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Investing.com -- Shares of Petrol d.d. Ljubljana traded lower on Friday after Slovenia extended regulation of fuel prices to motorway service stations, a move the company said will affect investment plans, even as it reported higher first-half profits.
The government decree adopted on June 13 maintained existing conditions and margin levels for diesel and petrol sales but expanded regulation to include motorway stations. Premium fuels remain exempt.
Petrol said the capped gross fuel margin in Slovenia is the lowest in the European Union, putting pressure on operations and future investment in the country.
In the first six months of 2025, Petrol posted a net profit of €75.2 million, up 44% from €52.1 million in the same period last year.
Operating profit increased 26% to €96.1 million and EBITDA rose 13% to €145.4 million. Revenue from contracts with customers was €2.99 billion, compared with €2.95 billion in 2024.
The group sold 1.96 million tons of fuels and petroleum products in the period, 7% more than last year.
Natural gas sales rose to 11.3 TWh from 10.2 TWh, while electricity sales were 5.9 TWh, nearly unchanged from 2024.
Merchandise and services sales increased 3% to €315.9 million. Petrol said sales grew in Southeast Europe as lower fuel prices in Croatia drew transit customers from Slovenia.
Operating costs decreased to €259.3 million, down 0.4% from a year earlier, even as labor costs rose 9% because of wage indexation.
Net finance expenses fell to €1.6 million, while the company reported a €6.1 million net loss on derivatives, compared with a gain last year.
Total (EPA:TTEF) assets stood at €2.39 billion at the end of June, down 2% from December 2024. Equity was €942.3 million, and net debt fell to €335.9 million.
Standard & Poor’s reaffirmed Petrol’s BBB- long-term credit rating with a stable outlook in February.
The company marked its 80th anniversary in May and opened new service stations in Serbia and Montenegro in June.
Renovations of stations in Slovenia and Croatia continued. The group operated 595 service stations at the end of June and expanded its e-charging network to 621 stations, up from 564 at the end of 2024.
Petrol has also filed legal claims for compensation related to government-imposed price caps. In Slovenia, it is seeking €68.6 million for losses from 2022 to 2024.
In Croatia, its unit filed a €60 million claim over capped fuel prices between 2021 and 2022.