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Major cement companies have reported good year-on-year growth in production and despatch for the month of February 2006 as compared to the same month of previous year. However, all major companies reported a decline on a month-on-month basis when compared to the figures of January 2006. The month-on-month decline in despatches is significantly high for Gujarat Ambuja at almost 12 per cent while production declined nearly 16 per cent. The other Holcim group company ACC has reported more modest month-on-month decline. Despatch figures for the major companies are: | Company | Feb 2006 | Feb 2005 | % growth | Jan 2006 | % growth | | Ultratech + Grasim + Shri Digvijay | 2.52 | 2.184 | 13.34 | 2.735 | (7.86) | | ACC | 1.53 | 1.37 | 11.81 | 1.648 | (6.92) | | Gujarat Ambuja + Ambuja Eastern | 1.24 | 1.10 | 9.81 | 1.402 | (11.91) | Figures in million tonnes
Production figures of major companies are: | Company | Feb 2006 | Feb 2005 | % growth | Jan 2006 | % growth | | Ultratech + Grasim + Shri Digvijay | 2.54 | 2.132 | 16.06 | 2.7 | (5.93) | | ACC | 1.54 | 1.38 | 12.22 | 1.646 | (6.26) | | Gujarat Ambuja + Ambuja Eastern | 1.21 | 1.10 | 12.27 | 1.435 | (15.75) | Figures in million tonnes Most cement stocks, including the smaller ones in the mid-cap space, have gained substantially over the last couple of months on reports of continuing rise in cement prices across the country. The increased focus on infrastructure and the commitment to the roads project and other projects under Bharat Nirman in the new budget is expected to boost demand further. Grasim declined 0.46 per cent to end at Rs1810.2, Ultratech Cements gave up 1.69 per cent and settled at Rs575.3 and ACC lost 1.54 per cent to close at Rs673.7 on the NSE yesterday. Gujarat Ambuja added 0.5 per cent to close at Rs91.35.
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