02:03 PM EDT, 03/30/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Financial stocks were advancing in Monday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index adding 0.9% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) rising 1.1%.

The Philadelphia Housing Index eased 0.1%, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLRE) rose 1%.

Bitcoin (BTC-USD) was increasing 0.9% to $66,761, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries was dropping 9.6 basis points to 4.34%.

In economic news, the Dallas Fed's monthly manufacturing index fell to minus 0.2 in March from 0.2 in February, compared with expectations for a 1.5 print.

In corporate news, Blackstone (BX) said Monday it has closed its Blackstone Life Sciences VI fund after securing $6.3 billion in total capital commitments. Separately, Blackstone is launching a hedge fund for affluent clients, including doctors, lawyers and other professionals, Bloomberg reported. Blackstone shares gained 3.1%.

Carlyle (CG) plans to launch a fund targeting the defense sector, Bloomberg reported. The company has begun early discussions with investors, positioning the fund as a way to invest in the expansion of the US industrial and manufacturing base, the report said. Carlyle shares climbed 3.1%.

Bank of America ( BAC ) shares increased 0.8%. The company has agreed to pay $72.5 million to settle a lawsuit accusing it of enabling abuse by Jeffrey Epstein, Reuters reported, citing court records.