-- Energy stocks were lower late Wednesday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index falling 4.1% and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) dropping 4.2%.
The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index was shedding 2.1%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities Index was down 0.9%.
Crude prices fell Wednesday amid prospects of a diplomatic breakthrough between the US and Iran. US and Iranian officials are close to a one-page memorandum of understanding to end the war and establish a framework for future nuclear negotiations, Axios reported. The proposed MoU would include Iran committing to a moratorium on nuclear enrichment, with the US agreeing to ease sanctions and release frozen Iranian funds, according to the report. Both sides would lift restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil sank 7.1% to $95.03 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract slumped 7.9% to $101.15 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures fell 2.5% to $2.72 per 1 million BTU.
In corporate news, Spire (SR) shares fell 3% after the company's fiscal Q2 operating revenue came in below analysts' expectations.