Exchange-Traded Funds Higher, US Equities Mixed After Midday

Broad Market Indicators

Broad-market exchange-traded funds IWM and IVV were higher. Actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) rose 0.2%.

US equity indexes traded mixed after midday Thursday following a lighter-than-expected advance reading for Q4 GDP growth and an unexpected drop in jobless claims amid mega-cap earnings.

Energy

iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) and Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) each added about 0.4%.

Technology

Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) lost 0.4%; iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) and iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) were mixed, with the latter higher.

SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) added 1.1%, and iShares Semiconductor (SOXX) rose 1.5%.

Financial

Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF) climbed 1%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was up 3%, and its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) dropped 3%.

Commodities

Crude oil was up 0.3%, and the United States Oil Fund (USO) fell 0.3%. Natural gas was down 2.7%, and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) dropped 2.6%.

Gold rose 1.8% on Comex, and SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) gained 1.5%. Silver added 3.5%, and iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was 2.8% higher.

Consumer

Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) rose 0.7%; Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) and iShares Dow Jones US Consumer Goods (IYK) were higher.

Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) was up 1.2%; retail fund VanEck Vectors Retail ETF (RTH) rose 0.6%, and SPDR S&P Retail (XRT) added 1.5%.

Health Care

Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV) was up 0.9%, and iShares US Healthcare (IYH) and Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) were higher. IShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) rose 0.8%.

Industrial

Select Sector SPDR-Industrial (XLI) was up 0.5%, and Vanguard Industrials (VIS) and iShares US Industrials (IYJ) were higher.