03:32 PM EDT, 05/22/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were mixed late Thursday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index fractionally lower and the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) up 0.1%.

The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector index rose 0.2%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities index was dropping 1%.

Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil declined 0.6% to $61.20 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract shed 0.7% to $64.48 a barrel.

US natural gas stocks rose by 120 billion cubic feet in the week ended May 16, above the 119 billion gain expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg as of 7:40 am ET and following an increase of 110 billion cubic feet in the previous week.

Henry Hub natural gas futures fell 2.8% to $3.27 per 1 million BTU.

In sector news, Deutsche Bank (DB) will pause a plan to add new restrictions on financing oil and gas firms as it evaluates legal risks, Bloomberg reported Thursday, citing Chief Executive Christian Sewing.

In corporate news, American Water Works ( AWK ) shares fell 1.1%. The company said Wednesday that the Monterey County Superior Court last week denied requests to overturn coastal development permits granted in 2022 by the California Coastal Commission for California American Water's Monterey desalination project.