FINWIRES · TerminalLIVE
FINWIRES

Exchange-Traded Funds Lower as US Equities Fall After Midday

By

-- Broad Market Indicators

Broad-market exchange-traded fund IWM and IVV declined. Actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) edged up 0.1%.

US equity indexes traded lower after midday Wednesday as crude oil futures and government bond yields jumped amid concern that Iran's blockade will be extended to force Tehran into a peace deal.

Energy

IShares US Energy ETF (IYE) and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) each added about 1.8%.

Technology

The State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) was up 0.2%; iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) fell 0.2%, and iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) rose fractionally.

The State Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) climbed up 3.6%, and iShares Semiconductor (SOXX) was up 1.5%.

Financial

The State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF) eased 0.1%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) declined 0.2%, and its bearish counterpart, Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ), gained 0.1%.

Commodities

Crude oil rose 6.9%, and the United States Oil Fund (USO) gained 6.9%. Natural gas was down 1.7%, and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) fell 1.8%.

Gold on Comex slipped 1%, and the State Street SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) fell 1.1%. Silver declined 1.5%, and iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was down 2.1%.

Consumer

The State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) eased 0.1%. The Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) edged lower, and iShares Dow Jones US Consumer Goods (IYK) was 0.1% higher.

The State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) dipped 0.4%. VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) eased 0.2%, and the State Street SPDR S&P Retail (XRT) was down 0.7%.

Health Care

The State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV) shed 0.7%, iShares US Healthcare (IYH) fell 0.6%, and Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) was 0.7% lower. IShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) slipped 1.6%.

Industrial

The State Street Industrial Select Sector SPDR (XLI) lost 0.8%. Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) and iShares US Industrials (IYJ) were also lower.

Cryptocurrency

In midday activity, bitcoin (BTC-USD) fell 0.7%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, ProShares Bitcoin ETF (BITO) dipped 0.8%, ProShares Ether ETF (EETH) lost 1.1%, and ProShares Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) was up 0.2%.

Related Articles

Research

Research Alert: CFRA Downgrades Rating To Sell From Hold On Shares Of Essex Property Trust, Inc.

CFRA, an independent research provider, has providedwith the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:We lower our target by $15 to $250 using a narrower equity risk premium and a forward P/FFO of 15.5x, which is in line with the multifamily residential REIT average. We keep our 2026 FFO estimate at $16.15 and lower 2027's by $0.05 to $16.45 on respective revenue projections of $1.94B and $1.98B. Rental revenue is not yet rebounding to historical growth levels. Across the industry, we are seeing inflation in key operating expenses exceeding revenue growth, and this leads to modest gains in cash NOI growth Y/Y. We expect these market conditions to continue as pricing power for ESS and its peers seems to have eased. In particular, ESS has a West Coast portfolio profile that is exposed to significant job layoffs in the technology sector. In our opinion, we have not yet seen the tail risk of major announcements just released in recent weeks. ESS has the challenge of complying with strict housing guidelines in California, leading to the trust historically underperforming peers in other parts of the country.

$ESS
Research

Research Alert: CFRA Keeps Buy Rating On Shares Of Biogen Inc.

CFRA, an independent research provider, has providedwith the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:We keep our target at $236, 13.8x our new 2027 EPS view, a discount to BIIB's five-year historical forward P/E average of 14.1x. We lower our 2026 EPS view to $15.24 from $16.14 to adjust for the impact from acquired IPR&D. We keep our 2027 EPS view at $17.16. BIIB reported a strong start to 2026, with sales of $2.5B and adjusted EPS of $3.57. We see a successful stabilization of the business after years of decline, due to a 12% Y/Y increase in the growth products portfolio. In our view, during the analyst call, management presented a clear strategic vision centered on the pending $5.6B acquisition of Apellis, expected to close in Q2, which can transform BIIB into a growth company by adding two commercial assets, Syfovre and Empaveli. We think the Apellis deal could bridge a revenue gap until 2028, when the company's late-stage pipeline matures. Via this acquisition, BIIB also gains nephrology expertise and an established infrastructure, which could set its key asset Felzartamab launch for success.

$BIIB
Australia

Starbucks to Sustain Sales Momentum; to Focus on Margins in H2, UBS Says

Starbucks (SBUX) is expected to maintain solid sales momentum on its turnaround strategy, though investor focus is shifting toward margin recovery in H2, UBS said in a note on Wednesday.The brokerage said strong transaction-driven comparable sales growth in Q2 reflected improvements in operations, menu innovation and updated loyalty program.Looking ahead, UBS said continued execution on initiatives such as afternoon beverage platforms, loyalty enhancements, store closures and operational improvements should support sales into H2.UBS also expects margin expansion later in the year, supported by sales leverage, cost savings and easing pressures from tariffs and coffee costs.UBS raised the price target on the stock to $105 from $100 but maintained a neutral rating.Price: $106.10, Change: $+8.82, Percent Change: +9.06%

$SBUX