MW; Energy stocks edge lower as crude gives back gains
By Jim Jelter
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Energy stocks edged lower in early trades Friday as an opening bout of buying following the previous session's historic intra-day plunge failed to take hold. Crude oil prices, after a modest rebound overnight, resumed their declines, with the June futures contract last trading 77 cents lower at $76.34 a barrel in New York. The NYSE Arca Oil Index (XOI 1,007, -11.16, -1.10%) was off 0.1% at 1,016.8 points, with Chevron Corp. (CVX 77.32, +0.12, +0.16%) leading percentage gainers on a 0.9% rise to $77.84 while Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A 54.03, -1.56, -2.81%) was leading decliners, down 2% at $54.49. The NYSE Arca Natural Gas Index (XNG 522.09, -3.74, -0.71%) was off 0.3% at 524 points and the Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index [s; $osx] was down 1.4% at 192 points.
