Unipetrol management, at a news conference it held yesterday, briefly highlighted the planned transformation of Ceska rafinerska (51% owned by Unipetrol, 49% owned by an IOC consortium of Agip, Shell, Conoco) to a cost center from 2003. The center’s capacity will be used by Unipetrol shareholders pro rata; they will manage the feedstock procurement and product marketing by themselves.
Unipetrol management also said that the amount of direct flood-related damages incurred by the company are estimated at CZK 1.05 bil., and damages from production interruption are estimated at an additional CZK 0.63 bil. (we had previously expected that the total damages would amount to approx. CZK 2 bil.). Unipetrol’s Spolana subsidiary, a chemical plant, was hardest hit by the floods.
Overall there was little new information provided yesterday. Our target price for Unipetrol stock remains CZK 93 per, implying significant upside potential; nevertheless, the currently low trading volumes lead to a reiteration of our accumulate recommendation.
Jiri Soustruznik