Jefferies' Optimism Fuels Cement Stock Rally
Cement stocks surged over 5% on Monday, driven by Jefferies' positive outlook on demand recovery, supported by increased government capital expenditure and favourable price trends.
JK Cement led the rally with a 5.3% jump, while UltraTech Cement rose 3.82%, making it the top performer on the Nifty 50. Dalmia Bharat and Grasim Industries gained over 3% each, with Shree Cement and Ambuja Cement adding 2.77% and 1.32%, respectively.
"Cement stocks have been consolidating without significant upward movement for over a year," noted Vikas Jain, head of research at Reliance Securities. "The Jefferies report with positive price feedback prompted a revaluation of these stocks today."
According to Jefferies, cement prices were stable in November, with earlier declines bottoming out. The industry is now targeting price hikes of Rs 10-15 per bag in December.
The brokerage highlighted moderate demand growth in October and November, with recovery expected to strengthen in the fourth quarter, supported by a revival in government infrastructure spending. Analysts are optimistic about a stronger recovery in the latter half of FY25, driven by anticipated increases in government investments in infrastructure projects. (ET)