03:27 PM EDT, 10/09/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks rose late Wednesday afternoon with the NYSE Energy Sector Index up 0.2% and the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) adding 0.6%.

The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector index eased 0.2% lower, and the Dow Jones US Utilities index fell 0.3%.

US crude oil stocks, including those in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, rose 6.2 million barrels in the week ended Friday following an increase of 4.5 million in the previous week. Excluding inventories in the SPR, commercial crude oil stocks rose 5.8 million, faster than the gain of 3.9 million in the previous week and well above the increase of 1.6 million expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil eased 0.1% to $73.50 a barrel, while global benchmark Brent fell 0.5% to $76.83 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures dropped 3% to $2.65 per 1 million BTU.

In corporate news, Public Service Enterprise ( PEG ) shares were falling 1.3%. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities approved a settlement agreement on Public Service Electric & Gas' distribution base rate case.