Sector Update: Energy

01:20 PM EDT, 09/17/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were higher Thursday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) each adding about 0.4%. The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index was up 0.4%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities Index increased 0.8%. Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil shed 0.4% to $102.00 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract fell 1.2% to $104.55 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures rose 1% to $2.92 per 1 million BTU. In corporate news, National Fuel Gas (NFG) said its board plans to conclude an evaluation of a plan to separate the firm into two publicly traded companies by Oct. 15. Shares were up 0.6%.