MW: Energy stocks add to gains ahead of inventory data
Energy stocks added to big gains from the previous session on Wednesday as investors looked toward the latest weekly petroleum supply data and lower oil prices.
The Amex Oil Index rose 0.6% to 828.
The Amex Natural Gas Index rose 1% to 318.
The Philadelphia Oil Service Index fell fractionally to 118.
Meanwhile, oil futures fell back after a big run-up in recent sessions. Prices fell $1.18 to $44.53 a barrel. Among energy stocks in the spotlight, Chevron ) rose 0.5% to $62.10, a day after the oil giant said it expects to grow its production by 4% this year without acquisitions.
Halliburton plans to issue $2 billion in senior notes in two tranches. Shares fell 13 cents to $16.22.
Transocean rose 1.5% to $53.11. Citi added the drill ship specialist to its Top Picks Live list. Schlumberger fell 1% to $39.10. Cameron International dipped 0.7% to $20.12. Citi downgraded both of the stocks to hold from buy.
Shares of state-turn Petrobras rose 2% to $29.31. Brazil president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires that he continues to see a big role for industry heavyweights such as ExxonMobilas the company develops its offshore oil discoveries.