Pakistan's leading cement producer, Lucky Cement, reported a profit after tax of PKR5.6bn (US$55.1m) during the first half of FY14-15 versus PKR5.16bn a year earlier.
During the six-month period, net sales rose nine per cent YoY to PKR21.4bn. The increase is attributed to a 9.2 per cent uptake in sales volumes to 2.02Mt, a 2.24 per cent improvement in exports to 1.23Mt and a 2.91 per cent rise in net retention.
According to Al Habib Capital Markets, Lucky Cement's margins remained stable due to rising packing material costs and a rise in the cost of scheduled maintenance on plant. These offset lower fuel costs per ton and a drop in international coal prices during the period under review.
