Cement Sector

Cement sector to face further consolidation in near-to-medium term: Report

The Indian cement industry, which is witnessing aggressive acquisitions by two of its leading players - Adani group's Ambuja Cement and Aditya Birla's UltraTech, will have further consolidation in the near-to-medium term, according to a report. In the report, rating agency Ind-Ra said that the aggressive medium-term capacity targets of leading players are unlikely to be fully achieved organically and the industry is likely to witness an increase in the competitive intensity. This will also lead to some pricing pressure due to which the gap between leading and small players could continue to widen given the wider presence and better cost efficiencies for large players, India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) said. "Ind-Ra expects the cement sector to witness further consolidation in the near-to-medium term, given the aggressive medium-term capacity targets of leading players that are unlikely to be fully achieved organically," the report said. The rating agency said it also expects dema

UltraTech Cement raises $500 mn through sustainability-linked loans

The company added that the transaction marks the second sustainability-linked financing raised by UltraTech, following its inaugural sustainability-linked bond issuance in 2021

Adani-led Ambuja Cements completes acquisition of Penna Cement Industries

Ambuja Cements' board of directors had approved the acquisition of 100% stake in Penna Cement at an enterprise value of Rs 10,422 crore in June, expanding the firm's southern footprint

Major cement companies report volume growth in Q1, revenue remains muted

Leading cement manufacturers reported single-digit volume growth in the June quarter, though their topline was muted on account of the continued downtrend in the price. Listed manufacturers such as UltraTech, Ambuja Cements, ACC, Shree Cements, and Dalmia Bharat - in their latest quarter earnings reported gains in volumes, ranging from 3 to 9 per cent and increase in capacity utilisation. However, soft cement prices have put their topline under pressure in the April-June period. Besides, raw material costs went up marginally due to an increase in the cost of fly ash and slag. The all-India average cement price was at around Rs 348 per 50 kg bag in June 2024, down around 3 per cent year-on-year. However, this was higher when compared to Rs 335 per bag in May 2024. For the first two months of FY25, the average cement price was at Rs 340 per bag, down 8 per cent YoY. In FY24, the average price was Rs 365 per bag and Rs 375 per bag in FY23, according to the report. Moreover, intense .

Birla Corporation Q1 results: Net profit declines 45% to Rs 33 cr

M P Birla group flagship firm Birla Corporation on Thursday posted a 45 per cent decline in its net profit to Rs 33 crore during the first quarter of the 2024-25 fiscal as compared to Rs 60 crore in the year-ago period. A company statement said that revenue of the company during the April-June period also decreased by 8.9 per cent at Rs 2,207 crore as against Rs 2,423 crore in the similar previous quarter It said weak cement prices coupled with sluggish demand have weighed down the profitability of the June quarter. Sales volumes also declined marginally in the face of contracting demand. Faced with challenging market conditions, the Kolkata-headquartered company focused on reducing variable costs in cement production across its units. The jute division of the company registered a cash loss of Rs 3.9 crore in the quarter under review against a cash profit of Rs 6.4 crore in the similar previous period. Realisation of cement sales per tonne during the first three months of the curr

Ambuja Cements poised for highest volume growth: Nomura upgrades to 'Buy'

Japanese brokerage firm Nomura has upgraded India's second biggest cement company Ambuja Cements to Buy with a target price of Rs 780, an upside of 17 per cent

Kesoram's cement business demerger may be completed by December 2024

The cement business accounted for the bulk of Kesoram's revenue from operations. According to the FY24 annual report, revenue from cement was Rs 3,736.10 crore

Cement sector sees muted growth of 2-3% in Q1FY25 due to LS polls: ICRA

The cement sector has witnessed a muted growth of 2-3 per cent in the first quarter of current fiscal on account of a slowdown in construction activity because of the Lok Sabha polls, according to a report from rating agency Icra. However, the overall volumes for the FY2024-25 are likely to expand by 7-8 per cent driven by a healthy demand from the infrastructure and housing sectors. "Nevertheless, the government's focus on infrastructure projects, sanction of additional houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), and the industrial capex is expected to meaningfully improve cement volume offtake in H2 FY2025," it said. The report also projects further consolidation in the cement industry by the top players to increase their capacity. The sector has witnessed consolidation by leading players such as Aditya Birla group firm UltraTech Cement and Adani group firm Ambuja Cements. Besides, the sector is also expected to continue its organic growth in the medium term as makers ..

UltraTech picks up 23% in India Cements as sector battle hots up

Aditya Birla Group-owned UltraTech Cement to purchase 70.6 mn shares for non-controlling financial investment

Cement shares in demand; India Cements, Orient, JK Lakshmi rally up to 14%

After Lok Sabha Elections and Assembly elections in some States, the centre and States are expected to retain their focus on development agenda, India Cements had said on sector outlook.

Small-sized cement shares in focus; Sanghi, NCL, Saurashtra rally up to 11%

As per media reports, Adani Group was evaluating multiple cement companies like Penna Cement, Saurashtra Cement, JP Associates' cement business & Vadraj Cement for acquisition.

PLI scheme to draw Rs 3-4 trn investments over 4 yrs; boost pvt capex: ICRA

The PLI scheme is expected to attract investments of Rs 3-4 lakh crore in the next four years and generate 2 lakh jobs as large projects in sectors, including semiconductor, solar module and pharmaceutical intermediaries, are expected to take off, a top Icra executive said on Wednesday. Icra Executive Vice President and Chief Ratings Officer K Ravichandran said that going ahead private sector capex is expected to pick up in oil and gas, metals and mining, hospitals, healthcare and cement sectors. However, taking the private sector capex to record high levels would require the government to give some tax breaks so that people have more disposable income in their hands. "Under the PLI scheme, we are expecting Rs 3-4 lakh crore of additional investments in the next 3-4 years. Going ahead, semiconductor, solar module, and pharmaceutical intermediaries are some areas where large projects are expected to happen which can be capital and employment-intensive. They would be generating 2 lakh

JK Lakshmi Cement shares rally 7% on healthy Q4; up 15% in last one year

The surge in JK Lakshmi Cement share was fuelled by robust Q4FY24 results, which came in line with street estimates

Govt rolls out mandatory quality norms for asbestos cement products

The government has issued mandatory quality norms for asbestos or fibre cement-based products to curb the import of sub-standard goods and boost domestic manufacturing. A notification 'Asbestos or Fibre Cement based Products (Quality Control) Order, 2024 ' was issued in this regard by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) on March 6 this year. Under these orders, items cannot be produced, sold, traded, imported and stocked unless they bear the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) mark. "It shall come into force on the expiry of six months from the date of publication of this notification in the Official Gazette," the DPIIT notification said. To safeguard the domestic small/micro industries and ensure smooth implementation of the QCO and ease of doing business, relaxations have been granted to small/micro industries as regards to timeliness. An additional nine months have been given to small industries and an additional 12 months to micro industries to meet

Result preview: Analysts note 'unusual' quarter for cement sector

Expect healthy year-on-year growth in margins in Q4, but sequential decline

Top 4 cement firms on capacity expansion spree, plan to add 42 mtpa in FY25

The top four combined are expected to increase their share in total capacity to 54 per cent by FY26, from 48 per cent in FY23

Raj govt expects to attract investment with e-auction of iron ore blocks

Rajasthan is one of the richest states in terms of availability and variety of minerals in the country, producing over 57 different minerals

Rain Industries tumbles 11% on Q4 loss

Rain Industries reported a net loss of Rs 1,118.80 crore for the December quarter, while revenue from operations declined over 24% to Rs 4,101 crore.

Telangana signs deals worth Rs 12,400 cr with Adani Group at Davos summit

Business conglomerate commits investments in data centre, energy storage, cement plant

Adani Group to invest Rs 1,700 crore in cement sector in Uttarakhand

Besides, the Adani group will also invest Rs 1,400 crore to set up a new grinding unit in the state with a capacity of four million tonnes