Vicat reports 4% growth in consolidated 9M17 sales

Vicat’s 9M17 sales reached EUR1.92bn (USD2.22bn) versus EUR1.87bn a year earlier, reflecting a 4 per cent rise at constant scope and exchange rates. On a reported basis, the group’s sales rose 2.9 per cent compared with the same period of 2016.

These results were supported by a 4 per cent pick-up in sales at constant scope across all Vicat’s regions, except for West Africa.

The negative currency effect was -4 per cent, predominantly a result of the depreciation in the Egyptian pound and Turkish lira and the fall in the US dollar against the Euro.

Sales of cement reached EUR932m, falling 2 per cent compared with the same period of 2016 on a reported basis, but up 4.3 per cent at constant scope and exchange rate.

On a reported basis, concrete and aggregates sales grew robustly at 8.7 per cent while other products and services achieved a 2.9 per cent rise.

In Vicat’s largest market, France, sales rose 10.2 per cent to EUR665m over the period. Consolidated sales in the rest of Europe were almost flat at EUR315m, up 1.5 per cent YoY. In the US, growth momentum was maintained as sales surged by 7.6 per cent YoY to EUR297m, with the cement segment enjoying a 10.2 per cent expansion. YoY growth in Asia reached 4.8 per cent while the Africa and Middle East region saw consolidated sales fall 19.4 per cent as a result of the very significant devaluation of the Egyptian pound in November 2016.

In the third quarter of 2017, consolidated sales totalled EUR673 million, up +10.1 per cent at constant scope and exchange rates and up +6.9 per cent on a reported basis compared with the same period of 2016.