Sector Update: Financial Stocks Edge Lower Tuesday Afternoon

02:00 PM EDT, 10/27/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Financial stocks were slightly lower in Tuesday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index decreasing 0.2% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) easing 0.1%. The Philadelphia Housing Index shed 0.4%, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLRE) fell 1%. Bitcoin (BTC-USD) was increasing 0.8% to $80,665, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries was slightly higher at 4.993%. In economic news, the Conference Board's measure of consumer confidence rose to 91.7 in October from 84.2 in September, compared with the 81.0 expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg. In corporate news, Ares Capital (ARCC) will buy MidCap Financial Investment (MFIC) in a stock-and-cash deal with a total enterprise value of around $2.6 billion, the companies said Tuesday. Ares Capital shares rose 0.4%, and MidCap Financial surged 23%. PayPal's (PYPL) Q3 revenue fell short of market estimates, while adjusted earnings unexpectedly rose year over year as the payments company raised its full-year profit outlook. Its shares rose 1.1%. S&P Global (SPGI) has initiated a strategic review of alternatives, including a potential separation, for Capital IQ and associated data businesses, which constitute the majority of Kensho Data & Platforms within Market Intelligence, the company said Tuesday. Separately, S&P Global reported Q3 adjusted EPS Tuesday of $4.58 per share, up from $4.20 a year earlier and above the FactSet consensus of $4.43. S&P Global shares were down 0.3%.