

OMC stocks look undervalued—but fundamentals tell a different story
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Shares of India’s state-run oil marketing companies (OMCs) have declined 6-9% over the past month, hit by recent volatility in marketing margins. The margin on diesel fell to an 18-month low of negative ₹0.3 per litre in the third week of November amid US sanctions on Russian firms that have disrupted diesel exports.
Still, the sell-off in these stocks appears sentiment driven rather than rooted in fundamentals, given the gains from low crude oil prices, unchanged retail prices, and the drop in LPG under-recoveries. Brent crude is currently trading around $62 per barrel, compared with about $67 per barrel in the half year ending September (H1FY26) and $79 per barrel in FY25. Several brokerages remain optimistic.
“We feel street expectations remain materially misaligned with the run-rate visible in Q3FY26 which is likely to sustain in Q4," noted Antique Stock Broking in a 10 December report. The brokerage has raised its FY26 Ebitda estimates by 7%, 10% and 1% for Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd (HPCL), Bharat Petroleum Corp.
Ltd (BPCL), and Indian Oil Corp. Ltd (IOCL)–the three OMCs–respectively. The combined Ebitda of the three OMCs projected to grow by 66% year-on-year in FY26, following the 46% decline seen in FY25.
While marketing margins are volatile, Indian OMCs’ profits are driven by integrated margin, which comprises both refining and marketing. “We submit, while the discussion on marketing margins moves sentiment and stocks, the structure of earnings and an integrated margin trend provide comfort," said an ICICI Securities report. It estimates H2FY26 integrated margin to be broadly in line, or marginally higher than H1 figures of ₹8-10 per litre.
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