09:05 AM EDT, 03/16/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Financial stocks were advancing premarket Monday, with the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) up 0.8%.

The Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was 2.6% higher and its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was down 2.5%.

Citigroup ( C/PN ) (C) will keep most of its branches and offices in the United Arab Emirates closed until further notice amid the ongoing US-Israel war with Iran that has impacted countries in the Middle East, Reuters reported, citing a company message sent to customers Saturday. Shares of Citigroup ( C/PN ) were up more than 1% premarket.