03:29 PM EDT, 06/20/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks advanced late Friday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index up 0.4% and the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) adding 0.7%.

The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector index was falling 1%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities index was increasing 0.3%.

Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil shed 0.3% to $74.93 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract was dropping 2.1% to $77.16 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures were 2.8% lower at $3.88 per 1 million BTU.

In corporate news, Canadian Natural Resources ( CNQ ) has reached an agreement with Canada's Competition Bureau to alleviate competition concerns linked to its planned takeover of Schlumberger's ( SLB ) interests in the Palliser Block joint venture, which includes natural gas processing plants in southeastern Alberta. Canadian Natural shares and Schlumberger ( SLB ) were each shedding 0.6%.