Pakistan’s listed cement makers closed fiscal 2025 with their strongest earnings in years, lifting combined post‑tax profit by 38% to Rs167.0bn, up from Rs121.4bn a year earlier. Revenue rose 7% to Rs895.5bn, while sector gross margin widened to 30.7% as companies held on to higher retention prices, coal stayed cheaper, and plants leaned more on efficient power sources. Dispatches edged up 2% to 37.4m tonnes, signalling a modest rebound in volumes against a backdrop of firmer pricing. The fourth quarter kept the momentum going: sales increased 5% year‑on‑year, and dispatches climbed 4% to 9.3m tonnes
Two causes stand out. First, finance costs fell 34% to Rs46.0bn, reflecting the easing of policy rates and tighter balance‑sheet management after an unusually expensive borrowing cycle in FY24. Second, other income jumped 33% to Rs36.4bn, boosted by interest and dividend flows that fattened the bottom line. Together with a better gross margin, these helped lift net margin to 18.6% for the year. The content in this publication is expensive to produce. But unlike other journalistic outfits, business publications have to cover the very organizations that directly give them advertisements. Hence, this large source of revenue, which is the lifeblood of other media houses, is severely compromised on account of Profit’s no-compromise policy when it comes to our reporting. No wonder, Profit has lost multiple ad deals, worth tens of millions of rupees, due to stories that held big businesses to account. Hence, for our work to continue unfettered, it must be supported by discerning readers who know the value of quality business journalism, not just for the economy but for the society as a whole.To read the full article, subscribe and support independent business journalism in Pakistan
