Global Cement News

Argentina: Cement despatches grew by 13% year-on-year to 3.08Mt in the first three months of 2018 from 2.72Mt in the same period in 2016. The Asociación de Fabricantes de Cemento Portland (AFCP) forecasts that despatches will rise by 6% to 12.9Mt in 2018.

India: Sagar Cements has acquired two mini hydroelectric power plants from Sagar Power in Andhra Pradesh. One has a capacity of 4.3MW located at Guntur Branch Canal, Narasaraopet, Guntur District and the other has a capacity of 4MW located at Lock-in-sula, Atmakur, Kurnool District. No amount for the transaction has been disclosed. The cement producer operates two integrated cement plants and one grinding plant.

India: Binani Industries says it has filed an application to stop the insolvency process for its subsidiary Binani Cement. It received an offer from UltraTech Cement to buy its majority stake in the cement producer in late March 2018, according to the Press Trust of India. However, the deal was subject to the ending of insolvency proceedings against Binani Cement whose Credit of Creditors (COC) led by Bank of Baroda had previously approved a bid from Dalmia Bharat.

Meanwhile, Rajputana Properties, a subsidiary of Dalmia Bharat, has asked the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) to stay the settlement process considered by Binani Cement’s CoC. However the NCLAT refused the request. Previously the NCLAT asked the companies trying to buy Binani Cement to ‘amicably’ settle the dispute.

Ireland: The Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) recommends that investors vote against a proposed Euro10m pay rise for executives at CRH. The building materials company is set to increase executive pay at its annual general meeting in late April 2018, according to the Irish Times newspaper. ISS recommends that shareholders vote against a remuneration report for several reasons including CRH's failure to set out targets for its managers and the group's proposal to give its finance director a 10% rise.

In 2017, CRH paid its chief executive officer Albert Manifold a Euro3.12m bonus, Euro2.15m salary and pension and Euro3.4m in share options. His pay was 13% less than in 2016. Finance director Senan Murphy's salary and pension was Euro0.91m and he received a Euro1m bonus. Former group transformation director Maeve Carton, who left the role in August 2017, was paid Euro2.67m.

CRH’s remuneration report says the annual bonus payments are based on a combination of financial targets and ‘personal strategic goals.’ It plans to reveal more details in 2019 once it is no longer commercially sensitive. It defended Murphy's proposed pay rise as he was paid below the market rate when he became financial director in 2016.

US: The Portland Cement Association (PCA) predicts growth of 2.8% in cement consumption in 2018 and 2019 in its Spring Forecast. Growth is then expected to climb to 4% in 2020 as impacts from potential federal infrastructure spending are likely to take effect. The analysis estimates cement consumption at 99.3Mt in 2018, 102.1Mt in 2019 and 106Mt in 2020.

Ed Sullivan, PCA senior vice president and chief economist, has attributed the forecast growth to a variety of positive economic factors including a strong economy, job market and anticipated increase in infrastructure spending. He said that in combination these factors, “suggest a modest acceleration in real GDP, construction markets and cement consumptions.”

However, the PCA projects that ‘robust’ infrastructure spending isn’t likely to occur until the fourth quarter of 2019, given the key steps that must occur, including passage of an infrastructure bill, federal and state paperwork, bid letting and review and finally contract awards leading to construction.