Slovenia's Petrol H1 group net profit up by 15 pct (updated)

Petrol dd Ljubljana

24/08/2018 07:42

(Updates with quote, details)
    LJUBLJANA, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Slovenia's largest fuel
retailer Petrol  PETG.LJ  made a first-half group net profit of
39.1 million euros ($44.7 million) versus 34 million euros a
year ago, boosted by higher sales, the company said on Friday. 
    Total sales rose by 13 percent to 2.4 billion euros, with
natural gas sales jumping by almost 16 times after Petrol last
year took over local gas distributor Geoplin.
    Petrol operates 495 filling stations in Slovenia, Croatia,
Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo.
    "In Slovenia and Croatia economic conditions are improving
while other states in southeastern Europe which are Petrol's
markets are still facing difficult economic conditions, low
purchasing power and high unemployment," Petrol said.
    
    ($1 = 0.8744 euros)

 (Reporting by Marja Novak
Editing by Mark Potter and Edmund Blair)
 ((Marja.Novak@thomsonreuters.com; +386-1-5058805, Reuters
Messaging: marja.novak.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))