Global Cement News

France: Italcementi subsidiary, Ciments Français, has agreed to acquire a 6.25% stake in West China Cement (WCC) becoming one of the main shareholders of the Chinese group.

The agreement foresees the sale to WCC of 100% of the share capital of Shaanxi Fuping Cement Company (Fuping Cement) acquired by the Italcementi Group in 2007 against the subscription of a reserved capital increase of WCC. Fuping Cement in turn also owns 35% of the share capital of Shifeng Cement acquired in 2010. Under this agreement, Ciments Français will own a 6.25% stake in the Chinese group, becoming the third largest shareholder of WCC. Ciments Français will be represented with one member on the Board of Directors of WCC.

The transaction is based on a valuation of Fuping equal to approximately Euro87m gross of the net financial debt of the company, approximately Euro26m of which will be deconsolidated. Ciments Français will underwrite 284.2 million shares of WCC at the price of Euro0.216/share.

WCC, a holding company listed in Hong Kong since 2010 with a current market capitalisation of approximately Euro780m, has a total production capacity of approximately 20Mt/yr in Shaanxi and Xinjiang, which will grow before the end of 2012 to 24Mt/yr produced in 15 cement plants (including Fuping Cement and Shifeng Cement). In 2011 WCC reported net revenues close to Euro380m and a net profit of approximately Euro80m.

The transaction, which is subject to the approval of the competent Chinese authorities, is expected to close by the end of the second quarter of 2012.

Greece: Titan Cement has reported a widening quarterly loss after construction activity collapsed in the wake of the Greek debt crisis.

Titan's net loss for the first quarter of 2012 stood at Euro19.4m from Euro4.3m in the same period of 2011. Titan has been hit hard by a plunge in private housing investment and drastic cutbacks in public spending on infrastructure in Greece. Greek building volume contracted for a sixth consecutive year in 2011, shrinking to just a fifth of its size in 2005, the sector's last year of expansion.

"In Greece the uncertainty associated with the ongoing crisis and the worsening economic recession form a particularly challenging backdrop for private building activity," Titan said in a statement. The firm said it would continue cutting its operating costs and that it expected annual savings of Euro26m from a restructuring plan it launched in 2011.

Titan, which earlier in 2012 scrapped its dividend for the first time in 58 years, has been counting on growth in new markets such as north Africa and Turkey to offset the building slump in Greece. Yet, political crisis in Egypt has hurt its prospects there.

Titan's group sales declined by 11% year-on-year to Euro225.4m. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell by 29% to Euro34 m.

Philippines: Holcim Philippines is preparing a US$9.46m upgrade of its formerly closed Batangas mill to meet an anticipated rise in demand in Southern Luzon.

Upon its reopening in 2013, the grinding plant in Mabini, Batangas with an existing capacity of 7.7Mt/yr will have an additional 500,000t capacity. The mill had been decommissioned in 2003 amid weak cement demand.

"South Luzon is one of the fastest-growing areas in the country and we expect this growth to continue, fuelled by both public and private construction. We want to be sure we have the facilities ready to deliver volumes when and where these are needed," said Roland van Wijnen, Holcim chief operating officer said in the statement.

Holcim's Mabini plant will be its second facility in Batangas after the company's Calaca terminal, which the company reopened in 2011 in a bid to serve the southern Luzon market and facilitate cement transfers from Mindanao to Luzon, where demand is highest.

"Having facilities across the country from north Luzon to Mindanao gives Holcim the strong advantage of being near its markets. Our Mabini facility will help further strengthen the capability and accessibility in bringing our products to where our customers are," van Wijnen said.

Italy: Italcementi has posted a net loss of Euro34.6m for the first quarter of 2012, compared with a net profit of Euro127.6m for the same period of 2011. The 2011 results benefited from the sale of Italcementi's operations in Turkey.

Revenues fell by 6.8% year-on-year to Euro1.07bn. Recurring earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) dropped by 3.1% to Euro126.7m and EBITDA went down by 8.7% to Euro135.5m. Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) slumped by a massive 41.4% to Euro21.3m.

Italcementi posted a pre-tax loss of Euro7.8m for the quarter compared with a pre-tax profit of Euro24m for the first quarter of 2011. Its net financial debt rose to Euro2.18bn on 31 March 2012 compared to Euro2.09bn at 31 December 2011.

France: Lafarge has announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2012, which show a 'solid' rise in sales and operating results. Sales increased for the quarter, up by 5% to Euro3.35bn for the first quarter, driven by improved pricing across all product lines and higher cement volumes in emerging markets.

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) and current operating income rose in the quarter, driven by higher activity in Middle East and Africa, Asia, Latin America and North America. It rose by 8% to Euro516m year-on-year. Lafarge also reported that it achieved Euro70m of cost savings and is on track to reach at least Euro400m for the whole of 2012.

"While the first quarter results traditionally represent a 'small' quarter and we remain cautious for the year, the group was encouraged by the higher revenues and EBITDA growth," said Bruno Lafont, Chairman and CEO of Lafarge. "We successfully launched our new cost reduction programme and it is positive that price actions are taking hold to address cost inflation.

"The group is focused on debt reduction, strict cost discipline, the maximisation of its cash flows and the achievement of at least Euro1bn of strategic divestments this year," continued Lafont. "The management reorganisation accelerates the group's actions towards efficiency and organic growth."

In North America Lafarge recorded an EBITDA loss of Euro46m, an 38% improvement on the Euro75m loss in the first quarter of 2011. In western Europe, its EBITDA was Euro94m, down by nearly a third on the same quarter of 2011 when the EBITDA was Euro151m. Central and eastern Europe recorded a loss in terms of EBITDA of Euro14m (compared to a Euro9m loss in 2011), Latin America recorded an EBITDA of Euro59m (Euro53m in 2011) and Asia had an EBITDA of Euro108m for the quarter (Euro85m in 2011). Lafarge's most profitable region was the Middle East and Africa, which saw a first quarter EBITDA of Euro315m.

Lafarge said that it continues to see cement demand moving higher and maintained its market growth estimate of 1-4% in 2012 compared to 2011. Emerging markets continue to be the main driver of demand for Lafarge, which said that it benefits from its well balanced geographic spread of high quality assets. The group also said that it expected higher pricing for 2012 and that cost inflation will increase at a lower rate than in 2011.