Holcim, is expected to report a rise in full-year profit next Wednesday after higher cement prices and efficiency gains more than outweighed growth in raw material costs, analysts said. Holcim is benefiting from a pick-up in cement demand in North America and parts of Europe on the back of the economic recovery. Its 2004 net income is seen up 3 per cent at an estimated 944 million Swiss francs ($813m), according to the average forecast in a Reuters poll of six analysts.
Holcim said it expected to clearly exceed its target of eight per cent internal growth for operating profit in 2004 and forecast "substantially stronger results", helped by an improved market environment in North America.
