Sector Update: Energy Stocks Rise Pre-Bell Wednesday

09:28 AM EDT, 10/14/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were rising pre-bell Wednesday, with the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) advancing by 0.8%. The United States Oil Fund (USO) was up 0.6% and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was 2% lower. Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil was 1.3% higher at $95.36 per barrel at the New York Mercantile Exchange. Global benchmark North Sea Brent crude oil fell 0.2% to $105.51 per barrel, and natural gas futures were down 1.4% at $3.24 per 1 million British Thermal Units. National Fuel Gas (NFG) plans to spin off its Integrated Upstream and Gathering business into an independent, publicly traded company in a tax-free transaction expected to close in H2 2027, the company said. Shares of National Fuel Gas were up more than 1% premarket. TotalEnergies (TTE) and Namibia are yet to agree on terms for developing the Venus offshore oil discovery, putting pressure on the company's target of making a final investment decision by 2026-end, Bloomberg News reported. TotalEnergies stock was 0.3% higher pre-bell. Equinor (EQNR) and its partners TotalEnergies and Petoro have made an oil and gas discovery at an exploration well near the Oseberg field off the southwestern coast of Norway, the company said. Equinor shares were up more than 1% pre-bell.