Energy stocks were lower Tuesday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index falling 1.4% and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) dropping 1.9%.
The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index was shedding 2.4%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities Index rose 0.8%.
Oil prices declined on Tuesday after President Donald Trump said the Iran war could end within days. Trump told reporters in New York that a diplomatic resolution to the Middle East conflict could be reached in "two or three days," CNBC reported. The critical Strait of Hormuz, which remains effectively shut, would reopen "immediately" after the deal, Trump reportedly said.
Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell 3.6% to $88.05 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract dropped 2.8% to $91.59 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures increased 0.3% to $3.16 per 1 million BTU.
In corporate news, BP (BP) said Tuesday the company will be run under a new, simplified organizational structure -- Upstream and Downstream -- from July 1. Shares were down 2.7%.
Uranium Energy (UEC) shares tumbled 16% after the firm reported a fiscal Q3 net loss of $0.11 per share, widening from a loss of $0.07 a year earlier. Analysts surveyed by FactSet expected a loss of $0.03.
Halliburton (HAL) said it has entered into an agreement with Pampa Energia to support the digital transformation of its unconventional operations in Argentina's Vaca Muerta shale region. Halliburton shares declined 2.7%.