03:23 PM EST, 02/10/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were higher late Monday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index rising 2% and the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) adding 2.1%.

The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector index climbed 3.1%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities index was up 0.3%.

Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose 2.1% to $72.47 a barrel while the global benchmark Brent crude contract advanced 1.8% to $76.02 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures rose 4.4% to $3.45 per 1 million BTU.

In corporate news, Stardust Power ( SDST ) shares jumped 13% after it said Monday it has signed a licensing deal that gives it the exclusive rights to use KMX Technologies' vacuum membrane distillation technology for lithium extraction and concentration in the US, Canada and some other markets.