03:42 PM EDT, 03/19/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were higher late Thursday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index climbing 1.3% and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) adding 1.4%.

The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index gained 1.8%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities Index shed 0.4%.

Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell 2.8% to $93.66 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract dropped 2.4% to $104.82 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures rose 1.8% to $3.12 per 1 million BTU.

In corporate news, Exxon Mobil ( XOM ) , BP (BP) and Vitol are shipping a record volume of fuel to Australia in March, as supply disruptions linked to tensions around the Strait of Hormuz force a shift away from Asia, Reuters reported Thursday. Exxon shares rose 0.4%, and BP added 2.9%.