Sector Update: Financial Stocks Advance Late Afternoon

03:51 PM EDT, 03/17/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Financial stocks were higher in late Tuesday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index up 0.7% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) adding 0.8%.

The Philadelphia Housing Index was up 0.7%, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLRE) rose 0.6%.

Bitcoin (BTC-USD) was gaining 0.7% to $74,685, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries decreased 1.8 basis points to 4.20%.

In economic news, US pending home sales rose by 1.8% in February, rebounding from a 0.9% decline in January, and more than the 0.6% decrease expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg. The monthly sales index fell 0.8% from February 2025, according to the National Association of Realtors.

For the four weeks ended Feb. 28, US private employers added an average of 9,000 jobs per week, down from 14,750 for the week ended Feb. 21, according to ADP Employment Change data.

In corporate news, UBS (UBS) is still trying to persuade the Swiss government to soften its plans for fresh capital requirements ahead of a decision expected in April, Bloomberg reported. A parliament document shows the executive arm will decide on proposal for capital backing of UBS's foreign units and is also expected to set new rules for valuing intangible capital, the report said. UBS shares rose 1.4%.

Mastercard (MA) said Tuesday it has agreed to buy stablecoin infrastructure provider BVNK for up to $1.8 billion, including $300 million in contingent payments. Mastercard (MA) eased 0.1%.

Visa (V) and Mastercard (MA) can appeal a court judgment by the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal that ruled their default multilateral interchange fees charged to retailers breach European competition law, Reuters reported, citing a ruling by the UK Court of Appeal. Visa shares were shedding 0.6%.

Blue Owl Capital (OWL) triggered the collapse of UK bridging lender Century Capital Partners after uncovering financial irregularities and demanding repayment, the Financial Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter and documents. Blue Owl Capital shares were up 5%.

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