03:27 PM EDT, 07/09/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Financial stocks were advancing in late Wednesday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index and the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) each adding 0.2%.

The Philadelphia Housing Index climbed 2.3%, and the Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLRE) was up 0.1%.

Bitcoin (BTC-USD) was increasing 0.9% to $109,915, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries was dropping 7 basis points to 4.34%.

In economic news, mortgage applications in the US jumped last week as the 30-year fixed rate on conforming loans hit a three-month low, the Mortgage Bankers Association said Wednesday. The market composite index, which measures loan application volume, increased 9.4% on a seasonally-adjusted basis for the week ended July 4, following a 2.7% rise the week prior.

In corporate news, Mastercard's ( MA ) Vocalink unit was fined 11.9 million British pounds ($16.3 million) by the Bank of England for failing to meet risk and governance requirements, the Bank of England said in a statement Wednesday. Mastercard ( MA ) shares were up 0.3%.