01:54 PM EDT, 07/11/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were higher Friday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index and the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) each rising 0.5%.

The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector index added 0.8%, while the Dow Jones US Utilities index was shedding 0.5%.

Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil was rising 2.8% to $68.42 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract was advancing 2.5% to $70.35 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures were adding 0.6% to $3.36 per 1 million BTU.

In corporate news, Houston American Energy ( HUSA ) shares climbed past 9% after the company said Friday it entered into a common stock purchase agreement with an institutional investor establishing a $100 million equity line of credit to back its growth and acquisitions strategy.

Talen Energy ( TLN ) shares are expected to trade higher after an upsized power purchase agreement with Amazon.com's (AMZN) Amazon Web Services and a potential data center agreement at Montour, Oppenheimer said in a note Friday. Talen shares rose 2.7%.

Southern (SO) said Friday that David P. Poroch, currently senior vice president, comptroller and chief accounting officer, will be its chief financial officer, starting July 31. Southern shares were down 0.6%.