02:03 PM EDT, 06/04/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were slightly higher Thursday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index increasing 0.1% and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) adding 0.2%.

The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index climbed 1.3%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities Index increased 0.1%.

Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell 4% to $92.18 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract dropped 3.2% to $94.64 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures rose 4.2% to $3.35 per 1 million BTU.

In sector news, Hezbollah on Thursday rejected the latest ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Lebanese government, demanding a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon as more fighting there hampered efforts to end the Iran war, the Associated Press reported. This comes as the House on Wednesday approved a war powers resolution that would halt US military action against Iran, according to a separate Associated Press report.

Separately, President Donald Trump is set to announce $500 million in federal funding to support domestic coal-fired power plants and a coal export terminal, invoking the 1950 Defense Production Act, Bloomberg reported. The plan includes $425 million for 13 existing coal plants and separate Energy Department grants for two new plants in Alaska and West Virginia, Bloomberg said.

In corporate news, Murphy Oil ( MUR ) shares rose 2.8% after KeyBanc upgraded the stock to overweight from sector weight.

Expro ( XPRO ) shares jumped past 6% after the company said it has filed its definitive proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding its proposed move to redomicile in the Cayman Islands from the Netherlands.

Solaris Energy Infrastructure ( SEI ) is expected to continue to expand capacity despite facing a tight supply chain in the near term, Morgan Stanley said in a note. Morgan Stanley retained an overweight rating on the stock and increased its price target to $90 from $81. Solaris shares rose 1.9%.