduled to be released at 10:00 am ET, followed by the weekly oil stocks data at 10:30 am ET.

Federal Reserve Governor Michael Barr and Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan are due to speak on Wednesday.

In premarket action, bitcoin was down by 0.3%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 0.5% lower, Ether ETF (EETH) retreated by 1.8%, and Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) gained 0.01%.

Power Play:

Financial

The State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) retreated by 0.5%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was down 1.3%, while its bearish counterpart, Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ), was 1.1% higher.

Blackstone (BX) shares were down more than 5% pre-bell after Bloomberg reported the company is mulling the sale of payments services provider, SP.LINKS, looking to fetch about 100 billion Japanese yen ($626 million) from the transaction.

Winners and Losers:

Health Care

The State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) retreated by 0.3%, the Vanguard Health Care Index Fund (VHT) was up 0.1%, while the iShares US Healthcare ETF (IYH) was inactive. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was 0.01% lower.

Technology

The State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) advanced by 0.4%, and the iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) was 0.4% higher, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was up 0.6%. Among semiconductor ETFs, the State Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) gained 1.5%, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) rose by 2%.

Sprinklr (CXM) shares were down more than 5% in premarket activity after the company reported lower fiscal Q1 non-GAAP earnings.

Industrial

The State Street Industrial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLI) declined by 0.5%, while the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) was down 0.7% and the iShares US Industrials ETF (IYJ) was inactive.

T1 Energy (TE) stock was up 3% before the opening bell after the company said it had agreed to acquire Kore Power in a deal valued at $32 million in equity, cash, and assumed debt.

Consumer

The State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) was up 0.02% and the Vanguard Consumer Staples Index Fund ETF Shares (VDC) was down 0.4%. The iShares US Consumer Staples ETF (IYK) was flat. The State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) lost 0.2%. The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) was inactive, while the State Street SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) decreased by 0.8%.

Ferrari (RACE) shares were down 1% pre-bell after closing the prior day with a 1.3% rise. The vehicle maker said Wednesday it has signed a multi-year contract extension with Charles Leclerc.

Energy

The iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) was up 0.7%, while the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) was up by 0.6%.

BP (BP) stock was up more than 1% before market open, following a 1% gain in the previous session. The Financial Times reported Tuesday that the company held advanced talks to sell its UK North Sea assets to Ithaca Energy in a nearly 2 billion British pounds ($2.7 billion) deal, though negotiations failed in recent weeks, with the oil major still exploring a sale to other potential buyers.

Commodities

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil gained by 2.2% to $95.82 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas was up 0.3% to $3.18 per 1 million British Thermal Units. The United States Oil Fund (USO) rose by 2.7%, while the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was 0.4% higher.

Gold futures for July retreated by 0.7% to $4,488.90 an ounce on the Comex. Silver futures declined by 1.2% to $74.66 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) was down by 0.5%, and the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) decreased by 1%.

Related Articles

Commodities

EDP Commits $1.5 Billion to French Renewable Energy Projects Through 2030

EDP plans to invest 1.3 billion euros ($1.5 billion) in France through 2030 across over 1 gigawatt of wind, solar and battery projects, the company said Tuesday.The renewable energy developer announced the investment at the ninth Choose France Summit through its French subsidiary EDP Renewables and Ocean Winds, its offshore wind joint venture with ENGIE.EDP will direct the funding toward onshore wind, offshore wind, photovoltaic and energy-storage projects that support France's energy security and decarbonization goals while strengthening grid flexibility.EDP has developed over 800 megawatts of wind and solar capacity in France since 2006, generating nearly 12 terawatt-hours of electricity during that period, the company said.Globally, EDP operates 32.8 GW of capacity and maintains activities across electricity generation, transmission, distribution and retail, allowing it to develop integrated energy solutions across multiple markets.The company's business plan through 2028 includes more than 12 billion euros in investments worldwide, with roughly 70% allocated to wind, solar and battery projects and the remaining 30% directed toward network development.EDP said wind and solar power can strengthen long-term energy security by providing locally generated electricity for decades, reducing exposure to geopolitical disruptions while supporting the transition to cleaner and more efficient energy systems.France and the broader European market will play a central role in that strategy, as governments seek to accelerate the deployment of low-carbon power and reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels, EDP added.

Commodities

Welsh Abandoned Coal Mines Offer Untapped Energy Opportunity, Ember Says

Wales could generate 880 gigawatt-hours of electricity and earn an estimated 19.5 million British pounds ($26.3 million) by 2050 by capturing methane from abandoned coal mines, Ember analysts said in a Tuesday note.Recovering abandoned mine methane would cut emissions, create a local energy source and reduce risks linked to uncontrolled gas migration while supporting former coal-mining communities.Direct measurement and recovery projects can prevent methane, which is about 82 times more potent than carbon dioxide in the short term, Ember said.Wales produces roughly half of the UK's modeled abandoned mine methane emissions, yet the country lacks dedicated reporting and still relies on estimates rather than direct monitoring of mine-shaft emissions, Ember added.South Wales contains four of the UK's 10 highest-emitting abandoned mine areas, reflecting the methane-rich nature of the region's anthracite coalfields, according to Ember.Welsh coal mines contain about 168,000 tons of methane, but Wales has no operating recovery projects despite evidence that the technology already works elsewhere in the UK, the report said.Across the UK, 16 active abandoned mine methane facilities are expected to export 100 GWh of electricity and generate 2.3 million British pounds in gross profit during 2025, highlighting the scale of the opportunity.Ember said inadequate data and policy shortcomings have slowed project development, while operators argue that a lack of accurate site-level measurements makes it harder to estimate output and identify additional methane resources.Developing abandoned mine methane projects requires policy support because complex mine ownership structures, licensing issues and volatile energy prices can make projects difficult to finance and operate, Ember said.The report urged Wales to require direct, site-level methane measurements from closed and abandoned mines through standardized monitoring programs to improve emissions transparency and identify mitigation opportunities.Ember also recommended a framework to progressively eliminate routine venting and flaring of abandoned mine methane, aligning Welsh policy with international standards, including principles reflected in the European Union's methane regulations.To improve project economics, the report called for targeted incentives such as subsidies, tax credits and long-term price guarantees, citing successful approaches in Germany and France that have helped attract investment in mine-methane recovery projects.

Commodities

US Natural Gas Update: Futures Edge Down on Dip in LNG Feedgas Flows

US natural gas futures edged lower in after-hours trading on Tuesday as feedgas deliveries to LNG export terminals slowed to their weakest level in several weeks, offsetting support from warmer weather forecasts and stronger domestic demand.The front-month Henry Hub contract and the continuous contract both fell by 0.28% to $3.17 per million British thermal units.Estimated net LNG flows to US export terminals totaled 16.9 billion cubic feet per day on Tuesday, down 0.9 Bcf/d from Monday and 7.2% below levels seen a week earlier, according to Barchart, citing data from BNEF. Feedgas volumes fell to their lowest level since May 19.The decline was largely driven by reduced deliveries to Sabine Pass, where feeder pipeline outages continued to constrain intake, energy consultancy Aegis said. NRG data showed LNG feedgas demand declined for a fourth consecutive day, slipping another 0.1 Bcf/d.NRG added that LNG feedgas demand continues to ease as vessel arrivals slow, with only one LNG tanker currently headed to China, down from as many as five last week.Meanwhile, startup challenges at the Golden Pass LNG export project continue to weigh on expectations for export demand.Limiting losses, weather forecasts pointed to stronger cooling demand in the coming days. Above-normal temperatures are expected to boost air-conditioning use across the Midwest and western US through Jun. 11, Barchart said, citing Tuesday forecasts from Commodity Weather Group.On the supply side, US dry gas production was estimated at 109.1 Bcf/d on Tuesday, up 1.9% from a year earlier.Demand across the Lower 48 states reached 69.3 Bcf/d, up 4.8% year over year. Celsius Energy estimated power-sector gas consumption at 23.6 Bcf/d late Tuesday, down 0.3 Bcf/d from Monday but 3 Bcf/d higher than a year ago.The firm also said average power burn during the seven-day period from May 21 to May 27 was 32.2 Bcf/d, up 3.2 Bcf/d from the same period in 2025, reflecting stronger electricity demand as warmer weather spreads across key population centers.