Exchange-Traded Funds, Equity Futures Lower Pre-Bell Tuesday Ahead of Economic Data Releases

08:30 AM EST, 12/16/2025 (MT Newswires) -- The broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was down 0.02% and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) retreated 0.2% in Tuesday's premarket activity ahead of key economic data.

US stock futures were also lower, with S&P 500 Index futures down 0.1%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slipping 0.03%, and Nasdaq futures retreating 0.2% before the start of regular trading.

Nonfarm payrolls report for November, the housing starts and permits data for November, and the delayed retail sales report for October will be released at 8:30 am ET.

The purchasing managers' index report from S&P Global (SPGI) for December is out at 9:45 am, followed by the delayed business inventories report for September at 10 am.

In premarket action, bitcoin was up by 1.5%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 2% higher, Ether ETF (EETH) advanced 0.8%, and Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) gained 2.3%.

Power Play:

Consumer

The State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) was up 0.2%, the Vanguard Consumer Staples Index Fund ETF Shares (VDC) gained 0.1%, and the iShares US Consumer Staples ETF (IYK) advanced 0.1%. The State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) lost 0.1%. The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) was inactive, while the State Street SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) marginally increased by 0.02%.

Vital Farms (VITL) shares were down more than 12% pre-bell after the company lowered its full-year 2025 net revenue guidance to a range of $755 to $765 million from the previous guidance of at least $775 million.

Winners and Losers:

Health Care

The State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) advanced 0.2%. The Vanguard Health Care Index Fund (VHT) was up 0.04%, while the iShares US Healthcare ETF (IYH) was inactive. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was down 0.1%

Abivax (ABVX) stock was down more than 3% premarket a day after the company reported a Q3 loss of 2.10 euros ($2.47) per diluted share, widening from a loss of 0.87 euro a year earlier.

Technology

The State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) retreated 0.03%, and the iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) was 0.1% lower, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was up 0.3%. Among semiconductor ETFs, the State Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) was down 0.3%, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) declined by 0.1%.

IonQ (IONQ) shares were up more than 2% in recent premarket activity after Jefferies initiated the company at buy with a $100 price target.

Financial

The State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (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 0.2% lower.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) shares were down more than 2% pre-bell after the company named president and group CEO Hironori Kamezawa as the company chairman, effective April 1, 2026.

Energy

The iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) was down 0.1%, while the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) declined by 0.5%.

Equinor (EQNR) stock was down more than 1% before Tuesday's opening bell after the company said its Equinor Refining Norway unit received a fine of 220 million Norwegian kroner ($21.7 million) and a confiscation claim of 500 million kroner for historical pollution control violations.

Industrial

The State Street Industrial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLI) retreated 0.01%, while the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) gained 0.2%, and the iShares US Industrials ETF (IYJ) rose 0.4%.

Commodities

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil was down 1.6% to $55.88 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas was down 1.9% to $3.94 per 1 million British Thermal Units. The United States Oil Fund (USO) retreated by 1.4%, while the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) fell by 2.1%.

Gold futures for February were down by 0.3% to $4,321.70 an ounce on the Comex, and silver futures advanced by 2.6% to $63.17 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) retreated by 0.2%, and the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was 1.7% lower.

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