A prominent fund used to bet on the energy sector on Monday was on pace to post its best daily climb since early June, according to FactSet data. The energy-focused Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF was up 2.2%, setting the ETF up for its sharpest one-day rise since a 2.4% gain on June 9. Gains in the ETF were being led by a 6% rally in shares of Transocean Ltd. and a more than 5% climb in Baker Hughes Inc. . On the day, the energy sector was the best performer among the S&P 500’s 11 sectors, with financials also helping to buoy U.S. equity benchmarks. August West Texas Intermediate crude rose sharply above $46 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, jolted energy stocks higher in a holiday-shortened trading session. The S&P 500 was up 0.3%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.8%, after briefly touching an intraday record of 21,562.75. The Nasdaq Composite Index lagged behind the benchmarks, down 0.5%, as the technology sector extended a bout of weakness amid concerns about tech-share valuations.
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