09:00 AM EDT, 03/17/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Financial stocks were advancing pre-bell Tuesday, with the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) up 0.4%.

The Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was 1.1% higher and its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was down 1.2%.

Victory Capital ( VCTR ) said it sent a revised "superior" proposal to acquire Janus Henderson Group ( JHG ) for $40 per share in cash and 0.25 of a Victory Capital ( VCTR ) common share for each Janus Henderson ( JHG ) share, an increase of $10 per share from its previous proposal. Janus Henderson Group ( JHG ) stock was up more than 3% premarket.