In the first three months of this year Thailand conglomerate Siam Cement“s domestic sales rose 7% and its exports rose 14%. Total income was up 9% to baht 33.46 billion. Cement sales rose 2%, petroch…
In the first three months of this year Thailand conglomerate Siam Cement“s domestic sales rose 7% and its exports rose 14%. Total income was up 9% to baht 33.46 billion. Cement sales rose 2%, petrochemical sales rose 14%, and paper sales rose 8%. Siam Cement“s net profits for the quarter came up to baht 2.88 billion, 28% higher than in the same period last year. However, much of the income came from stock sales. Actual operational profits were about the same as in the first quarter of last year. Siam Cement predicts that for 2001 as a whole, sales of cement and construction materials should remain about the same as last year, while domestic paper and petrochemical sales should rise 4 to 6%. The value of petrochemical exports may drop in the second and third quarters due to world market factors. Siam Cement said that the weakening of Thai baht to US dollar could not harm the firm“s income forecasts in following years. Chumpol Nalamlieng, president of Siam Cement, said “The firm has already hedged around US$ 500 to 600 million worth of foreign debts and that results in a decrease of foreign debts to stay at 2% of total debts.”