Financial stocks were advancing pre-bell Monday, with The Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) 0.7% higher.

The Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was up 1.9% and its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was 1.8% lower.

UBS Group (UBS) has retained independent ombudsman Neil Barofsky to investigate Nazi-linked accounts inherited from Credit Suisse, the bank told MT Newswires. UBS Group shares were up past 2% pre-bell.

KKR (KKR) is urging Fuji Soft to take legal action against Bain Capital over allegations that the latter violated "key" principles of the private equity industry in its attempt to block KKR's proposed take-private deal with Fuji Soft. KKR shares were up over 1% premarket.

MarketAxess Holdings (MKTX) shares were 0.5% higher after the company said its total average daily volume came in at $32.04 billion in December, up 19% from a year earlier but down 29% versus November.