Exchange-Traded Funds, Equity Futures Lower Pre-Bell Friday as Geopolitical Tensions Loom While Investors Still Await Fed Rate Cut

09:12 AM EST, 01/30/2026 (MT Newswires) -- The broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was down 0.4% and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was 0.6% lower in Friday's premarket activity as geopolitical uncertainty looms, while investors still await a Federal Reserve interest rate cut.

US stock futures were also lower, with S&P 500 Index futures down 0.5%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slipping 0.5%, and Nasdaq futures declining 0.6% before the start of regular trading.

The US Producer Price Index rose by 0.5% in December following a 0.2% increase in November, well above the 0.2% gain expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg. PPI was up 3% year-over-year in December, the same as in November, while core PPI rose by 3.3% year-over-year after a 3.1% gain in November.

The Chicago PMI is slated to be released at 9:45 am ET, while weekly Baker Hughes domestic oil-and-gas rig count is due at 1 pm ET.

Federal Reserve St. Louis President Alberto Musalem speaks at the 32nd annual Business Forecast Luncheon at the University of Arkansas at 1:30 pm ET, while Fed Vice Chair Michelle Bowman is due to speak at 5 pm ET at the SW Graduate School of Banking at SMU Cox about monetary policy and supervision and regulation.

In premarket activity, bitcoin was down by 1.6%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 1.8% lower, Ether ETF (EETH) retreated 1.8%, and Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) declined 1.7%.

Power Play:

Industrial

The State Street Industrial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLI) retreated 0.4%. The Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) and the iShares US Industrials ETF (IYJ) were both flat.

Schneider National (SNDR) shares were down 19% in recent Friday premarket activity, a day after the company posted lower Q4 adjusted earnings.

Winners and Losers:

Consumer

The State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) advanced 0.2%, and the Vanguard Consumer Staples Index Fund ETF Shares (VDC) was flat. The iShares US Consumer Staples ETF (IYK) gained by 0.1%, while the State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) was down by 0.2%. The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) was flat, while the State Street SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) lost 0.4%.

Deckers Outdoor (DECK) shares were up 14% before Friday's opening bell, after the company reported Thursday higher fiscal Q3 earnings and net sales, and raised its fiscal 2026 outlook.

Technology

The State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) retreated 0.6%, and the iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) was 0.4% lower, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was down 0.3%. Among semiconductor ETFs, the State Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) was 1% lower, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) fell by 1.2%.

Spotify Technology (SPOT) shares were up 1.4% before the opening bell Friday, after Citigroup upgraded the streaming player to buy from neutral with a $650 price target.

Financial

The State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) was 0.5% lower. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was down 0.9%, while its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was 1.4% higher.

Flagstar Bank (FLG) shares were up 1.3% after the company reported a swing to Q4 profit.

Health Care

The State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) slipped 0.2%, and the Vanguard Health Care Index Fund (VHT) was also 0.2% lower, while the iShares US Healthcare ETF (IYH) gained 0.1%. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was 0.9% lower.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) stock was down 1.2% before the opening bell on Friday, after the pharmaceutical giant posted lower Q4 adjusted EPS.

Energy

The iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) fell 0.6%, while the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) was down by 0.6%.

Exxon Mobil (XOM) stock was 1.2% lower pre-bell Friday, after the energy giant posted lower Q4 earnings and revenue.

Commodities

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil retreated by 0.4% to reach $65.14 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas slipped 1.3% to $3.87 per 1 million British Thermal Units. The United States Oil Fund (USO) declined by 0.6%, while the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was 0.5% lower.

Gold futures for March declined by 4.6% to $5,109.90 an ounce on the Comex. Silver futures fell by 12% to $101.21 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) retreated by 6.6%, and the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was 15% lower.

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