Cement News tagged under: Holcim
Holcim Croatia to boost profitability25 October 2013, Published under Cement NewsHolcim Croatia said it is implementing a new strategy to help drive the company back to profitability by 2015. The new operational plan cover all of Holcim's divisions and business segments in Croatia with measures including increasing prices and finding new markets as well as niche ones, SeeNews reports. As a result of a difficult construction market, cement consumption has fallen from 2.39Mt in 2009 to around 1.7Mt in 2012. This is well below total domestic capacity of 3.7Mta and industr... |
ACC and Ambuja see slow return to growth24 October 2013, Published under Cement NewsACC and Ambuja Cements, both part of Holcim, have reported a decline in quarterly sales due to subdued demand and lower cement prices, and expect a slow return to growth as near term challenges persist. Net profit at ACC, India's second-largest cement maker, halved to INR1.21bn in the July-September quarter. Net sales rose three percent to INR25.1bn. The company expects "gradual but slow improvement in demand.” Ambuja posted a 45 per cent fall in net profit to INR1.66bn for the quarter ... |
Holcim, Cemex Europe deal to be examined21 October 2013, Published under Cement NewsEU antitrust regulators will assess a bid by Cemex to acquire Holcim's cement operations in Spain following a request from Spanish authorities, the European Commission said. Cemex and Holcim announced plans back in August this year to exchange some assets and combine others in Germany, Czech Republic and Spain to boost profit amid tough conditions in the European construction sector. The Spanish part of the deal involved Cemex and Holcim combining all their cement, ready-mix and aggregate... |
Holcim and Febelcem contest competition ruling02 October 2013, Published under Cement NewsHolcim and Belgian cement association Febelcem are appealing against the judgement by the country’s Anti-Competition Council. Last August, Belgium’s anti-competition authorities fined three companies – CBR, CCB and Holcim – and two associations (Febelcem and CRIC/OCCN) for a total of EUR14.7m. According to the council, the five organisations had colluded between May 2000 and October 2003 to avoid the use of slag in the production of ready-mix concrete. Febelcem director André Jasienski... |
Holcim CEO sees cost-cutting starting to work02 October 2013, Published under Cement NewsFrenchman Bernard Fontana, CEO of Holcim, who last year became the first outsider to lead the 101-year-old Swiss company, has been implementing a strict cost-cutting regime right through the company that extends even to himself. Shortly after taking the helm of Holcim, the 52-year-old Fontana launched a cost-cutting programme with the aim of restoring Holcim's return on invested capital (ROIC) to at least eight per cent after tax and boosting operating profit by at least CHF1.5bn (US$1.7bn... |
Holcim ceases production at Dannes02 October 2013, Published under Cement NewsNine months after stopping the kiln at Dannes, France, Holcim officially ceased production at the plant on 30 September. Staff have been partly transferred to Lumbres, Dunkerque and Rochefort. |
HSBC downgrades Holcim on emerging markets slowdown27 September 2013, Published under Cement NewsHSBC has downgraded Holcim to neutral from overweight and also reduced its target price to CHF72 from CHF77, citing weaknesses in emerging markets. The bank says an emerging market slowdown means there will over capacity and oversupply of cement will remain, while return on invested capital will be under pressure because of a squeeze on margins. |
Holcim and Cemex to swap, combine assets in Europe28 August 2013, Published under Cement NewsHolcim and Cemex have reached an agreement to conduct a series of transactions to exchange and combine assets in parts of Europe with the aim of improving synergies and boosting operating profit. Cemex increase its presence in Central Europe through the acquisition of Holcim Cesko in the Czech Republic. The deal includes one cement plant (cement and clinker capacities of 1.1Mta and 0.9Mta, respectively), four aggregate quarries and 17 ready-mix plants. Holcim said it will continue to serve... |
Cement makers hit by infrastructure slump in emerging markets20 August 2013, Published under Cement NewsCement producers have been sliding on the financial stock exchanges as emerging market bonds and equities tumble, according to the Financial Times. Many of the region’s building materials groups have invested heavily in the emerging markets and fears that falling foreign investment will negatively impact state spending on large projects has underpinned stock market losses. Swiss major Holcim last week warned that slowing infrastructure spending in India – its biggest market – would dampen p... |
Holcim’s cement sales in Romania down 0.7% in 1H1319 August 2013, Published under Cement NewsSwiss building materials producer Holcim’s cement and clinker sales fell 0.7 per cent in the first half of the year in Romania, compared to the first six months of 2012, while the domestic cement prices were up 3.1 per cent, according to the company’s latest report. The company’s volume of aggregates sales in 1H13 dropped by 27.7 per cent YoY in Romania, while the domestic aggregates prices decreased by an annual 15.8 per cent. In Europe, Holcim’s cement and clinker sales went down 1.5 per... |