03:36 PM EDT, 08/06/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were higher late Thursday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index rising 1.6% and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) up 1.5%.

The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index was climbing 3.8%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities Index was shedding 0.6%.

Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose 3.1% to $77.54 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract added 4.1% to $82.68 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures fell 2% to $2.64 per 1 million BTU.

In corporate news, Suncor Energy ( SU ) said Thursday its Chief Executive Officer Rich Kruger will move to the executive vice chair role in April 2027. Executive Vice President Upstream Peter Zebedee will succeed Kruger following a board-led succession process, the company said. The company also said Zebedee will become CFO and president on Sept. 14, overseeing all non-operating functions before assuming the CEO role in 2027. Suncor shares were down 2.4%.