03:24 PM EDT, 06/28/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were edging higher late Friday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index up 0.1% and the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) adding 0.2%.

The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector index was posting a 0.8% increase, and the Dow Jones US Utilities index was falling 1.3%.

Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil declined 0.5% to $81.33 a barrel and the global benchmark Brent crude contract was less than 0.1% higher at $86.41 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures fell 3.1% to $2.60 per 1 million BTU.

In corporate news, LandBridge ( LB ) shares surged 24.6% on its New York Stock Exchange debut Friday after the company priced its initial public offering of 14.5 million class A shares at $17 per share.