Cement News tagged under: europe

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Holcim less optimistic on European construction market

27 February 2013, Published under Cement News

Holcim said on Wednesday that it was less optimistic about the prospects for the European construction market in 2013 as it reported worse-than-expected earnings for its fourth quarter. "While group regions Asia Pacific, North America and Latin America are expected to witness higher sales volumes, Holcim is somewhat less optimistic with regard to Europe and Africa Middle East," the Swiss company said. Like many building supply companies, Holcim has been hit by a slowdown in the European...

Holcim Croatia posts operating loss amid challenging market conditions

21 February 2013, Published under Cement News

Holcim Croatia posted an operating loss of around HRK18.8m (EUR2.5m) last year as the domestic cement industry continues to face difficulties, and the near-term outlook for demand growth remains negligible. "The negative trends that have gripped the construction sector in the past four years and the problems with the collection of claims because of the generally poor liquidity in the country strongly influenced Holcim Croatia's business last year," SeeNew quoted Holcim Croatia CEO Mario G...

Lafarge's 2012 consolidated sales rise on higher prices, emerging markets

20 February 2013, Published under Cement News

Lafarge reported a 3.5 per cent rise in consolidated sales for 2012 driven by price increases across all product lines, higher cement volumes in Latin America and Asia and favourable foreign exchange effects. For this year it sees growth in cement demand with emerging markets continuing to lead the way. The group achieved cost savings of EUR410m in the year, delivering on its cost savings target as its savings plan is gathering pace generating EUR80m of EBITDA in 2012. EBITDA and curre...

EU December construction output falls MoM

20 February 2013, Published under Cement News

Construction output fell by 1.7 per cent in the euro area EA17 and by 2.7 per cent in the EU27 in December 2012, compared with the previous month. The largest monthly declines were seen in Bulgaria, Poland and Germany, in descending order, according to first estimates released by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. Compared with December 2011, production in December 2012 dropped by 4.8 per cent in the euro area and by 8.5 per cent in the EU27. Compared with 2011, t...

Spain’s cold spell continues as January demand drops 21.5% YoY

19 February 2013, Published under Cement News

Spanish cement producers have had a frosty start to the year as cement consumption continues to fall. January 2013 data show a 21.5 per cent decrease to 892,783t from 1.138Mt recorded in January 2012, according to the country’s cement association Oficemen. Local cement producers have also cut output by 30.7 per cent to 948,443t when compared to the 1.369Mt manufactured during January 2012. “If 2012 was one of the worst years ever known the cement industry in our country, starting in 20...

ETS: 2013 distribution of free allowances postponed

06 February 2013, Published under Cement News

On 25 January 2013, the European Commission announced a delay in the distribution of free allowances to industrial installations participating in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), scheduled by the end of February 2013, reports Cembureau. According to an official statement, "the Commission aims to conclude the overall process as soon as possible in order to provide industrial installations and all other market participants with certainty". Cembureau points out that on 12 December 201...

Spanish demand sees largest drop for over 70 years

21 January 2013, Published under Cement News

Cement consumption in Spain has seen its full-year figures for 2012 fall even further than the pessimistic forecasts predicted by Oficemen in December. Last year, cement demand contracted 34 per cent YoY to 13.5Mt, representing the largest decline in the Spanish cement market’s history for several decades. Only in 1936 a larger drop was found. Full-year output figures registered a fall of just under 29 per cent to 22.18Mt. “We face data that are really symptomatic of the poor state of he...

Euro area construction output down 0.4 per cent in November

18 January 2013, Published under Cement News

Construction output in the 17-nation euro area decreased 0.4 per cent in November according to first estimates released by Eurostat. In Germany, Europe’s largest economy, November construction advanced one per cent from a month earlier, while Spain gained 1.2 per cent, according to today’s report. However, these gains were offset by falls in France and Italy, where output dropped 0.5 per cent and 3.4 per cent, respectively. In the 27-nation EU, construction fell 0.9 per cent from October...

Siam Cement in talks for European acquisitions

15 January 2013, Published under Cement News

Siam Cement is in talks to buy building materials, petrochemical business in Europe, according to its chief executive Kan Trakulhoon. Mr Trakulhoon told reporters that the company would invest about THB200bn (US$6.6bn) in five years from 2013, mainly in ASEAN countries. At least one fifth of that amount (THB40bn) will be spent in 2013, he added. Mr Trakulhoon, however, did not specify which companies Siam Cement will target.

Deutsche Bank more positive on European building sector in 2013

20 December 2012, Published under Cement News

Deutsche Bank expects cement stocks to be among the front runners in any cyclical recovery in 2013 and recommends "buying" HeidelbergCement, Buzzi Unicem and Lafarge as its top picks within the sector, according to reports by Bloomberg. The bank takes a more positive view on the European building materials sector saying it should benefit from a return to 3.5 per cent  global GDP growth while there could well be a growth surprise in the euro area. "Into 2013 we believe the significant lever...