Cement News tagged under: Competition
Competition Commission clears Shree acquisition of Jaiprakash unit19 November 2014, Published under Cement NewsThe Competition Commission of India (CCI) said it has approved a proposal of Shree Cement to acquire Jaiprakash Associates' 1.5Mta grinding unit in Haryana, saying the deal will not raise anti-competition concerns. The proposed deal involves the transfer of the cement grinding unit at Haryana's Panipat owned by Jaiprakash Associates to Shree Cements by way of a slump sale, a notification on the competition panel's website said. "The proposed combination is not likely to have an a... |
Deutsche Bank upgrades Adelaide Brighton, Australia10 October 2014, Published under Cement NewsDeutsche Bank has upgraded Australian building materials supplier Adelaide Brighton to hold from sell, citing recent share price underperformance. However, Deutsche continues to have concerns around the potential for more contract losses. The broker says Adelaide Brighton is trading on a multiple of 13.3 times earnings – broadly in line with its historical 12-month ratio of 12.9 times. "Upside risks include better pricing outcomes for lime and cement and a faster-than-expected improvement ... |
SA watchdog puts condition on merger approval09 October 2014, Published under Cement NewsThe Competition Commission of South Africa has consented to the merger of Holcim and Lafarge SA on condition that Holcim divests of the shareholding in Afrisam within three years of the approved merger. The watchdog said on its website that it had approved the intermediate merger on 1 October 2014, Holcim exited the South African market a few years ago, except for a stake it held in Afrisam. Until the transaction, it was only Lafarge that operated in South Africa. "The commission f... |
Lafarge & Holcim propose Brazilian divestments05 August 2014, Published under Cement NewsLafarge and Holcim have published a list of proposed asset disposals to Brazilian Competition authority CADE, as part of efforts to help win regulatory approval for their planned merger. The joint Divestment Committee has agreed to propose a package of assets from both Holcim and Lafarge which include three integrated cement plants and two grinding units (with a total cement capacity of 3.6Mta) as well as one ready-mix plant, all located in the southeastern region of Brazil. The proposed... |
Israel: antitrust moves to increase competition29 July 2014, Published under Cement NewsIsrael’s antitrust authority is taking steps to introduce competition in the domestic cement market by calling on the country’s dominant producer to make a plant disposal or adjust discounts to its largest customers. Antitrust Commissioner David Gilo has outlined plans to force Nesher to sell its Har Tov plant which produces about 1Mta of cement and accounts for about 30 per cent of domestic sales. Should Nesher fail to sell the cement works, the company would have to drop the discounts it... |
Lafarge Holcim antitrust reviews ‘on-track’21 July 2014, Published under Cement NewsHolcim and Lafarge are in "advanced" discussions with European antitrust regulators over their proposed merger, Bernard Fontana, chief executive of Holcim, told the Wall Street Journal. Earlier this month, the companies identified shared assets, including 23 plants in eight countries amounting to a total of 27.5Mta, that will be sold to allow the merger to go ahead. Mr Fontana told the newspaper that discussions with the European Union – where the two companies have some of their greatest... |
West Africa surplus looms21 July 2014, Published under Cement NewsWest African economies have performed well over the last decade, registering annual growth rates of up to eight per cent. However, as the region furiously builds new production facilities, overcapacity is set to hit the cement sector and the environment remains rather uncertain. By Trond Waerp & Finn Arnoldsen, Africa Consulting Services, Norway. West Africa’s cement producers can look forward to declining import volumes as the region is increasingly capable of supplying the domest... |
Martin Marietta to resolve TXI competition issues24 June 2014, Published under Cement NewsMartin Marietta Materials, Inc expects to enter into an agreement with the US Department of Justice that will resolve all competition issues with respect to the proposed acquisition of Texas Industries, Inc. Martin Marietta believes that the agreement will be finalised this week. While Martin Marietta is not in a position to state the terms of the agreement until it is final, it anticipates that the agreement will require the divestiture of Martin Marietta's North Troy aggregates quarry i... |
Brazil’s CADE fines six cement companies US$1.4bn for price-fixing29 May 2014, Published under Cement NewsBrazil’s antimonopoly authority CAD has fined six cement companies a total fine of BRL3.1bn (US$1.4bn) for fixing market prices. Votorantim Cimentos SA , Camargo Correa-owned Intercement Brasil, ITAB Agro Industrial SA and Cia Cements Itambé SA, Holcim and Cimpor agreed to fix prices to eliminate market competitors, said CADE in a10-hour hearing. Votorantim has been ordered to pay BRL1.5bn, Holcim BRL508m, Itabira BRL411m, Cimpor BRL297m and Intercement Brasil BRL241m. CADE has also ... |
Kenya: Lafarge under competition probe16 May 2014, Published under Cement NewsKenya’s antitrust authority may force Lafarge SA to sell some of its domestic interests if the cement maker is found to be flouting domestic competition rules, according to Bloomberg reports. The Competition Authority of Kenya is probing Lafarge’s influence on Kenya’s cement industry through its 59 per cent stake in Bamburi Cement Co and 42 per cent shareholding in East Africa Portland Cement Co (EAPCC). The findings will be published next month, Director-General Francis Kariuki said in an ... |