RPT-Unipetrol posts 27 pct rise in 9-month net profit

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PRAGUE, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Czech downstream oil processor Unipetrol <UNPEsp.PR> on Thursday posted a 27-percent rise in its nine-month net profit compared with a year earlier.

Net profit at the unit of Polish oil refiner PKN Orlen <PKNA.WA> rose to 2.91 billion crowns ($132.8 million) in January-September, from 2.29 billion crowns in the year-ago period.

Revenues grew 8 percent to 71.81 billion crowns.

Analysts expected an improvement in Unipetrol's profitability, as petrochemical margins widened following a 20 percent decline in crude oil prices from record highs in August.

PKN Orlen holds 63 percent of Unipetrol, which is involved in crude oil refining, petrochemicals and fuel distribution. ($1=21.91 Czech Crown) ((Reporting by Marek Petrus, editing by Ben Tan; Reuters Messaging: rm://marek.petrus.reuters.com@reuters.net; e-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com or marek.petrus@reuters.com; Tel: +420 602 317 651)) For main central European company news, double click on [.CEE] E.Europe hot stocks [HOT-EEU] Main E.Europe news [TOP/EAST] Related stories on [HU] [PL] [CZ] [EEU-STX] [EEU-RES] [EEU-E] For real-time index quotes, double click in brackets: Warsaw WIG20 <.WIG20> Budapest BUX <.BUX> Prague PX50 <.PX50>

Keywords: ENERGY CZECH UNIPETROL