Paul Roger

Paul Roger from BNP Paribas asked why CEMEX's U.S. cement prices were softer than the industry last year, inquiring about coastal exposure or specific regional pressures, and sought the pricing outlook for U.S. cement in the current year.

Answer

CEO Jaime Muguiro attributed softer U.S. cement prices in 2025 to soft demand and difficult competitive dynamics in specific markets like Houston, Northern California, and parts of the Mid-South (e.g., Atlanta), as well as some inland markets with potential excess capacity. He expects demand recovery to balance the market and support pricing. For 2026, CEMEX has announced an $8 per short ton price increase across all U.S. markets (except Houston), effective April 1.

Paul Roger inquired why CEMEX's U.S. cement prices were softer than the industry last year, asking if it was due to coastal exposure or specific regional pressures, and what the pricing outlook for U.S. cement is for 2026.

Answer

CEO Jaime Muguiro attributed softer U.S. cement prices in 2025 to soft demand and difficult competitive dynamics in markets like Houston, Northern California, and Mid-South (Atlanta), and some inland markets with excess capacity. He expects demand recovery to balance this. For 2026, CEMEX announced an $8 per short ton price increase across all U.S. markets (except Houston), effective April 1.

Paul Roger of BNP Paribas asked for clarification on the company's guidance, which mentioned 'potential upside,' and inquired where this upside could originate from.

Answer

CEO Jaime Muguiro identified several sources for potential upside to the flat EBITDA guidance. These include favorable FX tailwinds if rates remain at June levels (approx. $40M), additional savings from Project Cutting Edge beyond the base estimate, and indirect savings from headcount reductions (e.g., licenses, travel) that are not yet factored into the forecast.

Paul Roger from BNP Paribas asked about potential changes to the Urbanization Solutions strategy under new leadership, including a possible expansion into light-side verticals.

Answer

CEO Jaime Dominguez stated that he sees great potential in specific Urbanization Solutions verticals, particularly in Mexico, the U.S., and Europe, with a focus on the renovation industry. He highlighted mortars, insulation, and circularity as attractive areas. He confirmed the company will continue to deploy capital in this segment with a focused strategy that includes light-side solutions.

Paul Roger inquired about the criteria used by the World Benchmarking Alliance for its sustainability rankings and the specific factors that led to CEMEX achieving the #1 position.

Answer

Executive Fernando Olivieri explained that the ranking was based 60% on climate action and 40% on social issues. He credited CEMEX's top score to its 'Future in Action' strategy, which has driven a 14% reduction in Scope 1 CO2 emissions since 2020. Olivieri highlighted the company's strong progress towards its 2025 and 2030 targets and its long-standing focus on social strategy as key contributors to the recognition.

Paul Roger of BNP Paribas asked if Holcim's strong outperformance in LatAm was due to specific country exposure or outperformance in Mexico. He also inquired about the ambition to fill the gaps in the Building Envelope solutions portfolio.

Answer

CEO Miljan Gutovic confirmed that Holcim is performing very well in Mexico, with margins well above the LatAm average and an expectation for a stronger H2 driven by infrastructure and residential projects. Regarding the solutions portfolio, he affirmed the strategic goal is to become an end-to-end supplier, selling multiple products on each job site, as exemplified by the Elinicon project in Athens, to accelerate growth in high-value building solutions.

Paul Roger of BNP Paribas asked if LatAm's outperformance was due to country mix or outperformance in Mexico, and about the ambition to offer a full range of building envelope solutions.

Answer

CEO Miljan Gutovic confirmed Mexico's margins are 'well above the average of LATAM' and that H2 is expected to be even stronger. He affirmed the strategic goal is to become an end-to-end supplier, selling a full range of solutions on job sites to accelerate high-value growth.

Paul Roger of BNP Paribas sent questions asking if LatAm's outperformance was due to country mix or outperformance in Mexico, and whether Holcim aims to offer a full range of building envelope solutions in all major markets.

Answer

CEO Miljan Gutovic confirmed strong performance in Mexico, with margins 'well above the average of LATAM' and an expectation for an even stronger H2. He affirmed that the strategic goal is to become an end-to-end solutions provider, filling gaps in the portfolio to sell multiple products on each job site, as exemplified by the Elinicon project in Athens.