Sector Update: Energy

03:34 PM EDT, 10/21/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were higher late Wednesday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index adding 0.8% and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) up 0.4%. The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index was climbing 1.8%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities Index increased 0.7%. Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose 0.1% to $97.96 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract climbed 1% to $109.88 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures dropped 6% to $2.79 per 1 million BTU. In corporate news, GeoPark (GPRK) was awarded the Corralera Noreste Block in the Neuquen Basin of Argentina in a public bidding round launched by energy firm GyP, the company said Wednesday. GeoPark shares were down 1.2%.