Page 3 - Cement Companies

Covid-19 impact: Retail demand for cement, steel goes missing amid lockdown

While companies are unable to move material, dealers continue to suffer due to absence of any business

Cement players with focus on North and Central India remain better placed

Most regions show cement prices per 50 kg bag to have improved by 0.7-5.0 per cent, while average prices in South India are still down 0.4 per cent.

Cement companies rush to eastern India to seize upon demand uptick

In the recent past, demand remained muted in north, central and western India at 3-5 per cent and volume growth declined by around five per cent in south India

Realisations still under pressure for cement firms as demand remains muted

With growth having shrunk 0.5 per cent year-on-year during FY20 so far, as per latest estimates, price recovery seems distant

ACC delivers a decent performance amid demand and liquidity challenges

The operating performance should see some benefits from decling raw material costs, however demand recovery holds key for significant upside

Up for sale, Emami Cement seeks valuation of Rs 8,000-9,000 crore

Group seeks to pare debt using sales proceeds; potential buyers feel valuation sought is high

Significant upside hinges on demand revival in cement industry: Analysts

Cut in corporation tax provides respite, say analysts

Expect cement prices, demand to recover in second half of FY20: Srinivasan

He expects increased spending on infrastructure projects by the Centre and acceleration in infrastructure projects and development schemes by the new government in Andhra Pradesh to spur the industry

Birla Corp to increase focus on premium cement brands to boost profits

The company introduced several premium brands in the first quarter of the current fiscal year

Weak volumes take sheen off UltraTech Cement's Q1 show; stock falls over 2%

Better realisations though helped post strong profitability and helped company beat analysts' expectations

Pressure on cement companies amid price recovery delay due to higher supply

Analysts cautious on sector given the inadequate profit triggers

Cement companies on a capacity expansion spree; price rise uncertain

At present, almost every cement major in the country has announced a capacity expansion plan

ACC, Ambuja stocks gain about 3-5% each on improving growth outlook

Expansion in profitable regions expected to improve growth visibility and allay concerns on market share gain

UltraTech, ACC, Shree Cement see volume growth despite cost pressure

Higher sales volume and realisations did well to overcome cost pressure

No pricing respite yet for cement firms; higher realisations crucial

Ban on sand mining, especially in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Tamil Nadu, was one of the key reasons responsible for a lag in cement demand

Are cement companies headed for a change from petcoke to coal?

At a time when the Supreme Court has banned the use of petcoke in Delhi and the surrounding areas after hearing a public interest litigation on pollution, the cement sector is headed for a change in its raw material mix. As of now, there is little impact on the sector as no company operates any plant in the National Capital Region (NCR) but in case states like Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh come up with any such notification, cement companies in these states are likely to come under stress.According to India Ratings, such ban will be applicable only in those districts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan which fall under NCR; however if the state governments fail to issue a similar notification, then the ban will automatically be applied to the whole state. Senior officials from cement firms are unsure how things will pan out in the near future but they have started arranging for alternative fuels. Shree Cement, whose dependence on petcoke in the kiln is 100 per cent, is now ...