BUZZ-US energy sector climbs on China stimulus hopes

S&P 500 Energy sector .SPNY rises ~1%, tracking crude prices, which are on track for a weekly gain O/R

Benchmark Brent crude LCOc1 up 1.1% at $74.06 a barrel and U.S. WTI crude CLc1 up 1.2% at $70.50 a barrel, spurred by expectations of an economic recovery in China, the world's biggest oil importer, and by forecasts of lower U.S. inventories

Energy majors Exxon Mobil XOM.N and Chevron CVX.N up 0.7% each

SLB SLB.N, Occidental Petroleum OXY.N, Marathon Petroleum MPC.N, Hess Corp HES.N, Phillips 66 PSX.N and Halliburton HAL.N are among the top pct. gainers on the energy index, up between 1% and 1.3%

(Reporting by Vallari Srivastava in Bengaluru)

((Srivastava.Vallari@thomsonreuters.com))