03:43 PM EDT, 03/27/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were higher late Friday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index rising 1.4% and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) adding 1.6%.

The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index was climbing 1%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities Index was up 0.6%.

In sector news, oil prices rose as tensions remained elevated in the Middle East amid the Iran war. Israel said it will "escalate" its strikes in response to a series of Iranian missiles, CNN reported Friday. Iran's Navy turned away three ships from the crucial Strait of Hormuz earlier in the day, the news outlet reported, citing the semi-official news agency Fars.

Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil climbed 5.2% to $99.37 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract gained 4.4% to $112.78 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures were 3.2% higher at $3.10 per 1 million BTU.

In corporate news, TotalEnergies (TTE) and EDF said Friday they have signed a 12-year Nuclear Production Allocation Contract starting Jan. 1, 2028, aimed at securing long-term electricity supply for TotalEnergies' industrial operations in France. TotalEnergies shares were fractionally lower.