03:45 PM EDT, 03/24/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were higher late Tuesday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index rising 1.6% and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) gaining 1.9%.

The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index added 1.8%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities Index rose 1.1%.

Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil jumped 3.9% to $91.54 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract climbed 3.4% to $103.36 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures rose 1.2% to $2.93 per 1 million BTU.

In corporate news, Equinor ( EQNR ) is seeking to broaden its US shale gas operations after a reorganization of its worldwide assets, Bloomberg reported, citing an interview with Vice President for International Exploration and Production Philippe Mathieu. Equinor ( EQNR ) shares were up 1.5%.