Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/199290
Data George H. Reddin is a principal in FMI's Investment Banking practice. He can be reached at 919-785-9286 or at greddin@fminet.com. Balance sheet management continues among operators C orporate divestitures once again dominated the activity last month, with Lafarge North America, Inc. and Vulcan Materials Co. leading the way. Balance sheet management continues to be the emphasis to create liquidity and borrowing capacity to take advantage of when the market rebounds. The construction materials market has lagged the overall market recovery and remains in a bit of a holding pattern until there is clarity on what happens post MAP-21 for highway funding. By example, the overall stock market (S&P 500 or DJI) has recovered since its peak and has been establishing new record highs. Conversely, most construction materials companies remain well below their peaks and, as a group, are trading close to half of their peak pricing. Positive trends and forecasts for residential construction are a source for optimism; highway funding appears destined for little or no growth; and who knows about the overall economy, with the recent interaction among our elected officials in Washington. All of this points to more of the same between now and year end. Recent transactions Lafarge North America Inc. sold its gypsum wallboard plant in Buchanan, N.Y., for $55.7 million to Lone Star Funds, a private equity firm in Dallas that invests globally in distressed assets. The deal was part of Lafarge North America's sale of its gypsum division announced in June for a total enterprise value of $700 million. In 2011, Lafarge announced that its gypsum operations were being divested, as the company would focus on its core businesses of cement, aggregates, and ready-mix concrete. This was yet another divestiture by a publicly traded construction materials producer in an effort to improve its credit rating. Stock Report Company Vulcan Materials Co. has entered into a transaction with Plum Creek Timber Co., Inc. for the sale of an interest in the future production at four quarries in Atlanta, Ga. Vulcan will receive $154 million in exchange for a percentage royalty interest in 255 million tons of aggregate production over approximately 25 years. Vulcan maintains full ownership and operational control of the quarries and records a pretax gain of $154 million, recognized over the life of the transaction. Coco Group, headquartered in Toronto, has acquired Russell Redi-Mix Concrete, Langenburg Redi-Mix Ltd., and Roblin Redi-Mix Ltd., commonly referred to as the Russell Group (RRMC), located in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. RRMC provides heavy civil contracting; aggregates production, supply, and hauling; excavation grading and site preparation services; roadway construction and rehabilitation; railway works; and ready-mix concrete production and supply. AM U.S. On-Highway Diesel Fuel Prices Ticker Current Value 52-Week 52-Week High Low 9/30/2013 One Week One Year United States $3.919 -0.030 q -0.160 q East Coast $3.931 -0.025 q -0.150 q New England $4.046 -0.025 q -0.149 q Central Atlantic $3.997 -0.018 q -0.171 q $3.861 -0.029 q -0.134 q Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V. CX $11.38 p $12.57 $7.95 CRH plc CRG $23.60 p $24.90 $18.21 Eagle Materials Inc. EXP $73.33 p $77.84 $46.92 Granite Construction Inc. GVA $30.43 p $37.74 $26.07 Heidelberg Cement AG HEI $76.77 p $79.87 $52.07 Holcim Ltd. HOLN $72.88 q $87.21 $66.92 Lower Atlantic Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. MLM $97.83 p $113.65 $80.42 MDU Resources Group, Inc. MDU $27.99 p $30.21 $19.59 Texas Industries Inc. TXI $56.22 q $75.30 $39.52 United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. USLM $57.29 q $61.46 $41.95 U.S. Concrete $19.99 p $22.21 $5.86 Vulcan Materials Co. USCR VMC $52.84 p $59.48 $44.19 Sources: Wall Street Journal Market Watch. Currency conversion calculated on date of close 10/4/13. Midwest $3.894 -0.035 q -0.119 q Gulf Coast $3.831 -0.031 q -0.168 q Rocky Mountain $3.927 -0.016 q -0.278 q West Coast $4.075 -0.036 q -0.226 q West Coast less California $3.961 -0.034 q -0.251 q California $4.172 -0.037 q -0.204 q Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (dollars per gallon, prices include all taxes). AGGREGATES MANAGER November 2013 DataMining_AGRM1113.indd 15 15 10/17/13 2:03 PM