Energy stocks jump, S&P 500 struggles for direction heading towards closing bell

Energy stocks were climbing sharply Friday afternoon, while the S&P 500 struggled for direction, as U.S. oil prices saw their largest weekly gain since early April. The S&P 500’s energy sector XX:SP500.10 was up 2.3% heading toward the closing bell Friday, while the broader U.S. stock market was mixed, according to FactSet data, at last check. The S&P 500 SPX was about flat in late afternoon trading, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA slipped 0.3% and the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite COMP gained 0.2%. Meanwhile, West Texas Intermediate crude CL00 CL.1 CLQ23 for August delivery rose 2.9% on Friday to settle…