Stock Market Update

[BRIEFING.COM] The S&P 500 (-0.2%) remains below its flat line, with nine sectors trading lower, while the energy sector (flat) holds the top spot in the standings.

Refiners remain a pocket of notable strength, with Marathon Petroleum (MPC 423.54, +1.58, +0.37%), Valero Energy (VLO 411.08, -1.45, -0.35%), and Phillips 66 (PSX 273.45, -0.76, -0.28%) reaching fresh record highs and extending their year-to-date gains to 163%, 155%, and 114%, respectively. Those advances have contributed to the energy sector's 43% gain since the end of 2025. The sector's modest headline gain understates some of the underlying strength, as losses in heavyweight components Exxon Mobil (XOM 162.86, -0.41, -0.25%) and Chevron (CVX 211.04, -0.53, -0.25%) mask gains in roughly half of the remaining components. Meanwhile, WTI crude has recovered most of an overnight decline and moved back above $101 per barrel.