09:29 AM EDT, 04/08/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were edging higher pre-bell Monday as the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLE ) was up 0.2% recently.

The United States Oil Fund ( USO ) was 0.1% lower and the United States Natural Gas Fund ( UNG ) was up 1.8%.

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil was down 0.1% at $86.80 per barrel at the New York Mercantile Exchange. Global benchmark North Sea crude oil lost 0.4% to $90.85 per barrel, and natural gas futures were up 1.6% at $1.81 per 1 million British Thermal Units.

NGL Energy Partners ( NGL ) was down more than 3%, reversing the increase from Friday that followed the announcement that it has completed the sale of its North and South Ranches in New Mexico for about $70 million.

Petrobras (PBR) CEO Jean Paul Prates's potential replacement was supposed to be decided on Sunday in a meeting among Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and cabinet members, Reuters reported, citing unnamed sources. Petrobras was flat pre-bell.