In today's premarket trading, the broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust ($SPY) rose 0.3%, while the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust ($QQQ) increased by 0.5%, displaying resilience as markets anticipate the release of critical inflation data in the coming days. US stock futures exhibited mixed outcomes: S&P 500 Index futures saw a rise of 0.3%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures experienced a slight decline of 0.2%, and Nasdaq futures posted a gain of 0.3% before the regular trading session kicked off. However, sentiment among US small businesses grew cautious, with the NFIB index falling to 100.7 from 102.8 in February, marking an increase in uncertainty and reaching its second-highest recorded level. Investors are keenly awaiting the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS, due for release at 10 am ET. In the cryptocurrency sphere, bitcoin surged by 3.7%, and the ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF ($BITO) saw an uptick of 6%, indicating a positive sentiment within the crypto market during the premarket hours. Examining sector performances, the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund ($XLV) saw a minor advance of 0.1%.
Conversely, the Vanguard Health Care Index Fund ($VHT) remained unchanged, and the iShares US Healthcare ETF ($IYH) also showed no movement. The iShares Biotechnology ETF ($IBB) did not register any trades, indicating a relatively dormant session for biotechnology stocks. A notable standout in the market was 2seventy Bio ($TSVT), whose stock surged over 72% in premarket trading following an announcement that Bristol Myers Squibb ($BMY) will acquire the company for $5 per share in an all-cash deal, valuing the total agreement at approximately $286 million. In the consumer sector, the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund ($XLP) recorded a modest gain of 0.2%; however, the Vanguard Consumer Staples Fund ($VDC) saw a slight retreat of 0.01%.
The iShares US Consumer Staples ETF ($IYK) moved up by 0.5%, and the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund ($XLY) increased by 0.3%. The VanEck Retail ETF ($RTH) showed no activity, while the SPDR S&P Retail ETF ($XRT) remained flat. A downturn was noted for Kohl's ($KSS), whose shares plummeted more than 15% before the bell, following the disclosure of lower fiscal Q4 adjusted earnings and revenues, raising concerns about the retail giant's financial health. Turning to the energy sector, the iShares US Energy ETF ($IYE) climbed 1.4%, while the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund ($XLE) advanced by 0.9%.
Conversely, HighPeak Energy ($HPK) stock saw a decline of nearly 6% before markets opened, after the company reported a decrease in both Q4 net income and revenue, reflecting challenges within the energy sector. In technology, the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) saw an increase of 0.3%. The iShares US Technology ETF ($IYW) moved slightly higher at 0.1%, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF ($IGM.US) also registered a 0.1% increase.
Among semiconductor ETFs, the SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF ($XSD) rose by 1.7%, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF ($SOXX) showed a gain of 1%. ASML Holding ($ASML) reported a 2.6% increase in shares following the announcement of a five-year partnership with imec to foster advancements in semiconductor research. In the financial sector, the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) advanced by 0.7%.
Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares ($FAS.US) gained 1.9%, while its bearish counterpart, Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares ($FAZ), fell by 1.4%. Interactive Brokers Group ($IBKR) saw an increase of nearly 2% pre-bell, responding positively to news that the platform now grants access to the Ljubljana Stock Exchange. Industrial performance was mixed, with the Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund ($XLI) being inactive, while the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund ($VIS) climbed by 1.6%.
Shares of Korn Ferry ($KFY) exceeded expectations, rising by 1.3% in premarket trading after announcing higher fiscal Q3 adjusted earnings that outperformed FactSet analyst estimates. In commodity markets, front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil advanced by 1.3%, reaching $66.90 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Natural gas also saw a modest increase of 1.1%, arriving at $4.54 per 1 million British Thermal Units. The United States Oil Fund (USO) incremented by 1.4%, while the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) rose by 0.8%. Gold futures for April gained 0.7%, settling at $2,918.30 an ounce on the Comex, and silver futures advanced by 1.4% to $32.98 an ounce.
The SPDR Gold Shares ($GLD) moved upward by nearly 1%, and the iShares Silver Trust ($SLV) saw a rise of 1.8%..