01:11 PM EST, 12/04/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks rose Thursday afternoon with the NYSE Energy Sector Index climbing 0.4% and the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) adding 0.5%.

The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index gained 0.9%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities Index was little changed, paring earlier gains.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose 1.5% to $59.82 a barrel, and global benchmark Brent advanced 1.2% to $63.40 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures fell 1.3% to $4.93 per 1 million BTU.

In corporate news, BP (BP) is in advanced talks to sell its Castrol lubricants unit to infrastructure investment group Stonepeak in a deal that may value the business at $8 billion, the Financial Times reported. BP shares rose 0.1%.