Singapore, Jan 10, 2026, 15:47 SGT — Market closed
- Wilmar shares closed at S$3.11 on Friday, up 0.3%
- Indonesia is weighing a palm oil export levy hike to fund a bigger biodiesel mandate
- Investors now look toward Wilmar’s next results window in mid-February
Wilmar International Limited (SGX: F34) shares edged up 0.3% to S$3.11 at Friday’s close, with the Singapore market shut for the weekend and traders recalibrating around fresh policy noise out of Indonesia.
The timing matters. Wilmar sits across the edible oils chain, so policy tweaks that hit palm oil trade can ripple into prices and volumes, then into what the group earns from processing and trading.
There is also a softer tone in the broader food inflation picture. Investors are getting a reminder that end-demand can cool even when parts of the vegoil market stay tight, and that makes the next earnings read less straightforward.
Indonesia is considering raising its palm oil export levy — a charge on shipments abroad — to help pay for subsidies under its biodiesel programme, Reuters reported. The country currently mandates a 40% palm-based blend (B40) and is aiming to lift it to 50% later this year, with officials saying a meeting on the levy proposal will be held next week. “Whether it is B40 or B50, it has to be raised, according to an economic affairs ministry study,” energy ministry official Eniya Listiani Dewi told reporters. Reuters
In markets, Malaysian palm oil futures firmed on Friday and were set for a weekly rise, helped by strength in rival edible oils and talk around Indonesia’s levy plans, a Reuters report carried by Business Recorder showed. “If Indonesian export levy increased, it will be supportive for Malaysian palm oil export potential,” said Anilkumar Bagani, commodity research head at Mumbai-based brokerage Sunvin Group. Business Recorder
On the demand side, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization said its Food Price Index fell for a fourth straight month in December to 124.3, the lowest average since January 2025. The FAO said vegetable oil prices eased 0.2% in December to a six-month low, though the full-year vegetable oil index was still up 17.1% from 2024.
Wilmar traded between S$3.08 and S$3.12 on Friday, with about 3.19 million shares changing hands, price data showed. The company describes itself as an Asia-focused agribusiness group spanning tropical oils, oilseeds and grains, and sugar — the kind of mix that tends to amplify moves in vegoil prices and policy.
But policy shifts can cut both ways. A higher levy could lift domestic pricing and biodiesel demand in Indonesia, yet it can also squeeze exporters depending on how fast costs pass through, and it can jolt near-term trading margins if flows stall.
The next hard catalyst is results: market calendars tracked by MarketScreener flag Wilmar’s fourth-quarter earnings release as projected for Feb. 18. Investors will be listening for any read-through on biodiesel policy, export levies and edible oil demand.
