09:13 AM EST, 12/26/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Financial stocks were down pre-bell Thursday, with the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) 0.3% lower recently.

The Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares ( FAS ) was down 1% and its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares ( FAZ ) was over 1% higher.

VersaBank ( VBNK ) shares were up over 2% after the company said Tuesday that underwriters of its public offering fully exercised an option to purchase 849,056 additional common shares at $13.25 apiece, adding about $11.2 million in gross proceeds.

KKR (KKR) and Bain Capital have each offered more than $5 billion in first-round offers for the non-core assets of Japan's Seven & i Holdings, Reuters reported Wednesday, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter. KKR shares were 0.3% higher premarket.