Daily Brief Credit: West China Cement – Earnings Flash – H1 FY 2024 Results – Lucror Analytics and more

West China Cement (WCC) has released softer than expected H1/24 numbers. The company’s revenue and profitability in Mainland China continued to decline amid the real estate slump, while its performance in Africa was mixed. ​FCF remained negative and leverage continued to deteriorate. That said, liquidity appears manageable, as we expect WCC to refinance its short-term loans. The main debt maturity wall is in July 2026, when the USD 600 mn notes will come due.

In our view, the key risk is uncertainty over the extent of WCC’s overseas expansion. The company stated that it has no plans for capacity expansion in FY 2024, other than the ongoing developments in Ethiopia and Uzbekistan. However, this contradicts media reports on WCC’s investments in Rwanda, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Hence, we are unsure about the level of the company’s planned overseas capex. Going forward, cement demand in Mainland China is likely to remain weak, due to the slowdown in infrastructure investment (with lower growth) and continued decline in real estate investment.

Lucror Analytics Morning Views comprise our fundamental credit analysis, opinions and trade recommendations on high yield issuers in the region, based on key company-specific developments in the past 24 hours. Our Morning Views include a section with a brief market commentary, key market indicators and a macroeconomic and corporate event calendar.

• Tata Motors ADR
• Yankuang Energy Group