Economy & Market

Rerating Quarter

Published

8 years ago

April 30, 2017

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It’s time to revisit mid-cap stock valuations and there are potential target upgrades over the medium to long term, says VAIBHAV AGARWAL of PhillipCapital India.

Ground checks and interactions with various stakeholders in the cement industry suggest that significant potential upsides exist for mid-cap stocks over the medium to long term. Given a favourable demand scenario, we understand cement prices have been raised across pockets by ~10 per cent and further price hikes of 3-5 per cent cannot be ruled out in May 2017.

After the monsoon arrives, cement prices are unlikely to be increased until the end of H1FY18. Even if prices drop, we expect them to remain 5-6 per cent higher than March prices. The Goods and Services (GST) tax regime is unlikely to make an unfavourable impact on cement prices; if it benefits due to GST, the industry may pass on some of those gains. EBITDA may surge in FY18/19 if robust cement price hikes sustain. Rerating of valuations is imminent for mid-cap stocks and we do not rule out potential target upgrades in the medium to long term.

Positive Volume Commentary
Even assuming flat volumes in Q1, this will be a rerating quarter for the sector. We have seen volume commentary turning positive, but volume concerns persist in a few pockets (Tamil Nadu, Kerala and parts of Central India). Despite assuming flat volume growth for the sector, Q1 earnings are likely to surprise quite positively, driven by price hikes. In a conservative scenario (0 to -5 per cent), year-on-year (y-o-y) volume growth and with the current cement prices, Q1 sectoral EBITDA/tonne is likely to improve by 20-40 per cent quarter-on-quarter (q-o-q), 15-20 per cent y-o-y; absolute EBITDA could shoot up by a minimum of 15-20 per cent. With volumes turning favourable and no rollbacks in cement prices over the next two months, the potential is huge.

Mid-cap cash flows are robust and likely to accelerate debt repayments. Mid-cap stock valuations have always had the overhang of higher debt versus large caps. However, debt repayment for most mid-caps is likely to accelerate in Q1 as the sector sees robust cash generation. This will be a key rerating factor and is likely to drive valuations. We expect good sense will prevail in the sector and players will not rush in with fresh capex announcements.

Players are evolving and this makes prices more stable over the long run. Historically, price hikes have always been a call for concern (break in price discipline). We do not rule out intermittent price disturbances, but we understand that players are evolving.

Stable Pricing
Even newcomers to the industry understand the need for stable prices; they are also debt-ridden and cannot afford to operate in an unfavourable price scenario. This gives us confidence that price hikes are more sustainable than in the past. FY18 should be a turnaround year for stock valuations; we do not rule out the possibility of a partial rollback of the recent price hikes. However, even in a conservative scenario (if only 4-5 per cent price hikes sustain in FY18), EBITDA/tonne has the potential to improve by 10-15 per cent or even higher in certain cases.

Valuation gaps
The largest major of the sector trades at a per tonne valuation of $200, while most mid-caps trade at $70-120. As the scenario turns favourable and as mid-caps get rid of debt faster than expected, this valuation gap could narrow, to say, about 25 per cent discount to large-caps. The potential upsides can be huge.

We do not rule out potential target upgrades in the medium to long term; our current price targets for most mid-caps have built-in target valuations of $70-120/tonne. We see the valuation gap between mid-caps and large caps narrowing as sectoral dynamics turn favourable. We see further re-rating of mid-caps over the medium to long term.

Economy & Market

Hindalco Buys US Speciality Alumina Firm for $125 Million

Published

1 day ago

June 25, 2025

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This strategic acquisition marks a significant investment in speciality alumina, a key step by Aditya Birla Group’s metals flagship towards becoming future-ready by scaling its high-value, technology-led materials portfolio.

Hindalco Industries, the world’s largest aluminium company by revenue and the metals flagship of the $28 billion Aditya Birla Group, has announced the acquisition of a 100 per cent equity stake in US-based AluChem Companies—a prominent manufacturer of speciality alumina—for an enterprise value of $125 million. The transaction will be executed through Aditya Holdings, a wholly owned subsidiary.

This acquisition represents a pivotal investment in speciality alumina and advances Hindalco’s strategy to expand its high-value, technology-led materials portfolio.

Hindalco’s speciality alumina business, a key pillar of its value-added strategy, has delivered consistent double-digit growth in recent years. It has emerged as a high-growth, high-margin vertical within the company’s portfolio. As speciality alumina finds expanding applications across electric mobility, semiconductors, and precision ceramics, the deal positions Hindalco further up the innovation curve, enabling next-generation alumina solutions and value-accretive growth.

Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of Aditya Birla Group, called the acquisition an important step in their global strategy to build a leadership position in value-added, high-tech materials.

“Our strategic foray into the speciality alumina space will not only accelerate the development of future-ready, sustainable solutions but also open new pathways to pursue high-impact growth opportunities. By integrating advanced technologies into our value chain, we are reinforcing our commitment to self-reliance, import substitution, and building scale in innovation-led businesses.”

Ronald P Zapletal, Founder, AluChem Companies, said the partnership with Hindalco would provide AluChem the ability and capital to scale up faster and build scale in North America.

“AluChem will benefit from their world-class sustainability and safety standards and practices, access to integrated operations and a consistent, reliable raw material supply chain. Their ability to leverage R&D capabilities and a talented workforce adds tremendous value to our innovation pipeline, helping drive market expansion beyond North America.”

An Eye on the Future

The global speciality alumina market is projected to grow significantly, with rising demand for tailored solutions in sectors such as ceramics, electronics, aerospace, and medical applications. Hindalco currently operates 500,000 tonnes of speciality alumina capacity and aims to scale this up to 1 million tonnes by FY2030.

Commenting on the development, Satish Pai, Managing Director, Hindalco Industries, said the deal reinforced their commitment to innovation and global expansion.

“As alumina gains increasing relevance in critical and clean-tech sectors, AluChem’s advanced chemistry capabilities will significantly enhance our ability to serve these fast-evolving markets. Importantly, it deepens our high-value-added portfolio with differentiated products that drive profitability and strengthen our global competitiveness.”

AluChem adds a strong North American presence to Hindalco’s portfolio, with an annual capacity of 60,000 tonnes across three advanced manufacturing facilities in Ohio and Arkansas. The company is a long-standing supplier of ultra-low soda calcined and tabular alumina, materials prized for their thermal and mechanical stability and widely used in precision engineering and high-performance refractories.

Saurabh Khedekar, CEO of the Alumina Business at Hindalco Industries, said the acquisition unlocked immediate synergies, including market access and portfolio diversification.

“Hindalco plans to work with AluChem’s high performance technology solutions and scale up production of ultra-low soda alumina products to drive a larger global market share.”

The transaction is expected to close in the upcoming quarter, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

Concrete

Shree Cement reports 2025 financial year results

Published

1 week ago

June 17, 2025

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Shree Cement posted revenue of US$2.38 billion for FY2025, marking a 5.5 per cent decline year-on-year. Operating costs rose 2.9 per cent to US$2.17 billion, resulting in an EBITDA of US$528 million—down 12 per cent from the previous year. Net profit fell 50 per cent to US$141 million. The company reported cement sales of 9.84Mt in Q4 FY2025, a 3.3 per cent increase from 9.53Mt in Q4 FY2024, with premium products making up 16 per cent of total sales.

Image source:https://newsmantra.in/

Concrete

Rekha Onteddu to become director at Sagar Cements

Published

1 week ago

June 17, 2025

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Sagar Cements has announced the appointment of Rekha Onteddu as a non-executive independent director, effective 30 June 2025. According to People in Business News, Rekha Onteddu is currently serving in a similar capacity at Andhra Cements, the parent company of Sagar Cements.

Image source:https://sagarcements.in/