08:10 AM EST, 03/08/2024 (MT Newswires) -- The broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was down 0.1% and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was down 0.2% in Friday's premarket activity, ahead of the key February employment situation bulletin from Washington.

US stock futures were lower, with S&P 500 Index futures down 0.02%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures retreating 0.4% and Nasdaq futures slipping 0.2%, before the start of regular trading.

The February employment situation report will be released at 8:30 am ET, followed by the Baker Hughes domestic oil-and-gas rig count at 1 pm ET.

In premarket action, bitcoin was down by 0.2% and the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 0.03% higher.

Power Play:

Health Care

The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) retreated 0.1%. The Vanguard Health Care Index Fund (VHT) gained 0.1% while the iShares US Healthcare ETF (IYH) was inactive. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was up 0.1%.

Amylyx Pharmaceuticals ( AMLX ) was down 78% premarket after the company said that its phase 3 trial of AMX0035 in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients did not meet its primary or secondary endpoints.

Winners and Losers:

Technology

Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) advanced 0.1%, and the iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) was flat, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was down 0.1%. Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) was 1% lower, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) rose by 0.3%.

Samsara (IOT) was up more than 15% in recent Friday premarket activity after the company reported late Thursday that it swung to a fiscal Q4 adjusted profit of $0.04 per diluted share from a $0.02 loss per share a year earlier.

Industrial

Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLI) advanced marginally by 0.02% and the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) fell 1.4%, while the iShares US Industrials ETF (IYJ) was inactive.

Willdan Group ( WLDN ) gained more than 15% before the opening bell after the company reported late Thursday that its Q4 financial results were higher than the previous year and said it won a new three-year contract with a New England utility to support multiple energy efficiency programs.

Consumer

The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP) was down by 0.6%, while the Vanguard Consumer Staples Fund (VDC) was up 0.2%. The iShares US Consumer Staples ETF (IYK) was inactive, and the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) slipped 0.3%. The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) was flat, while the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) was also flat.

Gap (GPS) traded up 8% pre-bell after the company reported fiscal Q4 earnings late Thursday of $0.49 per diluted share, compared with a loss of $0.75 a year earlier.

Energy

The iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) was inactive, while the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) slipped 0.1%.

Algonquin Power & Utilities ( AQNB ) was down 2% before Friday's opening bell after the company said it is not providing adjusted net EPS guidance for 2024 "due to the uncertainty regarding the planned sale of its renewable energy business."

Financial

Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) lost by 0.2%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was down 0.8%, while its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was 0.5% higher.

Commodities

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil lost 0.7% to $78.38 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas fell 3% to $1.76 per 1 million British Thermal Units. United States Oil Fund (USO) slipped 0.7%, while the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was 1.5% lower.

Gold futures for April advanced 0.5% to $2,175.30 an ounce on the Comex, and silver futures gained 0.6% to $24.73 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) traded up 0.4%, and iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was 0.7% higher.