Oil companies criticized by Trump have increased refining gains since August

In August, Trump reprimanded oil companies for profits considered high. According to Times Brasil, he cited ExxonMobil and Chevron as companies that profited too much from the shortage. Since then, however, refining earnings for industry groups have only increased.

The backdrop is the rise in the sector's profits after the war between the United States and Israel against Iran. According to Times Brasil, the factors cited for the moment are the tight supply of fuel and high refining margins. When there is little fuel available, those who transform oil into derivatives tend to keep a larger share of the final price.

The balance sheets released in the week of the report confirm that the big oil companies continue to make profits, according to Times Brasil. The most relevant data for investors is the evolution of refining, which advanced precisely during the period in which Trump's criticism gained ground.

The situation exposes a familiar dilemma. High profits signal that the market remunerates those with refining capacity, and it is this signal that attracts capital for investments in the sector. At the same time, public criticism shows that rising margins tend to attract the attention of governments, which turns profit into a political issue.

The central question, for those who follow the stock exchange, is whether this pressure is converted into concrete measures or remains restricted to speech.

What changes for the investor

For those who follow energy stocks, the point of attention is the refining margin, which can sustain results as long as fuel supply remains restricted. The counterpart is the risk of political intervention on prices or profits, a theme that has already appeared in Trump's speech. These are factors to monitor in the next balance sheets. This article does not constitute a purchase or sale recommendation and does not project quotations.

Automatically translated from Portuguese.