HPCL Stock Surges on Motilal Oswal's 'Buy' Call: Rs 590 Target Hints at 31% Upside!

Motilal Oswal has reissued its 'Buy' recommendation for Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), projecting a significant 31% upside with a target price of Rs 590. This optimistic outlook is driven by recent governmental support, improving operational margins, and the imminent operationalization of critical expansion projects.

Brokerage Outlook

• Motilal Oswal has maintained its positive stance on HPCL, setting a firm target price of Rs 590, which represents a substantial 31% increase from its current trading levels around Rs 450.
• The brokerage report suggests that the market is currently not fully pricing in the anticipated improvements in HPCL's financial performance and operational efficiency.

Key Growth Drivers

• A significant catalyst is the confirmed LPG compensation package from the government, amounting to Rs 660 crore monthly, set to commence from November 2025 to October 2026.
• This compensation directly bolsters profits, as current LPG under-recoveries have decreased significantly, from Rs 135 per cylinder to Rs 30-40.
• HPCL is uniquely positioned to benefit from stable petrol and diesel marketing margins due to its higher dependence on fuel marketing compared to peers.
• The company is forecasting approximately 4% growth in marketing volumes, supported by robust consumption trends for transport fuels.

Refining and Marketing Performance

• Recent weeks have seen a favourable turn in refining margins, with diesel and petrol cracks experiencing a sharp rise in November.
• This surge is attributed to temporary global refinery outages and supply chain disruptions stemming from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, offering HPCL a short-term performance boost.
• Even as global conditions evolve, the current favourable crack spreads provide an immediate advantage.

Project Pipeline

• Two crucial, long-delayed projects are approaching their commissioning phase, promising substantial future contributions.
• The Rajasthan refinery (HRRL) has achieved 89% physical progress and is expected to begin crude processing by the end of December, with full ramp-up anticipated within three months. This refinery is designed to produce a higher proportion of valuable middle distillates.
• At Vizag, the Residue Upgradation Facility (RUF) has completed its pre-commissioning tests. It is expected to start operations by February 2026 and could enhance overall gross refining margins by $2-$3 per barrel once operational.

Financial Health and Valuation

• HPCL's operating environment is becoming notably more stable, with shrinking LPG losses, assured compensation, firm refining margins, and new projects nearing completion.
• The company's balance sheet is projected to strengthen, with the net debt-to-equity ratio expected to decrease from 1.3 in FY25 to 0.9 in FY26 and further to 0.7 in FY27.
• Motilal Oswal's financial estimates project HPCL's EBITDA to reach Rs 29,200 crore in FY26 and profit after tax at Rs 16,700 crore.
• Current valuations remain attractive, with the stock trading at 7.1 times FY27 earnings and 1.3 times book value, which is below its historical average.

Impact

• This positive outlook from a major brokerage firm could lead to increased investor confidence and potentially drive HPCL's stock price higher.
• The stable operational environment and new project contributions are expected to improve the company's financial health and profitability.
• Impact Rating: 8/10

Difficult Terms Explained

• LPG under-recoveries: The difference between the cost of supplying Liquefied Petroleum Gas and its selling price, often borne by oil companies when government-regulated prices are lower than market costs.
• EBITDA: Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization, a measure of a company's operating performance.
• Diesel and Petrol Cracks: The difference between the price of crude oil and the selling price of refined products like diesel and petrol, indicating refinery profitability.
• Residue Upgradation Facility (RUF): A unit in a refinery designed to convert heavy, low-value by-products into more valuable fuels like diesel and gasoline.
• EV/EBITDA: Enterprise Value to Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization, a valuation multiple used to assess a company's total value relative to its operating cash flow.
• Sum-of-the-parts valuation: A method of valuing a company by valuing each of its business segments or assets separately and then summing them up.