Exchange-Traded Funds Down, Equity Futures Mixed Pre-Bell Thursday Amid December Rate Cut Doubts

08:44 AM EDT, 10/30/2025 (MT Newswires) -- The broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was down 0.03% and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was 0.03% lower in Thursday's premarket activity, after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell cast doubts on investors' hopes of a December interest rate cut.

US stock futures were mixed, with S&P 500 Index futures up 0.1%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slipping 0.2%, and Nasdaq futures gaining 0.1% before the start of regular trading.

The weekly EIA natural gas supplies bulletin will be released at 10:30 am ET.

Federal Reserve board member Michelle Bowman and Dallas Federal Reserve President Lorie Logan are slated to speak Thursday.

In premarket activity ETFs, the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 0.6% lower, Ether ETF (EETH) was down 0.3%, and Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) declined by 0.7%.

Power Play:

Health Care

The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) advanced 0.6%. The Vanguard Health Care Index Fund (VHT) gained 0.5%, while the iShares US Healthcare ETF (IYH) was inactive. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was flat.

Guardant Health (GH) stock was up more than 27% premarket after the company reported higher Q3 revenue and lifted its 2025 sales guidance.

Winners and Losers:

Consumer

The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP) was up 0.2%, while the Vanguard Consumer Staples Fund (VDC) was flat. The iShares US Consumer Staples ETF (IYK) was flat, and the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) lost 0.6%. The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) and the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) were inactive.

Kimberly-Clark (KMB) shares were up more than 3% pre-bell after the company reported higher Q3 net sales.

Industrial

Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLI) retreated 0.1%. while the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) and the iShares US Industrials ETF (IYJ) were inactive.

Ametek (AME) stock was up more than 6% before the opening bell after the company reported higher Q3 adjusted earnings and net sales.

Financial

Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) advanced 0.1%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was up 0.3%, while its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was 0.1% lower.

Hanover Insurance Group (THG) shares were down more than 2% pre-bell after the company reported lower-than-expected Q3 revenue.

Energy

The iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) was inactive, while the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) was down by 0.1%.

TotalEnergies (TTE) stock was down more than 2% before Thursday's opening bell after the company reported lower-than-expected Q3 adjusted net income and revenue.

Technology

Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) retreated 0.2%, and the iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) was 0.3% lower, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was up 0.01%. Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) was flat, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) rose by 0.1%.

TTM Technologies (TTMI) shares were marginally higher in recent premarket activity after the company reported higher fiscal Q3 non-GAAP earnings and net sales.

Commodities

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil retreated 0.6% to $60.13 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas was down 0.2% at $3.81 per 1 million British Thermal Units. The United States Oil Fund (USO) retreated by 0.3%, while the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was 0.7% higher.

Gold futures for December declined by 0.4% to $3,986.30 an ounce on the Comex, while silver futures retreated 0.1% to $47.89 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) rose 0.7%, and the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was 0.9% higher.

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