Sector Update: Financial Stocks Advance in Afternoon Trading

01:50 PM EDT, 10/15/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Financial stocks were higher in Thursday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index rising 1.1% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) ahead 1.2%. The Philadelphia Housing Index was climbing up 3.2%, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLRE) was up 1.3%. Bitcoin (BTC-USD) was up 0.7% to $82,147, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries was dropping 11 basis points to 5.09%. In economic news, the producer price index rose 1.3% last month from 0.5% in August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said. The print marked the strongest pace of advance since March 2022, and is more than double the 0.6% rise projected in a Bloomberg survey. Annually, the PPI grew 6.3%, the biggest jump since December 2022 and exceeding the 5.4% estimate. August was revised to a 5.6% gain from 5.4%. US retail sales rose 0.8% in September, above the 0.3% gain expected in a Bloomberg survey and August's revised 1.3% gain, according to the US Commerce Department. A 6.4% jump in nominal gasoline spending drove most of the sales growth, Jefferies said in a note. In corporate news, PNC Financial Services (PNC), US Bancorp (USB), and First Horizon (FHN) reported Thursday Q3 EPS ahead of Wall Street's estimates, even as net interest income fell short of analysts' expectations. PNC shares added 0.4%, US Bancorp gained 2.2%, and First Horizon rose 2.5%. Charles Schwab (SCHW) reported Q3 revenue just below Wall Street's estimates on Thursday, while the firm expects its full-year topline to grow at the lower end of its previously issued guidance. Shares were down 3.5%. JPMorgan Chase (JPM) is considering options for a new debt sale for Qualtrics International after underwriters were left with more than $5 billion in loans earlier this year, Bloomberg reported. JPMorgan shares eased 0.3%.