08:16 AM EST, 01/17/2025 (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) advanced 0.4% in Friday's premarket activity, as big banks reported better-than-expected earnings for the prior quarter and year.

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

The December housing starts and permits bulletin will be released at 8:30 am ET, followed by the December industrial production report at 9:15 am ET.

The weekly Baker Hughes domestic oil-and-gas rig count follows at 1 pm.

In premarket activity, bitcoin was up by 1.9% and the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 2.1% higher.

Power Play:

Technology

Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) advanced 0.6%, and the iShares US Technology ETF ( IYW ) was nearly 1% higher, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF ( IGM ) was inactive. Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF ( XSD ) was inactive, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) rose by 0.9%.

Qorvo ( QRVO ) shares were up 7% in recent Friday premarket activity after the Wall Street Journal reported late Thursday that activist investor Starboard Value bought a 7.7% stake in the chip maker valued at around $500 million.

Industrial

Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLI ) advanced 0.3% while the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund ( VIS ) and the iShares US Industrials ETF ( IYJ ) were inactive.

Fastenal ( FAST ) stock was down nearly 6% before the opening bell after the company reported lower-than-expected Q4 net income and sales.

Winners and Losers:

Consumer

The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLP ) was up 0.3%, while the Vanguard Consumer Staples Fund (VDC) advanced 0.1%. The iShares US Consumer Staples ETF ( IYK ) , the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLY ) , the VanEck Retail ETF ( RTH ) and the SPDR S&P Retail ETF ( XRT ) were inactive.

Vision Marine Technologies' ( VMAR ) shares were down more than 4% pre-bell after the company said it closed a private placement to raise about $5.8 million in gross proceeds.

Financial

Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) advanced 0.4%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares ( FAS ) was up 1%, while its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares ( FAZ ) was 0.9% lower.

Truist Financial ( TFC ) shares were up nearly 3% pre-bell Friday after the company reported higher Q4 adjusted earnings and revenue.

Health Care

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

Novo Nordisk's ( NVO ) shares were down 1.8% in recent Friday premarket activity. Reuters reported that the company's largest shareholder, Novo Holdings, is looking to double the size of Catalent over five years. Novo also reported results from a phase 3b trial of subcutaneous semaglutide 7.2 mg versus 2.4 mg saying the study achieved its primary endpoint.

Energy

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

Cameco ( CCJ ) stock was up 1.4% before Friday's opening bell, reversing the loss of 0.3% at the prior close. The company said Friday it supported Westinghouse Electric's resolution of an intellectual property dispute with Korea Electric Power and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power.

Commodities

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil advanced 0.3% to $78.88 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas fell 3.9% to $4.09 per 1 million British Thermal Units. United States Oil Fund ( USO ) was up 0.3%, while the United States Natural Gas Fund ( UNG ) was 5.2% lower.

Gold futures for February retreated 0.4% to $2,739.40 an ounce on the Comex, and silver futures fell nearly 1% at $31.42 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares ( GLD ) declined by 0.3%, while the iShares Silver Trust ( SLV ) slipped by 0.6%.