08:58 AM EDT, 09/04/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Financial stocks were edging higher pre-bell Wednesday with the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) recently advancing by 0.1%.

The Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was up 0.3% and its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was 0.3% lower.

Blackstone (BX) said funds managed by its subsidiaries, along with the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, agreed to acquire data center platform AirTrunk from Macquarie Asset Management and the Public Sector Pension Investment Board for 24 billion Australian dollars ($16.11 billion). Blackstone shares were down 0.2% premarket.