03:28 PM EDT, 08/18/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were retreating late Monday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index and the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) each shedding 0.7%.

The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector index was rising 0.8%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities index was decreasing 0.6%.

Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose 0.7% to $63.23 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract advanced 0.9% to $66.44 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures fell 0.7% to $2.89 per 1 million BTU.

In corporate news, Northern Oil and Gas ( NOG ) shares fell 2.5% after Morgan Stanley downgraded the stock to underweight from equal weight and cut its price target to $27 from $29.