UltraTech Cement is expected to report a 26 per cent decline in net profit year-on-year (Y-o-Y) for the quarter ending December 31, primarily due to lower realisations and higher depreciation, according to analysts. The company’s profit after tax is estimated at Rs 13.04 billion for the third quarter of FY25.
A survey conducted among five brokerages revealed that UltraTech Cement is projected to achieve a revenue of Rs 166.96 billion, reflecting a 1.2 per cent increase Y-o-Y.
Among the brokerages surveyed, Axis Securities presented the most optimistic projections, while B&K Securities predicted the slowest growth in both revenue and profit after tax (PAT) for the company.
According to Yes Securities, the company’s volumes are anticipated to grow by 9 per cent Y-o-Y to reach 29.76 million tons per annum. The growth in volumes is attributed to strong demand from institutional players and continued momentum in the housing sector.
Analysts noted that after weak demand growth of around 1-2 per cent in H1FY25, industry cement demand improved in Q3FY25. However, Motilal Oswal Financial Services, in its quarterly update, pointed out regional challenges, including pollution-related curbs in Delhi-NCR, sand scarcity, and unfavourable weather conditions such as severe cold and unseasonal rains, which negatively impacted overall demand growth.
The average cost of producing one ton of cement (excluding fixed costs) is expected to decrease by 4 per cent Y-o-Y, amounting to Rs 4,761 in Q3FY25.