MW: Energy stocks retreat in step with 4% crude fall
By Steve Gelsi, MarketWatch
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Energy stocks fell about 4% Tuesday morning after big gains in the previous session, as equities tied to the oil and gas sector moved lower with crude prices.
The Amex Natural Gas Index fell 3.8% to 422. The Amex Oil Index subtracted 3.6% to 920. The Philadelphia Oil Service Index fell 4% to 153.
Light, sweet crude for November delivery traded $2.58, or 3.5%, lower at $71.67 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
With November futures expiring on Tuesday, trading has mostly shifted to the December contract, which traded at $72.11 a barrel, down $2.28, or 3.1%. Brent crude on the ICE futures exchange traded $2.33 lower at $69.70 a barrel.
Among stocks in the spotlight, Nabors Industries Ltd. fell 4.3% to $15.85. Late Monday, the oil services firm said third-quarter net income fell to $210.3 million, or 73 cents a share, from $218 million, or 76 cents, a year ago. Revenue for the three months ended Sept. 30 rose to $1.44 billion from $1.23 billion.
Analysts polled by FactSet had predicted the Bermuda-based oil drilling rig company would earn 75 cents a share on $1.4 billion in revenue.
On Monday, the Amex Oil Index jumped 11.7%. The Amex Natural Gas Index rallied 12%. The Philadelphia Oil Service Index advanced 11.2%.