01 November 2024

Thailand: Siam Cement Group (SCG) plans to cut costs by US$147m in 2025 to address a 75% year-on-year fall in nine-month profit to US$202m. Despite stable revenue of US$11.2bn during the period, earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) dropped by 10% year-on-year to US$1.15bn.

In the third quarter of 2024, SCG reported revenue of US$3.79bn and EBITDA of US$292m, with profits dropping by 81% to US$21.3m due to currency exchange losses.

SCG aims to boost liquidity by selling assets and enhancing production efficiency, including a 50% increase in alternative fuel use in cement production, according to The Nation newspaper. Non-profitable businesses will be suspended, with further evaluations by mid-2025.

Thammasak Sethaudom, president and CEO of SCG, anticipates only a 3% rise in revenue for the coming year amidst global economic fluctuations and regional market challenges.

Tanzania/Kenya: Amsons Group will build a US$320m cement plant in northern Tanzania's Tanga area with a production capacity of 5,000t/day, Bloomberg reports. The company also plans to implement a major upgrade at the recently acquired Mbeya Cement in Tanzania, including a new grinding mill, according to Capital News Kenya. Additionally, Amsons plans to invest US$400m in Holcim’s Kenyan subsidiary Bamburi Cement, contingent on its successful US$180m bid.

Edha Nahdi, managing director at Amsons Group, said "Thanks to the support of the Tanzanian and Kenyan governments, our regional expansion plans are now firmly on course. We plan to be one of the largest cement manufacturers in Kenya and Tanzania by 2030."

US: Summit Materials has announced a 50% year-on-year increase in net revenue to US$1.11bn for the third quarter of 2024, attributed largely to the acquisition of Argos US. The company's operating income rose by 52% in the third quarter to US$195m. Despite these gains, net income decreased to US$105m from US$230m in the same period in 2023. Adjusted earnings by interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) for the quarter increased by 51% to US$314.7m, reflecting contributions from the Argos US assets, pricing gains and operational improvements.

The cement segment saw net revenues rise to US$323m. However, organic sales volumes fell by 11% due to adverse weather and moderating demand, leading to lower imported volumes. For the full year 2024, Summit has adjusted its EBITDA forecast to between US$970m and US$1bn and expects capital expenditures to be between US$390m and US$410m.

North Macedonia: Cementarnica Usje, a subsidiary of Titan, reported a 40% year-on-year increase in net profit to US$26.5m for the January - September 2024 period. The company's total operating revenues remained stable compared to 2023’s figures at approximately US$79.7m, while its total operating expenses decreased by 12% year-on-year to around US$50.9m, according to its financial statement.