Energy stocks today: Oil’s steep 2025 slide weighs on XLE as OPEC+ meeting nears
NEW YORK, January 1, 2026, 1:54 PM ET — Market closed Energy stocks ended 2025 weaker, tracking a late-year slide in crude that left oil prices with their steepest annual drop since 2020. U.S. markets are shut on Thursday for New Year’s Day, leaving investors to recalibrate positions ahead of Friday’s reopening. Reuters+1 The timing matters because many energy shares still trade as a proxy for oil. Lower crude prices can compress cash flow for producers and slow spending on drilling and well services, while also shaping inflation expectations through gasoline and diesel costs. Reuters+1 In the final session of