US Energy Sector Rises, Looks Toward Inventory Update

By Steve Gelsi

Energy stocks rose with the broader market in early action Wednesday as strength in the broad market and higher oil prices provided a lift ahead of key weekly petroleum supply data from the Energy Information Administration.

A relatively bright piece of economic data encouraged investors, with the Consumer Price Index rising 0.7% as expected in June on higher gas prices.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, August futures contracts for crude oil rose $1.18 to $60.70.

The NYSE Arca Oil Index (XOI) jumped 2.2% to 900. The NYSE Arca Natural Gas Index (XNG) rose 2.6% to 412. The Philadelphia Oil Service Index (OSX) rose 2.1% to 158.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up about 134 points, or 1.6%, at 8,493.

In a cause for optimism in the energy sector, OPEC now sees world oil consumption will grow by 500,000 barrels a day in 2010 after two years of declines, through demand in China, India, the Middle East and Latin America.

Among stocks in the spotlight, analysts at Tudor Pickering Holt on Wednesday upgraded shares of Questar Corp. (STR) to a buy based on valuation. The gas producer's holdings in the Haynesville Shale are "going to be bigger and more impactful sooner that Wall Street realizes," analysts said. Shares rose 3.1% to $31.59.

Also in the natural gas sector, Chesapeake Energy (CHK) rose 4% to $19.20 after Calyon Securities raised its rating on the company to buy.

Petro China (PTR) rose 2.4% to $105.51, despite a downgraded by Morgan Stanley to equal weight from overweight.

-Steve Gelsi; 415-439-6400; [e-mail]