01:23 PM EDT, 09/11/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were softer Thursday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index shedding 0.2% and the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) fractionally lower.

The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector index was up 0.2%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities index increased 0.1%.

Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil was declining 2% to $62.40 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract was dropping 1.6% to $66.38 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures were 2.8% lower at $2.94 per 1 million BTU.

In corporate news, Hess Midstream ( HESM ) shares were down 0.3% after Citigroup downgraded the company to neutral from buy and trimmed its price target to $41 from $42.