08:27 AM EST, 02/19/2025 (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) advanced 0.04% in Wednesday's premarket activity as markets traded mixed ahead of the posting of the Federal Reserve's meeting minutes.

US stock futures were also mixed, with S&P 500 Index futures down 0.1%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slipping 0.2%, and Nasdaq futures gaining 0.02% before the start of regular trading.

US mortgage applications fell 6.6% in the week ended Feb. 14 as both refinancing and purchase applications declined amid lower rates, Mortgage Bankers Association data showed Wednesday.

The housing starts and permits report for January will be released at 8:30 am ET, followed by the Atlanta Fed Business Inflation Expectations report for February at 10 am ET, along with the Q4 e-commerce retail sales report.

The Fed is scheduled to post the minutes of its January policy session at 2 pm ET.

Fed Vice Chair Philip Jefferson is slated to speak at 5 pm ET.

In premarket activity, bitcoin was up by 2.4% and the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 2.5% higher.

Power Play:

Health Care

The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLV ) retreated 0.1%. The Vanguard Health Care Index Fund ( VHT ) was up 0.7% while the iShares US Healthcare ETF ( IYH ) slipped 0.8%. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was inactive.

Royal Philips (PHG) stock was down more than 11% premarket after the company reported weaker-than-expected Q4 adjusted income and lower sales from a year earlier.

Winners and Losers:

Consumer

The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLP ) was down 0.1%, while the Vanguard Consumer Staples Fund (VDC) was inactive. The iShares US Consumer Staples ETF ( IYK ) was inactive, and the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLY ) lost 0.1%. The VanEck Retail ETF ( RTH ) and the SPDR S&P Retail ETF ( XRT ) were inactive.

OneSpaWorld ( OSW ) shares were down 5% pre-bell after the company posted lower-than-expected Q4 adjusted net income.

Industrial

Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLI ) was down 0.1% while the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund ( VIS ) and the iShares US Industrials ETF ( IYJ ) were inactive.

Enpro ( NPO ) stock was up 2.5% before the opening bell after the company reported higher Q4 adjusted earnings and sales that also beat FactSet analyst estimates.

Financial

Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) retreated 0.1%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares ( FAS ) was down 0.4%, while its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares ( FAZ ) was 0.4% higher.

Sixth Street Specialty Lending ( TSLX ) shares were up 1.7% pre-bell Wednesday after the company said late Tuesday it priced an underwritten public offering of $300 million in 5.625% notes due 2030.

Technology

Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) was flat, and the iShares US Technology ETF ( IYW ) declined 0.4%, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF ( IGM ) was flat. Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF ( XSD ) was down 0.5%, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) rose by 0.3%.

Wix.com ( WIX ) shares were up 1.7% in recent Wednesday premarket activity after the company posted higher Q4 non-GAAP net income and revenue.

Energy

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

BP (BP) stock was down nearly 1% before Wednesday's opening bell after Bloomberg News reported that the company is mulling a potential sale of its Castrol lubricants business.

Commodities

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil advanced 0.9% to $72.47 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas gained 3.4% to reach $4.14 per 1 million British Thermal Units. United States Oil Fund ( USO ) was up 1% while the United States Natural Gas Fund ( UNG ) was 4.5% higher.

Gold futures for April gained 0.1% to reach $2,952.70 an ounce on the Comex, while silver futures advanced 0.3% to $33.46 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares ( GLD ) were up 0.1%, and the iShares Silver Trust ( SLV ) was 0.1% higher.