Sector Update: Financial

09:08 AM EST, 11/04/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Financial stocks were edging higher pre-bell Wednesday, with the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) advancing by 2.2%. The Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was up 6.8% and its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was 6.5% lower. Blackstone (BX) has raised about 13 billion euros ($14.62 billion) for its European direct lending strategy, completing its fourth fund targeting mid-market and upper-mid-market borrowers in the region, Bloomberg News reported, citing a statement. Shares of Blackstone were up more than 2% premarket.