Energy stocks were higher Tuesday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index rising 1.1% and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) up 0.9%.
The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index increased 0.2%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities Index was fractionally higher.
In geopolitical news, the US Air Force is attacking Iranian targets located in the area around the Strait of Hormuz, Axios reporter Barak Ravid said Tuesday on X, citing US officials.
Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil jumped 4.4% to $89.49 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract popped 3.8% to $93.91 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures fell 1.3% to $2.90 per 1 million BTU.
In corporate news, Chevron (CVX) is finalizing a deal for the operating rights to two giant oil fields in Venezuela's Orinoco Belt, Bloomberg reported. Chevron shares rose 1.7%.
ExxonMobil (XOM) is among several major oil companies planning to pursue business in Venezuela, multiple news outlets including Reuters reported late Monday, citing comments made by US President Donald Trump at a press event in the Oval Office. Trump said ExxonMobil and Chevron are among companies preparing to bid for projects in the Venezuelan market, while other firms are also competing, the Reuters report said. ExxonMobil shares were up 2%.
Fervo Energy (FRVO) shares surged 28% after the company said Tuesday it has signed a 396-megawatt power purchase agreement with Alphabet's (GOOGL) Google.
Proposed legislation by California lawmakers to address wildfire risk and increase utility accountability fails to address the financing risks that utilities face, BofA Securities said Tuesday, as it downgraded PG&E (PCG) and Edison International (EIX). BofA cut its rating on both PG&E and Edison to neutral from buy and reduced its price target to $13 from $24 for PG&E and to $51 from $81 for Edison. PG&E shares were up 1.1%, and Edison rose 3%.