18 August 2015
West China Cement’s net profit falls by 99% 18 August 2015
China: West China Cement's net profit plunged by 99% year-on-year to US$375,120 in the first half of 2015 as China's economic slowdown took a toll on cement demand, according to Dow Jones. West China Cement's revenue fell by 15.4% to US$264m. As for 2014, it omitted an interim dividend.
Sri Lanka: Tokyo Cement has added a fifth vessel, MV Mohar, to its fleet of cement transport ships in August 2015. The ship is a 22,000t pneumatic bulk cement carrier.
"Logistics is an integral part of our business and the increase in local demand has required us to enhance our capacities not just in transportation, but manufacturing and energy generation. We are always striving to improve our business performance because doing so is Tokyo Cement's contribution to building Sri Lanka and ensuring strong, sustainable development," said Tokyo Cement Group Managing Director S R Gnanam.
With a 1Mt/yr production capacity increase in Trincomalee, the new vessel will transport cement to the Colombo Port in order to distribute more efficiently. "The cement industry is often described as a barometer of a country's march to economic development and prosperity. What we are currently seeing is a surge in demand for products and services, which is a good indicator of market confidence. Over the last three decades, Tokyo Cement has built itself up to become one of Sri Lanka's most valuable brands, with an installed capacity of over 2Mt/yr of cement, over 600 employees and US$149m in assets. Our success reflects the continuing growth of Sri Lanka and its economy," said Gnanam.
Allied Cement swings to a loss 18 August 2015
China: Hong Kong's Allied Cement's revenue fell by 28.8% year-on-year to US$259m in the first half of 2015. It reported a net loss of US$3.61m, compared to a US$15.2m net profit in the same period of 2014. No interim dividend was declared.
India: The acquisition of Lafarge India's two cement plants by Birla Corporation may come unstuck. According to local media, there are questions being raised on the outcome of the deal, which is the biggest acquisition in the 96-year history of Birla Corporation.
The ownership dispute between the Birla family and the Lodhas, who currently manage Birla Corporation, could create obstacles for the deal. After the death of Priyamvada Birla in 2004, the widow of M P Birla, her will had named R S Lodha, a chartered accountant and close confidant of the family, as the heir to her entire estate which ran into billions of US Dollars. This was hotly contested by the Birla family on the legal front. Today, the late R S Lodha's son, Harsh Lodha, is the chairman of Birla Corporation. The M P Birla Group has around a 63% stake in Birla Corporation.
There are now doubts whether the Birla Corporation's deal to acquire Lafarge India's assets may be consummated, given the continued ownership dispute. However, Debanjan Mondal, a partner in Fox & Mondal, the legal counsel of Harsh Lodha, said that, "If required, appropriate shareholders resolution will be taken for the acquisition. This has nothing to do with the will dispute and it will not come in the way of the deal." Analysts have highlighted that Birla Corporation would have to raise funds to finance the transaction, requiring the mortgage of assets, which may be difficult given the ownership dispute.