08:20 AM EDT, 04/19/2024 (MT Newswires) -- The broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was down 0.03% and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was 0.1% lower in Friday's premarket activity, as traders exercised caution amid growing pessimism following Federal Reserve officials' remarks.

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

Chicago Federal Reserve President Austan Goolsbee speaks at 10:30 am ET. The weekly Baker Hughes oil-and-gas rig count will be released at 1 pm ET.

In premarket action, bitcoin was up by 2% and the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 2.4% higher.

Power Play:

Industrial

Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLI) retreated 0.6% and the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) was 0.1% down while the iShares US Industrials ETF (IYJ) was inactive.

Ault Alliance ( AULT/PD ) shares gained more than 23% before the opening bell after the company said its affiliate, Ault & Co., had invested $44 million under the Securities Purchase Agreement signed between both entities on Nov. 6.

Winners and Losers:

Consumer

The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP) was up 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 0.5%. The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) was inactive, while the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) was flat.

Bruush Oral Care ( BRSH ) shares traded down 6.6% pre-bell after the company said it received a notice from Nasdaq, saying that its non-compliance with the bourse's audit committee requirements will be considered as an additional basis for delisting during an April 25 hearing apart from other current deficiencies.

Financial

Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) advanced 0.1%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was up 0.2%, while its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was fractionally down.

Cohen & Steers ( CNS ) shares were up 7.4% pre-bell Friday after S&P Dow Jones Indices said late Thursday the company is set to join the S&P SmallCap 600 index on April 23.

Health Care

The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) retreated marginally by 0.02%. The Vanguard Health Care Index Fund (VHT) was flat while the iShares US Healthcare ETF (IYH) was inactive. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was 0.4% lower.

Intuitive Surgical ( ISRG ) shares were up 3% premarket after the company reported Q1 non-GAAP earnings late Thursday of $1.50 per diluted share, up from $1.23 a year earlier.

Technology

Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) retreated 0.1%, and the iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) was 0.5% lower, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was down 0.8%. Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) was inactive, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) fell by 0.5%.

Jabil ( JBL ) shares were down 3.5% in recent Friday premarket activity after the company placed Chief Executive Kenneth S. Wilson on paid leave, pending an inquiry into corporate policies.

Energy

The iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) was inactive, while the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) was down by 0.3%.

Atlas Energy Solutions ( AESI ) shares were up 4.9% before Friday's opening bell after the company said Thursday it expects to continue meeting customer demand as usual despite an April 14 fire that has forced a temporary shuttering of its proppant sand mine in Kermit, Texas.

Commodities

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil was down by 0.7% at $82.14 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas fell 0.7% to $1.74 per 1 million British Thermal Units. United States Oil Fund (USO) lost 0.7%, while the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was 0.1% lower.

Gold futures for June retreated 0.4% to $2,389.20 an ounce on the Comex, and silver futures were down by 0.5% to $28.52 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) lost 0.2%, and iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was 0.2% lower.