Wall Street closed the Friday, June 15, trading day in negative territory following President Donald Trump's announcement that the U.S. will impose 25% tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese goods, plus threats of more in case of retaliation.
In retaliation, the Chinese government ordered 25% tariffs on 545 U.S. products, including those in the chemicals, medical facilities and energy sectors. The tariffs are set to go into effect on July 6, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average settled 0.34% lower to 25,090.48, and the S&P 500 concluded the day down 0.10% to 2,779.66.
In the energy sector, master limited partnerships and oil and gas companies ended mostly in the red, while utilities extended gains from the previous day. The Alerian MLP Index slid 2.57% to 262.12 and the S&P 500 Energy Index retreated 2.11% to 547.51, while the S&P 500 Utilities Sector rose 0.69% to 251.23.
SandRidge Energy Inc. closed the trading day 1.63% higher to $15.61, on brisk volume. The oil and gas producer said it has been contacted by 17 potential buyers, but one of the bidders, Midstates Petroleum Co. Inc., accused SandRidge of mischaracterizing the nature of their negotiations. Midstates Petroleum shares declined 2.93% in active trading to finish at $11.92.
Anadarko Petroleum Corp. inked a long-term purchasing agreement with Tokyo Gas Co. Ltd. and a unit of Centrica PLC for its LNG project in northern Mozambique. Under the agreement, Tokyo Gas and Centrica Lng Company Ltd. will take 2.6 million tonnes per annum from the beginning of production at the Anadarko-run LNG plant until the early 2040s. Shares of Anadarko fell 3.59% in robust trading to close at $68.49.
Transocean Ltd. settled 3.17% lower on heavy volume to $11.92. The company plans to retire four rigs and place them in hold for sale and is looking to identify additional rigs to retire as it considers the long-term competitiveness of its fleet.
A subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corp. announced that it will expand crude storage capacity at its Altona refinery. The company plans to construct a new tank in an existing crude oil storage area at the refinery site. Exxon closed the day 1.50% lower to $80.66 after brisk trading.
Among electric and diversified utilities, Entergy Corp. added 1.96% to $78.21 and FirstEnergy Corp. gained 1.25% to $34.70, while Sempra Energy, which early in the week saw its share price pop up following a proposal by activist investors, receded 1.24% to $111.91, all in strong trading.
Market prices and index values are current as of the time of publication and are subject to change.