Ciments Francais SA posted a net profit of 60.9 mln euro for the first quarter of 2006, up by 67.5 per cent year-on-year.  Operating profit surged by 103.5 per cent to 148.2 mln euro with a margin of 15.7  per cent, versus 10.7 per cent. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) came at 224.4 mln euro, up by 78  per cent
 
The company attributed the good performance to the consolidation of Egyptian cement producer Suez Cement in April 2005 and of Egyptian ASEC Cement in August 2005, as well as to the increase of sales prices, which offset the higher operating costs.  The first-quarter results in 2005 were also negatively affected by the unfavourable weather conditions. 
 
Ciments Francais generated a turnover of 942 mln euro up by 41 per cent. Like-for-like turnover rose by 19.8 per cent. Cement sales totalled 10.9Mt, up by 46.2  per cent, or 9.9 per cent on a like-for-like basis.  Sales of aggregates rose by 5.9 per cent and by 4.7 per cent on a like-for-like basis to 11.1Mt. Concrete sales totalled 2.7 million cu m, up by 2.5 per cent or by 2.3 per cent on a like-for-like basis.