The spot CPO price crossed the RM2,500 per tonne mark and soared to
a new YTD high of RM2,525 per tonne yesterday. The spike has
sparked interest in the sector. Our checks revealed that the optimism
was caused by the expectation of weaker palm production in Oct.
This has eased concerns about rising
palm oil stocks and boosted the
buying appetite of major consumers
for palm oil. We think the price
improvement could be sustained,
although the upside may be capped
by rising competition from other
edible oils and the narrowing CPO
price discount to soya oil of US$145
per tonne. Maintain Neutral. Our top
picks are Astra Agro, First Resources,
IOI and Wilmar.
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