01:45 PM EDT, 06/07/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were mixed Friday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index decreasing 0.2% and the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) up 0.2%.

The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector index was posting a 0.5% increase, and the Dow Jones US Utilities index was falling 0.7%.

Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil was rising 0.2% to $75.69 a barrel while the global benchmark Brent crude contract was down 0.1% to $79.81 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures jumped 4% to $2.93 per 1 million BTU.

In corporate news, Exxon Mobil ( XOM ) shares are projected to underperform peers in the near term given current valuations and the Pioneer Natural Resources integration, Truist said in a note Friday. Truist downgraded Exxon's stock to hold from buy and cut its price target to $124 from $146. Exxon shares were down 0.2%.

NGL Energy Partners ( NGL ) shares tumbled 7.2% after it reported a wider fiscal Q4 loss as revenue declined during the quarter.

Entergy ( ETR ) and NextEra Energy (NEE) unit NextEra Energy Resources said Friday that they have agreed to jointly develop up to 4.5 gigawatts of solar generation and energy storage projects in the southern US. Entergy ( ETR ) shares fell 0.7% and NextEra Energy was down 0.5%.