08:25 AM EDT, 04/05/2024 (MT Newswires) -- The broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was up 0.3% and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was 0.40% higher in Friday's premarket activity, as traders awaited jobs data for clues on the Federal Reserve's next rate move.

US stock futures were also higher, with S&P 500 Index futures up 0.3%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures advancing 0.4%, and Nasdaq futures gaining 0.5% before the start of regular trading.

The March employment situation bulletin will be released at 8:30 am ET. Boston Federal Reserve President Susan Collins speaks at 8:30 am ET, Richmond Fed President Thomas Barkin speaks at 9:15 am ET, Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan at 11 am ET, and Fed Governor Michelle Bowman at 12:15 pm ET.

The Baker Hughes domestic oil-and-gas rig count will be released at 1 pm ET.

In premarket action, bitcoin was down by 2.9% and the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 2.6% lower.

Power Play:

Technology

Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) was flat, and the iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) was flat, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was flat. Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) was inactive, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) was flat.

HUB Cyber Security ( HUBC ) shares were up more than 37% following the revelation of a $8 million financing acquisition, adding to gains from Thursday's announcement of the acquisition of Qpoint Technologies.

Winners and Losers:

Health Care

The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) was flat as the Vanguard Health Care Index Fund (VHT), while the iShares US Healthcare ETF (IYH) was flat. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was 0.2% higher.

Candel Therapeutics ( CADL ) shares rose more than 16% in premarket activity on Friday, extending gains a day after reporting "positive" interim data from a randomized phase 2 clinical study of non-metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Industrial

Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLI) was flat and the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) was was flat, while the iShares US Industrials ETF (IYJ) was inactive.

Grindrod Shipping ( GRIN ) shares were up more than 26% before the opening bell after the company said it plans to implement a selective capital reduction.

Financial

Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) was up by 0.3%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was 0.5% higher, while its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was 0.7% lower.

HIVE Digital Technologies ( HIVE ) was down 0.6% pre-bell Friday even after the company reported it mined 224 bitcoins in March, up from 200 in February.

Consumer

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

Cannae Holdings ( CNNE ) traded down 1.6% pre-bell after the company said Thursday it accepted to buy about 9.7 million shares in its modified Dutch auction tender offer for nearly $222 million.

Energy

The iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) was inactive, while the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) was up by 0.4%.

Borr Drilling ( BORR ) shares were down 1.5% before Friday's opening bell after the company reported that it received notice of the temporary suspension of operations for its rig "Arabia I" in Saudi Arabia, effective for up to 12 months starting in Q2.

Commodities

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil was marginally higher by 0.03% at $86.62 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas advanced 1.3% to $1.80 per 1 million British Thermal Units. United States Oil Fund (USO) fell 0.1%, while the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was flat.

Gold futures for June advanced 0.1% to $2,311.60 an ounce on the Comex, and silver futures were down 1.4% to $26.86 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) gained 0.3%, and iShares Silver Trust (SLV) retreated by 0.5%.