09:20 AM EDT, 08/16/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were declining premarket Friday, with the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLE ) down 0.8% recently.

The United States Oil Fund ( USO ) was 1.8% lower, and the United States Natural Gas Fund ( UNG ) was down almost 1%.

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude was down 2.3% at $76.33 per barrel at the New York Mercantile Exchange. Global benchmark Brent lost 2.1% to $79.31 per barrel, and natural-gas futures were down 1.9% at $2.15 per 1 million BTU.

NOV (NOV) maintained its quarterly dividend at $0.075 a share, payable on Sept. 27 to shareholders on record as of Sept. 13. NOV shares were down 0.6% pre-bell.

Diversified Energy ( DEC ) shares were up more than 1% after saying it has completed the acquisition of high-working interest, operated natural-gas properties, and related facilities in eastern Texas from Crescent Pass Energy.