01:28 PM EDT, 08/05/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were lower Wednesday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index falling 1.5% and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) dropping 1.8%.

The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index declined 2.2%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities Index shed 1.2%.

Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell 1.1% to $74.95 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract decreased 0.3% to $79.10 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures rose 0.2% to $2.69 per 1 million BTU.

In corporate news, MGE Energy ( MGEE ) shares were down 0.5% after the company reported its Q2 results.