Energy stocks were higher late Thursday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index rising 1.6% and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) up 1.5%.
The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index was climbing 3.8%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities Index was shedding 0.6%.
Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose 3.1% to $77.54 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract added 4.1% to $82.68 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures fell 2% to $2.64 per 1 million BTU.
In corporate news, Suncor Energy (SU) said Thursday its Chief Executive Officer Rich Kruger will move to the executive vice chair role in April 2027. Executive Vice President Upstream Peter Zebedee will succeed Kruger following a board-led succession process, the company said. The company also said Zebedee will become CFO and president on Sept. 14, overseeing all non-operating functions before assuming the CEO role in 2027. Suncor shares were down 2.4%.