Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina Q1 Earnings Call Highlights

Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina (NYSE:LOMA) reported a humble summation successful first-quarter gross and improved profitability, arsenic absorption said March enactment helped offset a dilatory commencement to the twelvemonth for Argentina’s cement industry.

On the company’s net call, CEO Sergio Faifman said cement volumes roseate 1.8% twelvemonth implicit twelvemonth successful the quarter, portion consolidated nett gross accrued 1.1%. He said the institution delivered borderline betterment some sequentially and from a twelvemonth earlier, with consolidated adjusted EBITDA borderline reaching 24.9%, up 94 ground points twelvemonth implicit twelvemonth and 528 ground points from the anterior quarter.

→ Wells Fargo’s Comeback Is Real—But Not Risk-Free

“As antecedently indicated, the actions we person been implementing are opening to beryllium reflected successful our results,” Faifman said, adding that the institution is positioned for a much sustainable request recovery.

March Improvement Offsets Soft Start

CFO Marcos Gradin said Argentina’s early-2026 economical indicators were mixed, with the EMAE economical enactment indicator declining 2.1% twelvemonth implicit twelvemonth successful February. Industry and commerce posted sharper contractions, portion sectors tied to outer demand, including mining and agriculture, performed better.

→ Rocket Lab Posts Record Q1 Revenue, Raises Q2 Guidance

Gradin said operation showed much resilience. Argentina’s ISAC operation indicator declined 0.7% twelvemonth implicit twelvemonth successful February, but was up 0.3% cumulatively for the archetypal 2 months of the year. He besides cited year-over-year increases successful registered backstage operation employment and gathering permits successful January.

Cement manufacture dispatches followed a akin pattern, Gradin said, with anemic January and February volumes followed by a stronger March, erstwhile dispatches accrued 11% twelvemonth implicit year. That allowed the 4th to adjacent broadly successful enactment with the anterior year. Bulk cement outperformed, supported by larger-scale projects, portion bagged cement remained weaker amid cautious request from retail customers and tiny contractors.

→ The Great Crypto Thaw: Regulation Ignites an Infrastructure Boom

Looking to April, Gradin said dispatches were expected to beryllium affected by unusually dense rains that disrupted operation successful large municipality centers. He described the interaction arsenic impermanent and weather-related, alternatively than a alteration successful request trends.

Revenue Growth Led by Cement and Rail

First-quarter consolidated gross roseate 1.1% twelvemonth implicit year, with gains successful the cement and railroad businesses partially offset by little gross successful factual and aggregates.

• Cement, masonry cement and lime: Revenue accrued 0.8% twelvemonth implicit year. Volumes roseate 1.8%, supported by factual producers, larger-scale projects and nationalist works, portion pricing broadly tracked inflation.

• Concrete: Revenue declined 1.9% contempt a 14% summation successful volumes. Gradin said backstage logistics infrastructure, larger residential projects and nationalist works successful Santa Fe supported volumes, but pricing remained pressured by competition.

• Aggregates: Revenue slipped 0.2%, arsenic an 18.3% driblet successful volumes was offset by improved pricing and a much favorable income mix.

• Railroad: Revenue accrued 2.2%, with transported volumes up 14.8%, driven by granitic aggregates, cement and chemicals. Softer pricing partially offset the measurement growth.