Below is a list with tagged columns and company profiles.
Today's Headlines SMGR
Indonesia's largest cement producer Semen Indonesia sold 28.96 million tons of cement in full-year 2017, up 10.2 percent year-on-year (y/y) from sales in the preceding year. Domestic cement sales of Semen Indonesia reached 27.09 million tons in 2017, up 5.5 percent (y/y). This is slightly below the nation's average: in full-year 2017 total cement sales in Indonesia rose 7.6 percent (y/y) to 66.4 million tons.
Indonesia's largest cement producer Semen Indonesia, which controls about 41 percent of the domestic cement market, targets to have raised its annual installed cement production capacity to 37 million tons by September 2017. Johan Samudra, Director of Production and Business Strategy at Semen Indonesia, said the company's production capacity currently stands at 32-33 million tons.
Indonesia's leading cement manufacturer Semen Indonesia created a joint venture (JV) together with its subsidiary Semen Indonesia Beton. This JV - named Semen Indonesia Industri Building - is active in the building materials sector. Semen Indonesia controls 99 percent of the shares in this new entity, while Semen Indonesia Beton owns the remaining 1 percent.
Bonds of Indonesian cement manufacturer Semen Indonesia are subscribed 1.3 times. Semen Indonesia Finance Director Darmawan Junaidi said the company planned to sell IDR 3 trillion worth of five-year bonds (8.6 percent coupon), but demand reached IDR 4 trillion. Most demand originated from domestic financial institutions such as banks, insurance and pension funds.
In May 2017 Indonesia's national cement consumption extended the rise that started in the preceding month supported by a recovery in the property sector and infrastructure development projects. Based on data from the Indonesian Cement Association (ASI), cement demand grew 7 percent year-on-year (y/y) to 5.47 million tons in May. Meanwhile, cement sales rose 4.1 percent (y/y) to 25.26 million tons in the January-May 2017 period.
Indonesia's largest cement manufacturer, Semen Indonesia, plans to establish two new cement factories - one in Aceh (Sumatra) and one in Kupang (East Nusa Tenggara) - in order to strengthen the company's portfolio and distribution network. Semen Indonesia is currently conducting further studies to determine strategies to realize its plans.
In 2016 listed companies on the Indonesia Stock Exchange have a more expansive attitude compared to the preceding year, reflected by plans to raise capital expenditure. Plans for business expansion are supported by Indonesia's expected accelerating GDP growth in 2016, people's improving purchasing power, government-led infrastructure development (that should cause a multiplier-effect in the Indonesian economy), and the economic reforms that are set in the series of economic stimulus packages that have been released by the Indonesian government since September 2015.
Sales of Semen Indonesia, Indonesia's leading cement producer, are expected to remain stagnant in 2015 despite recently rising cement demand due to the kick off of various government-led infrastructure projects. In the January-October 2015 period, the company's cement sales fell 2 percent compared to sales in the same period last year. On a positive note, Semen Indonesia's cement sales in October surged 10 percent to 2.7 million tons compared to the same month one year earlier. But with two months remaining it is not expected that the company's sales will significantly rise from last year's sales (26.6 million tons).
Cement sales in Indonesia are expected to rise as the new Indonesian government aims to ramp up infrastructure development while - in the long term - Indonesian banks will lower interest rates. Lower interest rates give rise to enhanced property development in Southeast Asia’s largest economy. The country’s three leading cement producers are expected to benefit significantly from these developments. These companies are Semen Indonesia, Indocement Tunggal Prakarsa, and Holcim Indonesia.
Indonesian cement sales fell 25 percent to 3.7 million tons in July 2014 from 5 million tons in the same month last year. This sharp decline is attributed to the Lebaran holiday (also known as Idul Fitri in which Muslims celebrate the end of the fasting month) when businesses are closed as well as Indonesia’s July 2014 presidential election. Slowing cement sales are also caused by declining economic growth (5.12 percent yoy in Q2-2014). Cement sales are a key indicator for construction activity (infrastructure and property development).
Latest Columns SMGR
Although the stock markets of the USA and England were closed on Monday (27/05), strong European and Asian indices indicated that market participants were back in business. This also applied to the main stock index of Indonesia (IHSG), which regained the points it had lost on Monday. A number of blue-chips were chased by investors: Astra International, Unilever Indonesia, Lippo Cikarang and Semen Indonesia. Foreigners were particularly interested in stocks of Bank Mandiri, Bank Pembangunan Daerah Jawa, and Waskita Karya.
Last week, I provided a basic introduction to investments in Indonesia's capital markets. Now, I will devote my column to the ten largest Indonesian companies by market capitalization. But first let me explain why I take the ten largest companies? Well, simply because these ten companies account for 43.71 percent of Indonesia's total market capitalization. In other words, they reflect almost half of the current condition of the country's capital markets.
Both Indonesia's cement production and cement consumption have risen rapidly in recent years. As the country has been showing solid economic growth for a decade - and is forecast to continue this growth -, property and infrastructure projects have grown in number accordingly, thus increasing demand for building materials such as cement. Moreover, the government is committed to enhance the country's much-needed infrastructure development.
