"As gasoline and diesel rates dropped slightly last week, and while Hungarian oil and gas group MOL is likely to track the changes by lowering its own fuel prices this week, it may choose not to. Benchmark gasoline rates dropped 2.2% and diesel rates eased by 3.2% over the past week in US dollar terms.Meanwhile, Hungary’s forint has firmed against the USD (it was quoted at around 185 late Friday vs. 187 a week earlier), so the decline in HUF terms was bigger than that, 3.0% and 4.1%, respectively.
As price fluctuations have been rather hectic over the past 12-18 months, MOL's price calls are harder to predict than previously. It is virtually impossible to say how large price changes we can expect this week.
Based on last week’s rate changes, a smaller price cut is in the air, but Portfolio.hu does not believe MOL will act, since there was a similar increase in benchmark fuel rates the week before and MOL did not hike its prices.
Since the company’s last price change (1 Jan in our view) both gasoline and diesel rates have been steady, therefore MOL will most likely keep its prices unchanged this week."
Source: Portfolio Online Financial Journal
18.01.2010