Displaying items by tag: Colombia
Cementos Argos reports mixed results in 2018
19 February 2019Colombia: Poor weather in the US reduced Cementos Argos’ sales revenue in 2018. Its sales revenue fell by 1.4% year-on-year to US$2.7bn in 2018 from US$2.74bn in 2017. Cement sales volumes decreased by 1.1% to 16Mt from 16.2Mt. The cement producer said that its cement volumes in the US were impacted by weather and a 43 day halt at its Martinsburg Plant in Texas, US. However, its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 8% to US$494m from US$457m. This was in part due to an improved Colombian construction market.
Colombian cement production grows modestly in 2018
31 January 2019Colombia: Ordinary Portland Cement production grew by 1.2% year-on-year to 12.5Mt in 2018 from 12.3Mt in 2017. Data from DANE, the Colombian statistics authority, shows that deliveries to the local market increased slightly, by 0.2%, to 12Mt. Production grew faster in December 2018 on a year-on-year basis with 6.8% growth.
Former vice president of Cemex Colombia facing legal action in US
22 November 2018Colombia/US: Edgar Ramírez, the former vice president of planning for Cemex in Colombia, has been summoned by the US judiciary in relation to the Maceo cement plant corruption case. Ramírez reportedly fled to the US following calls for his arrest in Colombia earlier in 2018, according to W Radio. Another suspect in the case - Eugenio Correa Díaz, the former representative of CI Calizas y Minerales, which sold the property to the cement producer, is also being questioned by the US authorities. Ramírez and accomplices allegedly paid over US$13m to Correa, despite being aware of the fact that the property was in the process of being expropriated over unpaid taxes.
Poor Colombian performance drags on Cementos Argos sales
14 November 2018Colombia: Falling sales at home have reduced Cementos Argos’ sales so far in 2018. Its revenue decreased by 1.8% year-on-year to US$1.99bn in the first nine months of 2018 from US$2.03bn in the same period in 2017. Its sales volumes of cement declined slightly to 12.1Mt. However, its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 6.1% to US$355m from US$330m.
“It´s been a year full of challenges and opportunities in which we have been focused on the strengthening of our value proposition, looking forward to be a strategic ally for our clients´ projects; improving the competitiveness of our operations through the execution of BEST, ensuring we have the financial flexibility to mitigate market risks, taking advantage of growth opportunities and becoming a leaner, more innovative and sustainable company for the years to come,” said Juan Esteban Calle, chief executive officer (CEO) of Cementos Argos.
By region, revenue fell by a little in the US and cement sales volumes remained stable. This was blamed, in part, on the negative effects of Hurricane Florence on its market in the Carolinas in the third quarter and on falling prices. Revenue and sales volumes were down in Colombia due to a poor market although this started to recover in the third quarter, notably with improving earnings. In the Caribbean and Central America region its revenue and sales volumes increased, lead by growth in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and the Eastern Caribbean. Despite this, EBITDA margin fell due to decreased despatches in Honduras and Panama.
Cementos Argos loses trademark battle over Luz Verde brand
18 October 2018Colombia: Cementos Argos has lost a trademark dispute over its Luz Verde brand. The Superintendent of Industry and Commerce (SIC) has authorised wholesale travel agent Luz Verde Representaciones to register its Luz Verde brand despite the objections of the cement producer, according to La República newspaper. SIC considered the opposition of Cementos Argos invalid as the companies operate in different business sectors. The company had previously lost another legal conflict with Energy Evolution Colombia for the registration of a motto including the element Luz Verde.
Cementos Argos preserves place in Dow Jones Sustainability Index
14 September 2018Colombia: Cementos Argos has been ratified for the sixth consecutive year as a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), which recognises good practices in terms of economic, environmental and social sustainability of the companies registered in stock markets. Celsia, a Grupo Argos energy subsidiary, was also included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the Latin American Integrated Market (MILA) - Pacific Alliance, which recognises companies with the best economic, social and environmental practices in Chile, Peru, Mexico and Colombia. Grupo Argos and Cementos Argos were also included.
"Being ratified as world leaders in sustainability by Dow Jones is the result of our conscious investment, our commitment to a responsible operation of all our businesses, and our permanent interest to positively impact society, respecting our planet," said Jorge Mario Velasquez, chief executive officer (CEO) of Grupo Argos.
In 2018 more than 3500 companies around the world were invited to participate, but only 317 were selected as members of the worldwide DJSI.
Colombia continues gentle slide
31 August 2018Colombia: Cement production reached 1.02Mt in Colombia in July 2018, a 5.2% year-on-year fall compared to July 2017, according to DANE, the country’s statistics authority. In July 2018 the country shipped 0.99Mt to the domestic market, a 4.7% year-on-year fall.
So far in 2018, cement production reached 6.98Mt, a decrease of 1.8% compared to the period January - July 2017. In the 12 months to the end of July 2018, cement production reached 12.2Mt, a decrease of 2.2% compared to the period August 2016 to July 2017.
Colombia: DANE, Colombia's national department for statistics, has announced that sales of grey cement stood at 0.94Mt between January and June 2018, which represented an increase of 3.6% compared to the same period of 2017. A DANE report indicated a gradual recovery of the sector after a sales drop of 10% registered in March 2018. However, the Colombian Association of Concrete Producers (Asocreto) has predicted that consumption would close the year with similar results to those posted in 2017, when sales were lower than in 2015 and 2016.
Colombian slowdown affects Cementos Argos
14 August 2018Colombia: Cementos Argos has announced that its second quarter net profit for 2018 slid by 59.7% to US$10m, due to a slowdown in the construction sector. Its operating revenue rose by 1.4% to US$741.6m during the same period.
“A recovery in demand is expected during the second half of the year given the increase in consumer confidence and positive signs for the residential sector, especially in social housing," said Cementos Argos in a statement.
Cemex joins the divestment party
01 August 2018Cemex joined the divestment party this week with the news that it plans to sell up to US$2bn worth of assets by the end of 2020. Put that together with LafargeHolcim’s own divestment plan of selected assets worth up to US$2bn as part of its Strategy 2022 and there is potentially a lot of cement production infrastructure going on sale over the next few years.
Both companies say that they will start announcing the latest round of divestments in the second half of 2018. Prices vary considerably around the world - and remember this is not only cement - but at, say, US$250m per integrated plant that could amount to 16 units. That’s a big enough manufacturing base to build your very own cement production empire! So, which markets might the two companies be considering leaving?
Cemex’s weaker areas in its half-year report were its South, Central America and the Caribbean region and, to a lesser extent, its European region. The former reported falling sales, cement volumes and earnings. The latter reported falling earnings on a like-for-like basis with issues noted across cement, ready-mix concrete and aggregate business lines in the UK. Back in Central and South America, problems were noted in Colombia due to a 10% fall in cement sales in the first half. An important point to make here is that despatch figures from the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) out this week suggest that Colombia’s overall cement market has picked up since April 2018 (see Graph 1), in contrast to Cemex’s experience. Panama, meanwhile, saw cement volumes wither by 22% due to the 30-day strike by construction workers. Other operations to consider for the chop might include Cemex Croatia, which the company attempted to sell to HeidelbergCement and Schwenk Zement in 2017, before the European Commission put an end to that idea.
Graph 1: Annual change of cement despatches in Columbia in 2017 and 2018. Source: DANE.
When asked directly during its second quarter results call which assets it was intending to sell, chief executive officer (CEO) Fernando Gonzalez didn’t answer on commercial grounds. What he did say though was that the company had faced ‘headwinds’ in the Philippines, Egypt and Colombia, particularly in relation to fuel prices. He also said that Cemex had finished its market analysis, that it knew exactly which assets it would like to sell already and that it was in ‘execution’ mode. In Gonzalez’s own words, “we do have a number of assets to be divested, either because they are low growth, or because they are not necessarily integrated to other business lines.”
As covered a couple of week ago, the obvious location for LafargeHolcim to exit is Indonesia. CEO Jan Jenisch continued to refuse to comment on rumours that the company was leaving the country during its second quarter results call. Yet, local production overcapacity, falling earnings and profits and an underperforming but still sparky market make it the ideal candidate. What Jenisch did reveal was that the country had ‘positive momentum.’ Perhaps more importantly he added, “We are not selling because we want to sell. We are selling for high valuations only.”
Other potential locations for LafargeHolcim to leave might include Brazil and parts of the Middle East and Africa. Brazil’s cement market recovery has been a few years coming and was delayed again by a truck drivers’ strike in May 2018. The Middle East Africa area was the worst performing region in LafargeHolcim’s mid-year results with problems noted in South Africa.
With all of this in mind we have a rough idea of what Cemex and LafargeHolcim might be considering selling. The obvious candidates for both companies seem to be solid markets that promise growth after a period of underperformance. Just like Colombia and Indonesia in fact. Looking at the track record for both of them in recent years Cemex has seemed to be more ready to sell individual plants such as the Odessa and Fairborn plants in the US to different buyers. LafargeHolcim for its part has generally gone for larger more complete sales of regional or country-based chunks of its business such as in Chile or Sri Lanka.
Finally, don’t forget that Cemex’s Fernando Gonzalez said in March 2018 that the company was considering acquisitions again after a decade of austerity. He mentioned an interest in India and in Brazil. If he meant that last one then maybe he should give LafargeHolcim’s Jan Jenisch a call.