During the midday trading session on Friday, broad-market exchange-traded funds (ETFs) such as IWM and IVV saw increases, with the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) gaining 0.9%. The US benchmark stock indexes experienced a rise as the trading day approached an early close at 1 pm ET. In the energy sector, both the iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) and Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) gained 0.4%.
Meanwhile, in technology, the Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) increased by 1%. Furthermore, the iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) and iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) also reported gains. SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) rose significantly by 1.8%, and iShares Semiconductor (SOXX) saw a rise of 1.4%. In the financial sector, the Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF) was up 0.5%.
Offers from Direxion included Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) which added 1.4%, while its bearish counterpart, Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ), declined by 1.1%. On the commodities front, crude oil saw a slight drop of 0.2%, and the United States Oil Fund (USO) declined by 0.1%. However, natural gas spiked by 4.9%, with the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) jumping by 5.5%.
In precious metals, gold added 0.7% on Comex, while SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) increased by 0.8%. Silver climbed 1.7%, and iShares Silver Trust (SLV) advanced by 1.6%. In the consumer sector, the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) rose by 0.5%, along with Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) and iShares Dow Jones US Consumer Goods (IYK).
The Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) increased by 0.8%, supported by gains from retail fund VanEck Vectors Retail ETF (RTH) and SPDR S&P Retail (XRT). Lastly, in health care, the Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV) rose by 0.5%, with iShares US Healthcare (IYH) and Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) also climbing, while IShares NASDAQ Biotechnology ETF (IBB) added 0.2%.
In industrials, Select Sector SPDR-Industrial (XLI) climbed 0.7%, with Vanguard Industrials (VIS) and iShares US Industrials (IYJ) also making advancements..