FINWIRES · TerminalLIVE
FINWIRES

Exchange-Traded Funds, US Equities Mixed After Midday

By

Broad Market Indicators

Broad-market exchange-traded funds IWM and IVV were mixed after midday Wednesday, with the latter up 0.1%. Actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) lost 0.4%.

US equity indexes traded mixed amid a sharp sell-off in communication services and reports that Iran and Oman have agreed on a proposed shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz.

Energy

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

Technology

The State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) gained 0.1%; iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) and iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) dropped 0.3% each.

The State Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) was down 2.3%, and iShares Semiconductor (SOXX) fell 1.1%.

Financial

The State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF) rose 0.2%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) advanced 0.6%, and its bearish counterpart, Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ), declined 0.7%.

Commodities

Crude oil declined 1.3%, and the United States Oil Fund (USO) fell 1.2%. Natural gas gained 0.3%, and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) increased 0.3%.

Gold on Comex added 3.6%, and the State Street SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) rose 4%. Silver gained 3.5%, and iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was up 4.3%.

Consumer

The State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) declined 0.1%. The Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) slipped 0.3%, and iShares Dow Jones US Consumer Goods (IYK) shed 0.2%.

The State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) rose 0.2%. VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) dipped 0.2%, and the State Street SPDR S&P Retail (XRT) declined 0.6%.

Healthcare

The State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV) and iShares US Healthcare (IYH) gained 1% each, while Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) added 0.8%. IShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was up 0.8%.

Industrial

The State Street Industrial Select Sector SPDR (XLI) rose 0.2%. Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) was up 0.1% and iShares US Industrials (IYJ) was 0.2% higher.

Cryptocurrency

In midday activity, bitcoin (BTC-USD) added 0.8%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, ProShares Bitcoin ETF (BITO) rose 0.6%, ProShares Ether ETF (EETH) was up 0.7%, and ProShares Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) was fractionally higher.

Related Articles

Asia Markets

Update: S&P 500, Dow Scale New Peaks Amid Strong Earnings Flow, Strait of Hormuz Reopening Optimism

(Updates with index/price moves and macroeconomic data from the first paragraph.)US equity indexes jumped as strong earnings helped the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average break records, while sliding crude oil and government bond yields reflected optimism that the Strait of Hormuz could soon reopen.The Nasdaq Composite jumped 2.6% to 26,584.99, the S&P 500 advanced 1.8% to 7,736.52, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 1.7% to 54,085.88 at the close Tuesday. Both the S&P 500 and the Dow hit their respective all-time highs of 7,758.21 and 54,272.60 earlier in the session, according to data compiled by CNBC.Technology was the standout gainer, followed by materials and industrials. Energy led decliners.Palantir Technologies (PLTR) surged more than 29%, the top gainer on the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq, after Q2 sales and adjusted earnings surpassed analysts' estimates and the company, one of the most prominent names in the artificial intelligence industry, boosted its full-year 2026 revenue outlook.VanEck Semiconductor Exchange-Traded Fund (SMH), with net assets of $77.2 billion, jumped 5.6%.Caterpillar (CAT) raised its full-year revenue outlook on Tuesday after single-quarter sales topped $20 billion for the first time. Shares jumped 5.6%, the Dow's leader.Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran and Oman are continuing talks aimed at ensuring the safe flow of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, with discussions focused on designating safe inbound and outbound lanes, Al Jazeera, a Middle Eastern broadcaster, reported. Iran's goal in its talks with Oman "is to set temporary arrangements" - lasting up to three months - where Tehran can control a route through the strait, an official told CNN.Iran is considering allowing European nations to remove mines from the strait, a potential climbdown that could form part of a deal to normalize shipping in the waterway and ease peace negotiations with the US, Bloomberg reported. US Treasury Secretary Bessent said a deal to open the Strait could come as early as "today or tomorrow," allowing "freedom of movement" for commercial vessels, the news report said.Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil sank 6% to $75.52 a barrel, and global benchmark North Sea Brent slumped 5.6% to $79.07 a barrel.US Treasury yields dropped, with the 10-year down 6.9 basis points to 4.62%. The two-year yield slid 6.2 basis points to 4.19%.Gold futures rose 1.1% to $4,134.1, and silver futures climbed 3.2% to $59.73.US job openings fell to 7.359 million in June, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, below the 7.454 million openings expected in a Bloomberg-compiled poll and down from the 7.537 million openings reported in May. The June print represents 4.4% of total employment, lower than 4.5% in May but up from 4.3% a year ago.New orders for US factory goods slipped 0.3% in June, versus a 0.2% gain expected in a Bloomberg-compiled survey and a revised 1.1% drop in May. Excluding a 0.1% decline in transportation orders, new orders would have been down 0.4% after a 2% gain in May, compared with expectations for a 0.4% increase.Redbook US same-store sales jumped 8.7% from a year ago in the week ended Aug. 1, following an 8.3% advance in the previous week.

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$CAT$PLTR$SMH
Asia Markets

Update: Technology Helps Push US Equity Indexes Higher Amid Earnings, Iran Deal Optimism

(Updates with index/price moves, macroeconomic data, and company news from the first paragraph.)US equity indexes rose as earnings helped boost technology, and a slide in crude oil and government bond yields added to confidence that Iran is nearing a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint for about a fifth of global crude oil and natural gas flows.The Nasdaq Composite jumped 2.4% to 26,539.5, with the S&P 500 up 1.8% to 7,735.1 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average higher by 1.9% to 54,185.2. The S&P 500 and the Dow touched their respective 52-week highs intraday.Technology was the standout gainer, followed by materials and industrials. Utilities led decliners.Palantir Technologies (PLTR) surged 30%, the top gainer on the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq, after Q2 sales and adjusted earnings surpassed analysts' estimates and the company, one of the most prominent names in the artificial intelligence industry, boosted its full-year 2026 revenue outlook.VanEck Semiconductor Exchange-Traded Fund (SMH), with net assets of $77.2 billion, jumped 5.4%.Caterpillar (CAT) raised its full-year revenue outlook on Tuesday after single-quarter sales topped $20 billion for the first time. Shares jumped 6.6%, the Dow's leader.The prospect of a US-Iran deal appeared to be gaining traction on Tuesday, after Qatar said a proposal had been drafted and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sounded hopeful on an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Bloomberg reported.US Treasury Secretary Bessent said a deal to open the Strait could come as early as "today or tomorrow," allowing "freedom of movement" for commercial vessels, Al Jazeera, a Middle Eastern broadcaster, reported.The front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell 5.1% to $76.26 a barrel, and global benchmark North Sea Brent slid 4.8% to $79.73 a barrel.US Treasury yields dropped, with the 10-year down 5.7 basis points to 4.63%. The two-year yield slid six basis points to 4.2%.Gold futures jumped 1.4% to $4,146.5, and silver futures advanced 3.8% to $60.04.US job openings fell to 7.359 million in June according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, below the 7.454 million openings expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg and down from the 7.537 million openings reported in May. The June level represents 4.4% of total employment, down from 4.5% in May but up from 4.3% a year earlier.New orders for US factory goods fell by 0.3% in June, versus expectations for a 0.2% increase in a Bloomberg-compiled survey and a revised 1.1% decrease in May. Excluding a 0.1% drop in transportation orders, new orders would have been down 0.4% after a 2% gain in May, compared with expectations for a 0.4% gain.US home prices advanced further in Q2, with 80% of metro areas reporting price increases for single-family homes over the quarter, the National Association of Realtors reported Tuesday, up from 71% in the previous quarter.

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$CAT$PLTR$SMH
Asia Markets

Exchange-Traded Funds Rise as US Equities Advance After Midday

Broad Market IndicatorsBroad-market exchange-traded funds IWM and IVV were higher. Actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) added 3%.US equity indexes rose as earnings helped boost technology while a slide in crude oil and government bond yields reflected confidence that Iran is nearing a deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz.EnergyIShares US Energy ETF (IYE) and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) each lost 0.2%.TechnologyThe State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) gained 4.9%; iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) rose 3.9%, and iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) added 4.1%.The State Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) was up 6.2%, and iShares Semiconductor (SOXX) jumped 6.8%.FinancialThe State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF) rose 1%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) advanced 3%, and its bearish counterpart, Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ), declined 2.9%.CommoditiesCrude oil declined 5.2%, and the United States Oil Fund (USO) fell 4.9%. Natural gas shed 3.7%, and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) eased 3.5%.Gold on Comex added 1.4%, and the State Street SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) rose 1.2%. Silver gained 3.8%, and iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was up 3.3%.ConsumerThe State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) rose fractionally. The Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) slipped less than 0.1%, and iShares Dow Jones US Consumer Goods (IYK) rose 0.1%.The State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) rose fractionally. VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) dipped 0.2%, and the State Street SPDR S&P Retail (XRT) gained 1.2%.HealthcareThe State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV) declined 0.1%, iShares US Healthcare (IYH) fell fractionally, and Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) added 0.1%. IShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was up 1.6%.IndustrialThe State Street Industrial Select Sector SPDR (XLI) rose 1.6%. Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) and iShares US Industrials (IYJ) were also higher.CryptocurrencyIn midday activity, bitcoin (BTC-USD) added 0.1%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, ProShares Bitcoin ETF (BITO) rose 0.4%, ProShares Ether ETF (EETH) was down 0.2%, and ProShares Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) was 1.4% higher.

Dow Jones^EEM^EXI^FAS^FAZ^GLD^IBB^IGM^IGV^IPK^IVV^IWMNasdaq Composite^IYE^IYH^IYJ^IYK^IYW^PMR^QQQ^RTH^SOXXS&P 500^SPY^UNG^USO^VDC^VHT^VIS^XLE^XLF^XLI^XLK^XLP^XLV^XRT^XSD$BETH$BITO$EETH