08:31 AM EDT, 10/20/2025 (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 Monday's premarket activity, as traders looked past trade-and-credit worries and pivoted to the earnings season.

US stock futures were also higher, with S&P 500 Index futures up 0.3%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures advancing 0.2%, and Nasdaq futures gaining 0.3% before the start of regular trading.

In premarket action, bitcoin was up by 1.8%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 4% higher, Ether ETF (EETH) rose 5.5%, and Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) was flat.

Power Play:

Health Care

The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLV ) advanced 0.2%. The Vanguard Health Care Index Fund ( VHT ) was down 0.03%, while the iShares US Healthcare ETF ( IYH ) gained 0.02%. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was up 0.5%.

Exelixis ( EXEL ) stock was down more than 10% premarket after the company reported mixed results from its phase 3 trial of zanzalintinib in combination with atezolizumab versus regorafenib in patients with previously treated non-microsatellite instability-high metastatic colorectal cancer.

Winners and Losers:

Consumer

The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLP ) was down 0.04%, while the Vanguard Consumer Staples Fund (VDC) was flat. The iShares US Consumer Staples ETF ( IYK ) gained 0.2%, and the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLY ) advanced 0.04%. The VanEck Retail ETF ( RTH ) was inactive, while the SPDR S&P Retail ETF ( XRT ) was 1.2% higher.

WW International ( WW ) shares were up more than 6% pre-bell after the company said that it is collaborating with Amazon (AMZN) Pharmacy to give WeightWatchers Clinic members "real-time" access to medication, along with home delivery for weight management medicines.

Energy

The iShares US Energy ETF ( IYE ) gained 0.2%, while the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLE ) was up by 0.2%.

Liberty Energy (LBRT) shares were up 3% before Monday's opening bell after RBC raised its price target to $15 from $13 while reiterating a sector perform rating on the stock.

Financial

Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) advanced 0.4%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares ( FAS ) was up 0.8%, while its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares ( FAZ ) was 0.7% lower.

HBT Financial ( HBT ) shares were up more than 4% pre-bell Monday after the company and CNB Bank Shares said they agreed to a $170.2 million cash-and-stock merger.

Industrial

Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLI ) advanced 0.4% while the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund ( VIS ) and the iShares US Industrials ETF ( IYJ ) were inactive.

L3Harris Technologies ( LHX ) stock was up more than 1% before the opening bell after the company said Sunday it got a contract to deliver modified Bombardier Global 6500 airborne early warning and control aircraft to South Korea's Air Force.

Technology

Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) gained marginally by 0.03%, and the iShares US Technology ETF ( IYW ) was 0.02% higher, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF ( IGM ) was up 0.4%. Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF ( XSD ) advanced 0.9%, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) rose by 0.7%.

Apple's ( AAPL ) shares were up more than 1% in recent premarket activity after Counterpoint Research said that the iPhone 17 series has outsold the iPhone 16 series by 14% during the first 10 days of availability in the US and China.

Commodities

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil retreated 0.7% to $57.12 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas up 6.6% to $3.21 per 1 million British Thermal Units. The United States Oil Fund ( USO ) was 0.7% lower, while the United States Natural Gas Fund ( UNG ) was 4.7% higher.

Gold futures for December advanced 1.7% to reach $4,286.70 an ounce on Comex, while silver futures rose by 1.4% to $50.80 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares ( GLD ) gained by 1.4%, and the iShares Silver Trust ( SLV ) was 1% higher.