Thai Hot Stocks-STP & I up after upbeat Q1, builders outperform

(Adds STPI, builders)

BANGKOK, May 18 (Reuters) - Thailand's benchmark stock
index .SETI was up 0.91 percent at 538.40 at 0821 GMT on
Monday.

Stocks on the move included:

STP & I STPI.BK NEAR 2-MONTH HIGHS; Q1 NET PROFIT DOUBLES

Steel maker STP & I rose 5.3 percent to 9.0 baht, having
hit 10.2 baht, its highest since March 24, after saying its
first-quarter net profit doubled due to rising construction
revenue.

Broker Adkinson rated the stock a speculative buy.

0821 GMT

BUILDERS OUTPERFORM ON GOVT SPENDING PLANS

Construction firms rose, with top builder Italian Thai
Development ITD.BK up 4.4 percent at 2.8 baht as investors
were hopeful they would be big beneficiaries of government
stimulus spending, focused on infrastructure projects, dealers
said.

Ch Karnchang CK.BK climbed 3.6 percent to 4 baht, Sino
Thai Engineering STEC.BK rose 2.7 percent to 3.8 baht and
Nawarat Patanakarn NWR.BK was up 3.7 percent at 0.28 baht.

0823 GMT

PTT PTT.BK HITS 2-WEEK LOWS, Q1 NET PROFIT BELOW F'CASTS

Top energy firm fell 3.4 percent to 202 baht, having hit
199.5 baht, its lowest since May 4, after it posted a 72
percent drop in quarterly net profit late on Friday, missing
forecasts, hurt by falling gas sales and lower contributions
from its petrochemical and refinery businesses. [ID:nBKK197543]

0334 GMT

ESSO ESSO.BK AT 4-MONTH HIGH AFTER UPBEAT Q1 RESULTS

Esso (Thailand) jumped 9.8 percent to 5.4 baht, earlier
rising to 5.65 baht, its highest since Jan. 9, after the Exxon
Mobil unit (XOM.N) posted a 62 percent rise in quarterly
earnings to 1.8 billion baht due to higher refining margins.

0336 GMT

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($1=34.55 Baht)
(Reporting by Viparat Jantraprap; Editing by xxx)