08:10 AM EDT, 04/05/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Consumer stocks were advancing pre-bell Friday, with the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP) up 0.3% and the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) 0.5% higher.

Highwoods Properties ( HIW ) stock was down 2.3% after the company said overnight it sold non-core properties in Raleigh for gross proceeds of $79.4 million.