ETFs Climb as US Equities Advance; Tech Leads Gains

US equity indexes posted gains midday Wednesday, with technology sector exchange-traded funds at the forefront. The Invesco $QQQ+WL Trust ($QQQ+WL) rose 0.6%, mirroring broader market strength in tech, while the State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) climbed 0.8%. Semiconductor ETFs also showed upward momentum, with the State Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) up 1.5% and iShares Semiconductor (SOXX) adding 1.3%.

Conversely, the energy sector faced headwinds, with the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) declining 0.8%. Financial sector ETFs saw minor movements, including a 0.1% dip in the Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) and a 0.2% gain in its bearish counterpart, FAZ.

Commodities extended their declines, with crude oil easing 3.1% and the United States Oil Fund (USO) losing 3.4%. Natural gas dipped 0.7%. Precious metals saw mixed performance, as gold eased 0.3% while silver gained 0.1%. Consumer staples and discretionary sectors experienced slight pullbacks, with the State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) shedding 1.2% and the XLY falling fractionally.

### Story Arc / How We Got Here

This follows our earlier coverage ([AMD, monday.com Show Revenue Growth Amidst Tech Sector Trends](/explore/amd-mondaycom-show-revenue-growth-amidst-tech-sector-trends)) on 2026-08-18. Advanced Micro Devices and monday.com are both demonstrating consistent year-over-year revenue increases. AMD's growth is significantly boosted by its focus on the AI sector, reporting a 50% revenue jump. Monday.com is showing impressive sequential quarterly growth, alongside a corporate restructuring that reduced its workforce by approximately one-fifth. · Chips & export controls: Export controls and industrial policy are direct semis catalysts.