01:49 PM EDT, 04/03/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Financial stocks were advancing in Wednesday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index rising 0.4% and the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) adding 0.2%.

The Philadelphia Housing Index was climbing 1% and the Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLRE) was up 0.1%.

Bitcoin (BTC-USD) was increasing 1.1% to $66,225, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries was steady at about 4.37%.

In economic news, the Institute for Supply Management's US services index fell to 51.4 in March from 52.6 in February, versus expectations for an increase to 52.8 in a survey compiled by Bloomberg.

Automatic Data Processing said employment in the US private sector grew last month at the quickest pace since July. Private employment advanced 184,000 in March, above the 150,000 increase expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg. February's job gains were revised higher to 155,000 from 140,000.

In corporate news, Mastercard ( MA ) said Wednesday that "a few pricing changes" for card transactions that aren't related to interchange fees will take effect later this month for issuing and acquiring banks. Mastercard ( MA ) shares were fractionally higher.

Blue Owl Capital's (OWL) shares jumped 5% after it agreed to buy Kuvare Insurance Services, doing business as Kuvare Asset Management, for $750 million.

Barclays ( JJCTF ) kept a cap on the bonuses paid to bankers in 2023 even after UK regulators lifted a requirement for the country's banks to apply a maximum ratio of variable to fixed remuneration at no more than 2-to-1, the bank's Chair Nigel Higgins said in a letter to shareholders before the company's May 9 annual meeting. Its shares were up 2.7%.