Displaying items by tag: Results

France: Vicat says that group business activity increased month-on-month between April and May 2020. In a special update on business in the context of the coronavirus, the company said that the outbreak’s impacts varied across the 12 countries in which it operates, all of which locked down due to the pandemic.

In France, the level of business is “slightly lower” than in May 2019 following a steady recovery from a “strong slowdown in mid-March 2020.” Macroeconomic and competition issues continue in Egypt and Turkey, not however due to the coronavirus outbreak, while volumes and prices have generally increased in Switzerland, the US, Brazil and Western Africa, except in Senegal, where the government has cancelled infrastructure projects. Following the pan-Indian lockdown between 24 March 2020 and 17 April 2020, business in India has resumed, albeit at a “level significantly below that of the same period of 2019.”

The group says that it is planning cost-cutting measures and has postponed a planned US price rise to late 2020.

India: JK Cement’s sales rose by 10% year-on-year to US$763m in the financial year to 31 March 2020 from US$691m in the same period in 2019. Its sales volumes of cement decreased slightly to 9.8Mt and its profit after tax nearly doubled to US$63.5m. However, its sales fell slightly in the fourth quarter, sales volumes of cement dropped by 7% year-on-year to 2.9Mt and it reported a significantly reduced standalone net profit.

The cement producer said that its operations had gradually stabilising since coronavirus lockdown measures were relaxed. All of its integrated and cement grinding plants had resumed production and despatch. It noted that due to lower power demands less fly ash was available so it is sourcing this from other locations. Labour shortages are also affecting bag supplies and the availability of drivers. As part of cash conservation measures it has restricted capital expenditure to US$66m in the current financial year.

France: Fives’ sales across all business lines rose by 2.5% year-on-year to Euro2bn in 2019, mainly due to positive currency effects. Its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased by 28% to Euro120m from Euro94m due to “a strong increase in orders for equipment and small systems in almost all segments except cement.” However, the group reported a loss of Euro22.6m in 2019, up from 19.9m in 2018.

The equipment manufacturer noted two cement industry trends impacting upon its process technologies division. Firstly, European and American players “continue to streamline their portfolios and cut costs.” Secondly, in the rest of the world, “the market still pays little heed to environmental and energy issues,” meaning that decisions are made at prohibitively low price levels.

India: In the fourth quarter of the fiscal year ending 31 March 2020 Dalmia Bharat sold 5.17Mt of cement worth US$326m, down by 13% year-on-year from US$374m in the same period of the previous fiscal year. Net profit for the quarter was US$3.16m. The company said that the figure was “not comparable to the previous year’s fourth quarter profit of US$34.6 due to a change in reporting standards, according to the Press Trust of India. Full year net profit fell by 32% to US$31.3m from US$45.9m and revenues grew by 2% to US$1.27bn from US$1.25bn.

Egypt: Misr Cement Qena’s first quarter sales were US$50.4m in 2020, up by 2.0% year-on-year from US$49.1m in the first quarter of 2019. Daily News Egypt has reported that the company’s debts on 31 March 2020 were US$30.0m, down by 20% from US$37.5 on 31 December 2019. Misr Cement Qena managing director Tarek Talaat said, “The extraordinary performance in the quarter will contribute to alleviating the repercussions of the coronavirus outbreak on the company’s 2020 results.” Talaat urged the “revitalisation of demand” to boost prices. Egyptian producers produced 78.0Mt of cement in 2019, 29.3Mt surplus to the domestic cement demand of 48.7Mt/yr.

Kazakhstan: Steppe Cement recorded earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of US$23.9m in 2019, up by 12% year-on-year from US$21.4m in 2018. Sales volumes of cement remained stable at 1.7Mt with local sales increasing by 4% and exports decreasing by 29% due to increased competition and negative currency effects. Steppe Cement said that overall domestic demand was 8.9Mt, up by 2% from 8.7Mt in 2018. The company operated at 88% production capacity and production costs per tonne rose by 10% due to increases in fuel and transportation prices.

India: HeidelbergCement has recorded a profit of US$8.77m in the three months to 31 March 2020, up by 8.9% year-on-year from US$8.06m over the corresponding period of the 2018 - 2019 fiscal year. Sales fell by 4.7% to US$67.5m from US$70.8m. HeidelbergCement India has attributed the profit to a decrease in operating expenditure of 8.6%, to US$50.7m from US$55.4m, according to Dion News Service.

Morocco: HeidelbergCement subsidiary Ciments du Maroc made sales of US$88.4m in the first quarter of 2020, down by 9.8% year-on-year from US$100m in the corresponding quarter of 2019. Cement volumes fell by 9.9%. Ciments du Maroc said that it increased its capital expenditure by 43% to US$1.51m from US$824,000.

Nigeria: Dangote Cement has recorded earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation of US$293m in the first quarter of 2020, up by 2.2% year-on-year from US$287m in the first quarter of 2019. Sales rose by 3.8% to US$639m from US$616m. Cement sales volumes fell by 0.6% amid a total suspension of South African operations from late March 2020 due to the coronavirus lockdown.

Dangote Cement chief executive officer (CEO) Michael Puchercos said, “2020 started strongly, with growth across the board despite the early effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are closely monitoring all markets according to the guidance provided by the authorities in each country. We continue to provide superior services and deliver high quality products to our customers.”

India: Birla Corporation has recorded a consolidated net profit of US$25.8m over the three months ending 31 March 2020, the fourth quarter of the Indian fiscal year 2020, up by 52% year-on-year from US$16.9m in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year 2019. Sales were US$223m, down by 5.5% from US$247m. This was due to the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak, which ended dispatches from late March 2020.

Birla Corporation said, “Despite muted market conditions, the company was able to raise price realisation through judicious adjustment of geographic and product mix aimed at increasing the share of blended and premium cements.”

Birla Corporation’s full year net profit for the fiscal year 2020 was a record US$66.7m, nearly doubling from US$33.7m in the fiscal year 2019.