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Cambodia will cap cement plants at five

19 September 2017, Published under Cement News

Cambodia is in the middle of a cement capacity expansion programme, but a state official has announced that the country's government will not offer more than the five cement production licences for the plants that will be operational by the end of the year. The licence cap only applies to production facilities. While companies must obtain production licences from the Ministry of Industry, quarry permits are issued by the Ministry of Mines and Energy, according to Phnom Penh Post. "W...

Cimpor's 1H volumes down 2.7 per cent

14 September 2017, Published under Cement News

Cimpor reported that first-half 2017 EBITDA growth in Argentina, Paraguay and South Africa, and to a lesser extent Portugal, mitigated adverse operating environments in the company’s other group regions. Sales of EUR921m (US$1.096bn) rose 2.6 per cent YoY. An average price adjustment of 10 per cent offset lower volumes.  EBITDA of EUR166m was 2.6 per cent lower compared to 1H16 on the back of non-recurring costs. Excluding these items, EBITDA remained stable. Cement and clinker volumes...

Brazil eight-month sales update

13 September 2017, Published under Cement News

Cement sales in Brazil for the first eight months of 2017 fell by eight per cent YoY to 35.7Mt, according to preliminary industry data gathered by Sindicato Nacional da Indústria do Cimento (SNIC). In August 2017 alone, sales fell by 0.9 per cent YoY to 5Mt. Sales per working day were down by 0.9 per cent YoY but saw growth of 0.1 per cent compared to July 2017. Cumulative 12 month sales In the 12 months to the end of August 2017, cumulative sales totalled 54.3Mt, 8.8 per cent less th...

PIC reportedly backs joint offer for PPC

13 September 2017, Published under Cement News

PPC'S largest shareholder, Public Investment Corporation (PIC), is supporting a joint offer for South Africa's biggest cement-maker from domestic rival AfriSam Group and Canadian insurer Fairfax Financial Holdings, as the merger would create a national champion, according to people familiar with the matter, reported in the Cape Argus. The enlarged cement producer will be able to benefit from significant cost savings as well as expand more effectively on the continent, according to the sou...

Argentina sees 7% rise in August demand

12 September 2017, Published under Cement News

Cement consumption in Argentina increased 7.4 per cent to 1.122Mt in August 2017 from 1.044Mt in August 2016, according to the country’s cement association, AFCP. The organisation also noted a 10.3 per cent rise MoM from 1.017Mt in July 2017. Domestic dispatches by Argentina’s cement producers increased 6.7 per cent YoY and 10.4 per MoM to 1.113Mt in August 2017. Volumes in August 2016 and July 2017 reached 1.043Mt and 1.008Mt, respectively. To meet market demand, some 9194t of cement wer...

CNBM & Sinoma merger could complete by year-end

12 September 2017, Published under Cement News

China National Building Material Group Co (CNBM) said that it will complete merging with China National Materials Group Corp (Sinoma) by December or early next year. The announcement came after nine subsidiaries of the two groups suspended trading last week. Various media outlets, quoting business insiders, indicated they were accelerating the merger. The merger was first unveiled in August last year after the State Council, or China’s Cabinet, approved the deal. The exchange ratio has ...

Vassiliko posts 5% 1H net profit rise

11 September 2017, Published under Cement News

Cyprus-based Vassiliko Cement Works plc generated a net profit of EUR12.7m (US$15.3m) in the first half of 2017, representing a five per cent rise YoY from EUR12.1m in 1H16. Total revenue rose from EUR49m in 1H16 to EUR52.8m in 1H17, the company said in a statement on the Cyprus Stock Exchange. Cost of sales rose to EUR35.1m, from EUR30.4m, and distribution costs fell to EUR2.4m, from EUR2.7m. As a result, operating profit before the cost of finance dropped to EUR13.3m, from EUR14m. ...

S&PGR upgrades Anhui Conch Cement

06 September 2017, Published under Cement News

S&P Global Ratings (S&PGR) today raised its long-term corporate credit rating on Anhui Conch Cement Co. Ltd. (Conch Cement) to 'A' from 'A-'. The outlook is stable.   "We raised the rating on Conch Cement because we expect the company to continue to lower its financial leverage over the next 12-24 months owing to a likely improvement in its operating efficiency and a disciplined approach to investment and expansion," the rating's agency said.   In its base case, S&PGR expect Conch Cement's ...

Loma Negra files for IPO

06 September 2017, Published under Cement News

Argentine cement maker Loma Negra Corp has filed for an initial public offering, according to a SEC filing late Tuesday. "We believe that the economic recovery of Argentina represents one of the most attractive opportunities in global emerging markets today," the company said in the filing. "Cement consumption is highly correlated to economic activity and we expect demand for cement to grow significantly within the next five years in Argentina." Risks included cement-industry cycl...

AfriSam submits revised PPC merger offer

05 September 2017, Published under Cement News

South Africa’s cement maker AfriSam has submitted a revised merger approach to larger domestic rival PPC, the company said on Monday. AfriSam’s latest proposal values PPC at 5.75 rand per share, or SAR9.2bn (US$709.47m), and is the company’s  third attemp to merge with PPC and create a pan-African cement group with assets across six countries. As part of the proposal, the African unit of Canada's Fairfax Africa Holdings offered to buy 22 per cent of PPC at 5.75 rand per share for SAR2b...