PTT hits near six-year high on record profit and oil surge
Record first-half profit and oil price surge PTT reported record first-half profit of 78.3 billion baht, up about 75%, as oil prices stayed above $100 on Middle East and US-Iran tensions. Foreign investors bought the stock, pushing it to a near six-year high of 43.25 baht.
This is the main new positive driver of PTT's price in Q3.
Shareholder returns and investment plans PTT offered a 6–10% dividend yield, a better-than-expected interim dividend, and a share buyback. It also announced a 1-trillion-baht five-year investment plan and secured an SCB credit line, boosting confidence.
These capital actions supported the stock price in Q3.
Government diesel price cut and petrochemical oversupply The government's diesel price cut hurt refinery profits by about 7.2 billion baht, with an additional ~4 billion baht hit at PTTGC. Petrochemical oversupply worsened as Chinese polyolefin imports rose 31%, pressuring margins.
These were the main negative factors weighing on PTT's earnings and stock.
Rising gas costs and Fed rate hikes Natural gas costs climbed to 380 baht per mmBTU, squeezing gas margins. Meanwhile, Fed rate hikes threatened fund flows into emerging markets, including Thailand, adding pressure on PTT shares.
These cost and monetary pressures acted as headwinds for PTT in Q3.
