-- Energy stocks were mixed late Friday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index fractionally higher and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) decreasing 0.9%.
The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index was shedding 0.5%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities Index was down 0.4%.
In sector news, oil prices stabilized at under $100 a barrel on Friday ahead of US-Iran talks in Pakistan as markets sought clarity on whether this weekend's huddle in Islamabad could lead to a long-term peace deal. Earlier in the week, the US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, pausing a war that had spread across the Middle East and curtailed shipments through the crucial Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices on Wednesday posted their sharpest one-day pullback since 2020 after the ceasefire announcement.
Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell 2.3% to $95.58 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract shed 1.7% to $94.39 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures fell 1.1% to $2.64 per 1 million BTU.
In corporate news, ConocoPhillips (COP) has sent a team to Venezuela to evaluate the prospects of oil drilling in the country, the company said in an emailed statement to. ConocoPhillips shares were down 1.2%.
Shell (SHEL) confirmed in an email toon Friday that it is in talks with Venezuela to produce natural gas at the Loran-Manatee offshore field, which crosses the border of Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago. The company expects to produce gas from Manatee in 2027 but has yet to take a final investment decision on the Loran field, according to a spokesperson. Shell shares were up 1.3%.
The Port of Antwerp in Belgium, which is home to European refineries operated by Exxon Mobil (XOM) and TotalEnergies (TTE), was blocked following an oil spill during a ship refueling operation, preventing large vessels from entering or leaving the port, the port authority said Friday. Exxon shares shed 0.8%, and TotalEnergies was up 2.9%.
EQT (EQT) and Glencore committed to acquiring an extra 1 million metric tons of liquefied natural gas annually from Commonwealth LNG through 20-year agreements, Reuters reported, citing a regulatory document. EQT shares were down 1.4%.