Rebound in demand helps UltraTech Cements lead over peers in Sept qtr

Ambuja, ACC also put up good showing, which has led to a significant earnings upgrade for the trio

UltraTech Cement, along with LafargeHolcim group entities Ambuja Cements and ACC, delivered a resilient performance in the September quarter (Q2), boosting Street sentiment. 

The rebound in demand, following the lockdown-led disruption in the June quarter, led to higher realisation. This, coupled with cost control and efficiency gains, gave a fillip to operating performance and net profit. Further, UltraTech and Ambuja saw strong volume growth, given their higher exposure to north India. ACC, however, reported flat volumes because bulk of its sales come from south, central and east India. 

Nevertheless, the significant improvement in per-tonne profit has led to major earning upgrades. Outlook