<div id="readability-page-1">03:58 PM EST, 12/12/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were lower late Friday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index decreasing 0.6% and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) shedding 0.9%.The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index was falling 2.4%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities Index was down 0.7%.Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil shed 0.4% to $57.38 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract decreased 0.3% to $61.09 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures dropped 2.6% to $4.12 per 1 million BTU.In corporate news, Fermi (FRMI) shares fell 36% after the company disclosed that an investment-grade-rated tenant has terminated a $150 million construction funding agreement for its Project Matador site in Texas.Entergy ( ETR ) said Friday that the Public Utility Commission of Texas approved its Cypress to Legend 500-kilovolt transmission line in Hardin and Jefferson counties. Its shares were down 1.2%.Southern's (SO) recent settlement in the Georgia All-Source Request for Proposals is estimated to add $4 billion to the company's capital expenditures, RBC Capital Markets said in a Friday note. RBC lowered its price target for Southern to $99 from $107, while maintaining a sector perform rating. Southern shares were down 0.3%.Shell (SHEL), together with partners QatarEnergy and Namibia's national oil company Namcor, is preparing to launch a new drilling campaign in the PEL 39 exploration block offshore Namibia, Shell's country chief Eduardo Rodriguez said in a LinkedIn post. Shell shares declined 0.8%. MT Newswires does not provide investment advice. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.</div>

Energy stocks declined late Friday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index down 0.6% and the XLE ETF shedding 0.9%. The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index fell 2.4%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities Index dropped 0.7%. Crude oil and natural gas prices also decreased. Fermi shares plummeted 36% due to a terminated funding agreement. Entergy's transmission line approval and Southern's settlement impacted their stock prices. Shell's new drilling campaign announcement led to a 0.8% share decline.

Sector Update: Energy Stocks Decline Late Afternoon