08:42 AM EST, 12/13/2024 (MT Newswires) -- The broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust ( SPY ) was up 0.5% and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) advanced 0.9% in Friday's premarket activity as investors eyed a third interest rate cut by the US Federal Reserve before the year ends.

US stock futures were also higher, with S&P 500 Index futures up 0.4%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures advancing 0.1%, and Nasdaq futures gaining 0.8% before the start of regular trading.

The US import prices unexpectedly rose in November as export prices held steady, according to the bulletin released at 8:30 am ET. The weekly Baker Hughes oil-and-gas rig count is due at 1 pm ET.

In premarket activity, bitcoin was up by 0.4% and the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 0.6% higher.

Power Play:

Health Care

The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLV ) advanced 0.1%. The Vanguard Health Care Index Fund ( VHT ) slipped 0.3%, while the iShares US Healthcare ETF ( IYH ) was inactive. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was flat.

Repare Therapeutics ( RPTX ) shares were down 37% in recent Friday premarket activity, a day after the company reported results from a phase 1 trial of cancer drugs lunresertib and camonsertib, which achieved a 25.9% overall response rate in endometrial cancer and 37.5% in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer in the study.

Winners and Losers:

Industrial

Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLI ) advanced 0.5%. The Vanguard Industrials Index Fund ( VIS ) gained 0.6% and the iShares US Industrials ETF ( IYJ ) was inactive.

Loop Industries ( LOOP ) stock was 30% higher before Friday's bell after the company said overnight it secured 10 million euros ($10.5 million) through a convertible preferred security financing with Reed Societe Generale Group, an investment firm majority-owned by Societe Generale.

Technology

Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) advanced 1.1%, and the iShares US Technology ETF ( IYW ) was 0.7% 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) gained 2.1%.

Broadcom ( AVGO ) shares were up 17% before the bell Friday after the company reported overnight higher fiscal Q4 non-GAAP net income and revenue.

Consumer

The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLP ) was flat, while the Vanguard Consumer Staples Fund (VDC) and the iShares US Consumer Staples ETF ( IYK ) were inactive. The Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLY ) gained 0.2%, while the VanEck Retail ETF ( RTH ) was inactive and the SPDR S&P Retail ETF ( XRT ) was flat.

RH (RH) stock was 13% higher before Friday's opening bell, a day after the company swung to fiscal Q3 adjusted earnings and posted higher revenue for the quarter.

Financial

Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) was 0.4% higher. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares ( FAS ) was up 1%, while its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares ( FAZ ) was 0.7% lower.

Washington Trust Bancorp ( WASH ) shares were down 2.2% before Friday's opening bell after the company said late Thursday it priced an upsized underwritten public offering of about 1.9 million shares at $34 apiece.

Energy

The iShares US Energy ETF ( IYE ) was inactive, while the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLE ) was up by 0.5%.

CVR Energy ( CVI ) stock was 0.3% lower before the bell Friday after the company said late Thursday its subsidiaries priced a proposed $325 million senior secured term loan B due 2027.

Commodities

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil advanced 0.8% to $70.55 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas retreated 1.1% to $3.42 per 1 million British Thermal Units. United States Oil Fund ( USO ) gained 0.5%, while the United States Natural Gas Fund ( UNG ) was 1.9% lower.

Gold futures for February declined by 0.7% to $2,691 an ounce on the Comex, while silver futures decreased by 1% to $31.32 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares ( GLD ) retreated by 0.2%, while the iShares Silver Trust ( SLV ) was 0.5% lower.