08:45 AM EDT, 07/09/2025 (MT Newswires) -- The broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust ( SPY ) was up 0.2% and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was 0.2% higher in Wednesday's premarket activity, ahead of the Federal Reserve's meeting minutes slated to release later in the day.

US stock futures were also higher, with S&P 500 Index futures up 0.2%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures gaining 0.2%, and Nasdaq futures advancing 0.2% before the start of regular trading.

US mortgage applications rose 9.4% in the week ended July 4 as lower rates supported 9% gains in both refinancing and purchase activity, Mortgage Bankers Association data showed Wednesday.

The preliminary Wholesale Inventories report will be released at 10 am ET, followed by the weekly EIA domestic petroleum inventories report at 10:30 am ET.

The Federal Reserve is scheduled to post minutes of its last policy session at 2 pm ET.

In premarket action, bitcoin was up by 0.3% and the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 0.3% higher.

Power Play:

Industrial

Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLI ) and the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund ( VIS ) were inactive, while the iShares US Industrials ETF ( IYJ ) was inactive.

Vertical Aerospace ( EVTWF ) stock was down more than 25% before the opening bell after the company said Tuesday it started a $60 million underwritten public offering of its ordinary shares.

Winners and Losers:

Technology

Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) advanced 0.3%, and the iShares US Technology ETF ( IYW ) was 0.4% higher, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF ( IGM ) was up 0.9%. Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF ( XSD ) was inactive, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) rose by 0.4%.

Aehr Test Systems ( AEHR ) shares were down 22% in recent premarket activity after the company late Tuesday swung to a fiscal Q4 non-GAAP loss amid lower revenue.

Financial

Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) advanced 0.3%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares ( FAS ) was up 0.9%, while its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares ( FAZ ) was 0.6% lower.

B. Riley Financial ( RILY ) shares were up 2.6% pre-bell Wednesday after the company said it has amended its senior secured credit agreement with funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management to add an incremental $100 million.

Health Care

The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLV ) advanced 0.04%. The Vanguard Health Care Index Fund ( VHT ) retreated 0.1% while the iShares US Healthcare ETF ( IYH ) was inactive. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was also inactive.

Alvotech ( ALVO ) stock was up 2% premarket after the company said that it acquired Ivers-Lee Group, a Swiss pharmaceutical packaging specialist, to expand its assembly and packaging capabilities.

Consumer

The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLP ) gained marginally by 0.01%, while the Vanguard Consumer Staples Fund (VDC) retreated 0.3%. The iShares US Consumer Staples ETF ( IYK ) and the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLY ) were inactive. The VanEck Retail ETF ( RTH ) and the SPDR S&P Retail ETF ( XRT ) were also inactive.

Starbucks ( SBUX ) shares were up more than 3% pre-bell after CNBC reported that the company's China unit has attracted offers from nearly 30 private equity firms with valuations ranging from $5 billion to $10 billion.

Energy

The iShares US Energy ETF ( IYE ) was inactive, while the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLE ) was up by 0.2%.

Venture Global ( VG ) stock was up 1.5% before Wednesday's opening bell after the company and Securing Energy for Europe said they expanded their LNG supply agreement, with the latter's subsidiary set to purchase an additional 0.75 million tonnes per annum of LNG from Venture Global's ( VG ) CP2 LNG project.

Commodities

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil advanced 0.4% to $68.57 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas retreated 1.6% to $3.29 per 1 million British Thermal Units. United States Oil Fund ( USO ) was 0.2% higher, while the United States Natural Gas Fund ( UNG ) fell 1.9%.

Gold futures for August retreated 0.7% to $3,295.30 an ounce on the Comex, while silver futures were down 0.2% at $36.69 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares ( GLD ) declined 0.5%, and the iShares Silver Trust ( SLV ) was 0.2% lower.