01:35 PM EDT, 08/22/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Financial stocks were advancing in Thursday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index up 0.1% and the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) ahead 0.3%.

The Philadelphia Housing Index was shedding 0.3%, while the Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLRE) was up 0.3%.

Bitcoin (BTC-USD) was up 0.9% at $60,481, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries was rising nearly 10 basis points to 3.88%.

In economic news, the Kansas City Fed monthly manufacturing index improved to minus 3 in August from minus 13 in July, compared with expectations for minus 9 in a survey compiled by Bloomberg.

The pace of US existing home sales rebounded 1.3% to a 3.95 million seasonally adjusted annual rate in July from 3.90 million in June after declining for four consecutive months, compared with the 3.94 million rate in a survey compiled by Bloomberg, data from the National Association of Realtors released Thursday showed.

In corporate news, CME (CME) and S&P Global ( SPGI ) are exploring a sale of their joint venture offering post-trade services in the forex and derivatives markets, Bloomberg reported. CME shares were shedding 0.3% and S&P Global ( SPGI ) was down 0.1%.