Market Chatter: Oil Falls After Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Even as Clashes Persist

Brent Crude Down 2% at Near US$95.80

Sector Update: Energy Stocks Gain Late Afternoon

Energy stocks advanced late Wednesday afternoon with the NYSE Energy Sector Index rising 1% and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) adding 1.7%.The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index was little changed, and the Dow Jones US Utilities Index shed 0.3%.Crude oil futures rose as Iran struck Gulf nations Kuwait and Bahrain with missiles amid faltering diplomacy with Washington, the Wall Street Journal reported. Kuwait came under a barrage of ballistic missiles and drones on Wednesday that shut its international airport, killed one person, and injured dozens more, the report said.West Texas Intermediate crude oil climbed 2.2% to $95.80 a barrel, and global benchmark Brent rose 1.8% to $97.74 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures increased 2.2% to $3.24 per 1 million BTU.In corporate news, Xcel Energy's (XEL) Colorado utility unit reached a non-unanimous settlement agreement in its electric rate case before the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, and the company reaffirmed its 2026 EPS guidance of $4.04 to $4.16. The stock declined 1%.JinkoSolar (JKS) will enter the data-center business, supplying power directly from its plants to meet growing AI-driven demand, Nikkei Asia reported. JinkoSolar shares fell 0.9%.CMS Energy (CMS) said Wednesday that it has appointed Sri Maddipati as executive vice president and chief financial officer of the company and its primary business Consumers Energy. CMS Energy shares were down 2.1%.Obsidian Energy (OBE) agreed to acquire Belly River light oil assets in the Wilson Creek area of Willesden Green from Highwood Asset Management for an unadjusted purchase price of 105 million Canadian dollars ($75.8 million). Obsidian shares fell 1.1%.

Sector Update: Financial Stocks Decline Late Afternoon

Financial stocks fell in late Wednesday afternoon trading with the NYSE Financial Index decreasing 1% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) shedding 1.1%.The Philadelphia Housing Index dropped 0.4%, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLRE) rose 0.2%.Bitcoin (BTC-USD) fell 2.5% to $65,538.2, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries rose 3.6 basis points to 4.49%.In economic news, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development lowered its global economic growth projection for 2026, cautioning that the fallout from the Middle East conflict may linger.In the US, employment in the private sector increased more than expected in May, ADP data showed.The US services sector saw continued expansion in May, with Institute for Supply Management data showing a faster growth rate sequentially, while S&P Global (SPGI) pointed to a deceleration. Both surveys indicated elevated cost pressures and signs of weakness in the labor market.In corporate news, Morgan Stanley (MS) will allow clients' AI agents to connect directly to its stock administration platforms, ShareWorks and Equity Edge, CNBC reported, citing Morgan Stanley at Work Chief Product Officer Mark Mitchell. Morgan Stanley shares fell 2%.Amazon-backed (AMZN) Anthropic has chosen Goldman Sachs (GS) and Morgan Stanley to lead its initial public offering, Bloomberg reported. JPMorgan Chase (JPM) is also working on the deal, the report said. Goldman shares fell 1.7%, and JPMorgan eased 0.2%.Pershing Square (PS) will sell 80.6 million Universal Music Group shares in an overnight placing as Bill Ackman's hedge fund looks to exit its position, Bloomberg reported. Pershing shares fell 3.6%.Hartford Insurance (HIG) agreed to sell its Hartford Funds unit to Wellington Management in a deal with a net present value of $1.9 billion. Hartford shares fell 1%.