Cement News tagged under: CRH

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Fitch affirms CRH rating, but lowers outlook

01 September 2015, Published under Cement News

Fitch Ratings has affirmed Ireland-based building materials company CRH plc's Long-term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) and senior unsecured rating at 'BBB'. It has also downgraded the Short-term IDR to 'F3' from 'F2'. All ratings have been removed from Rating Watch Negative. The Outlook is Negative. This follows the group's announcement of its agreement to purchase CR Laurence Co, Inc (CRL) for a total consideration of USD1.3bn (EUR1.2bn). The 'BBB' senior unsecured ratings for subsidiaries CR...

CRH's first-half driven by the Americas

27 August 2015, Published under Cement News

CRH's first half turnover advanced by 12.6 per cent to €9,370m and the EBITDA improved by 9.9 per cent to €555m. The trading profit increased by 11.2 per cent to €189m and after a net interest charge 8.6 per cent higher at €139m, the pre-tax profit increased by 3.3 per cent to €63m. The net attributable result improved by €1m to €46m. Net debt at the end of June was 67.3 per cent lower at €1212m, giving a gearing level of 9.7 per cent, which compares with 39.9 per cent a year earlier. ...

Aboitiz secures loan to part-fund cement venture

25 August 2015, Published under Cement News

Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. (AEV) has signed an agreement for a US$400m (PHP18.7bn) loan that will partly finance its venture into the cement sector in the Philippines. In a disclosure to the stock exchange dated 20 August 2015, AEV said it "signed a facility agreement with The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd to obtain a bridge loan" of up to US$400m. "The proceeds of the loan will be used to partially finance AEV's investment in holding companies for the purpose of the acquisitio...

CMA welcomes recent sale of UK plants

07 August 2015, Published under Cement News

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has welcomed the sale of plants by Lafarge Tarmac and Hanson. In the Competition Commission’s (CC) market investigation report published in January 2014, the CC had ordered Lafarge Tarmac to sell one of two cement plants and Hanson to sell one of its ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) plants to enhance competition in the cement and GGBS markets in Great Britain. Lafarge Tarmac and Hope Construction Materials Ltd (Hope) both appealed...

CRH completes Lafarge-Holcim transaction

03 August 2015, Published under Cement News

CRH announced that the transaction to acquire certain assets from Lafarge SA and Holcim Ltd for a total enterprise value of EUR6.5bn is now complete, with the exception of the Philippines which is expected to close in the third quarter of this year. The deal was initially announced in on 2 February 2015, with a binding agreement sealed between the companies towards the end of May. Commenting on the completion of the acquisitions, Albert Manifold, CRH chief executive, said: “Today we extend...

Aboitiz Equity to invest in Philippine venture

22 July 2015, Published under Cement News

Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc said it will invest PHP24bn (US$531m) in the cement business after formalising a deal with Irish cement maker CRH Plc to buy the Philippine assets of Lafarge SA, Reuters reports. In May, Aboitiz said it was looking to partner with CRH to buy Lafarge's assets in the Philippines as the local power-to-banking conglomerate sought to diversify into infrastructure. The Philippine units form part of a package of assets that CRH is acquiring from Lafarge and Holcim ...

Holcim France to be renamed Orsima under CRH

17 July 2015, Published under Cement News

As of 1 August 2015, the former French subsidiary of Holcim, now owned by CRH, will be renamed Orsima. With the acquisition of Holcim France, resulting from the merger between Holcim and Lafarge, CRH will have a market share of around 15 per cent in the country. The Ireland-based company now owns the three integrated cement works of Lumbers, Heming and Rochefort-sur-Nenon, the four grinding centres of Grand-Couronne, Dannes, Dunkirk and La Rochelle as well as the Montoir-de-Bretagne ble...

CRH facing €32m Swiss fine

06 July 2015, Published under Cement News

CRH is facing a €32m a fine from the Swiss Competition Commission (Comco) following an investigation into the bathroom fixtures and fittings industry. In a statement released on Friday  CRH confirmed that Comco is imposing a CHF80m fine on the Association of Swiss Wholesalers of the Sanitary Industry, including a fine of approximately CHF34m (€32m) on CRH plc. The basis of the competition watchdog’s findings is expected to be available in four months, at which time CRH has the option to ...

CRH reportedly to take part in preliminary bidding for South Korean producer

11 June 2015, Published under Cement News

CRH announced it will take part in the preliminary bidding for Tongyang Cement scheduled on the 12 June after selecting Goldman Sachs as an underwriter, according to local press reports citing investment bank sources. Tongyang Cement was put on the market in early April after its parent group was liquidated. The 74.1-per cent stake held by Tongyang Corp. and Tongyang International is estimated at KWR400-600bn (US$360-540m) Tongyang Cement is ranked second on the domestic the cement market...

Holcim and Lafarge seal binding deal with CRH

27 May 2015, Published under Cement News

Lafarge and Holcim have now entered a binding agreement with CRH regarding the sale of several assets with an enterprise value of EUR6.5bn. As announced in February 2015, the assets include operations mainly in Europe, Canada, Brazil and the Philippines (see below). The acquisition remains conditional upon successful completion of the merger of Lafarge and Holcim as well as the completion of local asset reorganisations. The acquisition is expected to complete in the second half of 2015. ...