03:39 PM EDT, 05/23/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks rose late Friday afternoon with the NYSE Energy Sector Index and the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) each adding 0.6%.

The Dow Jones US Utilities index climbed 1.2%, and the Philadelphia Oil Service Sector index rose 0.4%.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose 0.9% to $61.74 a barrel, and global benchmark Brent advanced 0.9% to $64.99 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures rose 2.5% to $3.34 per 1 million BTU.

In corporate news, President Donald Trump on Friday signed orders that seek to hasten the construction of nuclear power plants and help the US claim an edge in nuclear energy, according to media reports. Shares of Constellation Energy ( CEG ) , Oklo ( OKLO ) , Nuscale Power ( SMR ) , Uranium Energy ( UEC ) , Energy Fuels ( UUUU ) , Centrus Energy ( LEU ) and Nano Nuclear Energy ( NNE ) gained.

Southwest Gas ( SWX ) shares rose 2.3% after BofA Securities upgraded the stock to neutral from underperform.

Hallador Energy ( HNRG ) shares dropped 7.3% after the company said a conversion transaction commitment agreement, effective Jan. 2, with a "leading global datacenter developer" was being terminated by the developer.

TotalEnergies (TTE) Chief Executive Patrick Pouyanne rejected on Friday claims of human rights violations at the company's majority-owned Kingfisher oil site in Uganda after a UN human rights representative raised the issue of alleged abuses at the project. TotalEnergies shares were down 0.5%.