Steppe Cement : Interim Results for the Half Year ended 30 June 2019 and General Market Update

Steppe Cement Ltd

Interim Results for the Half Year ended 30 June 2019

and General Market Update

1. Interim Results

Steppe Cement Ltd ("Steppe Cement" and "the Company") posted a consolidated profit after tax of USD3.1 million for the six months ended 30 June 2019.

	6 months	6 months	% of
	ended	ended	change
	30 June 19	30 June 18
Sales (Tonnes)	780,315	738,228	6%
Consolidated turnover (KZT million)	14,079	10,539	34%
Consolidated turnover (USD	37.1	32.8	13%
Million)
Consolidated profit after tax (USD	3.1	0.2
Million)
Profit per share (Cents)	1.4	0.1
Average exchange rate (USD/KZT)	379	326	-16%

• The Company continued to maintain prices from last summer while taking advantage of the slight increase of volumes in the first few months of 2019.
• The average ex-factory price increased from 11,560 KZT /tonne to 15,148 KZT /tonne or 31% during the period.
• Steppe Cement's gross margin increased from 32% to 37% in USD terms.
• Selling expenses decreased in USD terms but increased in KZT by 12% on per tonne basis due to inflation in transport costs.
• Administrative expenses were reduced by 3% in KZT.
• The Kazakh Tenge depreciated by 16% compared to the first half of 2018. However, the devaluation took part mostly in the second half of 2018 and therefore the Company only booked foreign exchange losses of USD 0.04 million in 1H 2019.
• The Company generated operating profit before working capital changes of USD 7.9 million in 1H 2019 against USD 5.3 million in 2018.
• The Kazakhstan economy grew at 3.8% up to April 2019.
• Reported inflation has been 5.5% up to the end of August 2019.

2. Production costs

• Production costs increased by 17% in KZT mostly due to the lower level of clinker production as both lines were stopped for longer than usual annual maintenance in 1H 2019.
• The volumes lost in 1H should be recovered in the second half as less maintenance stops are planned.

3. Update on the Kazakh cement market

• The Kazakh cement market decreased by 3% during the first half of the year. Steppe Cement expects a market of about 8.4 million tonnes for the full year 2019, a 3% decrease compared to 2018.
• Steppe Cement increased its local market share from 15.5% in 1H2018 to 17% in 1H2019. We expect to maintain or increase slightly this share for the full year. Exports represented 13% of the volumes in the 1H2019 similar to last year's.
• Imports into Kazakhstan have remained stable at 0.34 million tonnes in 2019 and they represent 8% of the market.
• Exports from Kazakhstan have decreased slightly to 0.87 million tonnes from 0.92 million last year.
• Exports from Kazakhstan represent 19% of local production.
• Overall production of all factories in Kazakhstan has decreased by 4% to 4.6 million tonnes for the 1H2019.
• Currently 80% of production in the country is coming from dry lines, an increase of 2% compared to last year's level.

4. Financing

The debt position of the company as of 30 June 2019 was USD10.7 million (USD 4.6 million current and USD 6.1 million long term):

• A long-term USD 5.1 million loan outstanding to Halyk Bank for the purchase of the wagons and repayable monthly till November 2021 at 6.5% p.a. and secured with the pledge of the wagons.
• A loan of KZT 1.178 billion with Halyk Bank JSC subsidised by the government for capital investment at 6% p.a.
• A loan of KZT 500 million with Halyk Bank JSC subsidised by the government for working capital at 6% p.a.
• We have maintained KZT3.9 billion of available working capital lines from Halyk Bank, Altyn Bank and VTB Bank. The current rates are 6% p.a. in USD and 13% p.a. in KZT respectively. As of 30 June 2019 we had the equivalent of USD 1.1 million outstanding from these working capital loans.

At the same time we carried a balance of USD 10.8 million in cash of which USD 8.3 million were subsequently used to pay a dividend.

As of 31 August 2019, the total debt was USD 9 million (53% in USD and the rest in KZT) The total bank debt net of cash amounted to USD 5.1 million.

A pdf copy of the announcement and the full interim financial statements is available on the company's website at www.steppecement.com.

Steppe Cement's AIM nominated adviser and broker is RFC Ambrian Limited.

Nominated Adviser: Contact Stephen Allen or Andrew Thomson at [phone].

Broker: Contact Charlie Cryer at [phone]

SUMMARY OF INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 30 JUNE 2019 (UNAUDITED)

(In United States Dollars)

The Notes to the Interim Financial Statements form an integral part of the Condensed Financial Statements. Please visit the Company's website at www.steppecement.comto view the full interim financial statements.

STEPPE CEMENT LTD

(Incorporated in Labuan FT, Malaysia under the Labuan Companies Act, 1990)

AND ITS SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF PROFIT AND LOSS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 30 JUNE 2019 (UNAUDITED)

		The Group		The Company
		6 months ended		6 months ended
		30 June 2019		30 June 2018		30 June 2019		30 June 2018
		USD'000		USD'000		USD'000		USD'000
Revenue	37,122	32,838	629	50
Cost of sales	(23,515)		(22,114)		-		-
Gross profit	13,607	10,724	629	50
Selling expenses	(6,584)	(6,450)	-	-
General and administrative
expenses	(2,380)		(2,838)		(147)		(145)
Operating profit/(loss)	4,643	1,436	482	(95)
Interest income	147	15	^	^
Finance costs	(554)	(942)	-	-
Net foreign exchange	(36)	(500)	3	21
(loss)/gain
Other income, net	148		396		-		-
Profit/(Loss) before	4,348	405	485	(74)
income tax
Income tax expense	(1,266)		(199)		-		(2)
Profit/(Loss) for the period	3,082	206	485	(76)
Attributable to:
Shareholders of the	3,082	206	485	(76)
Company
Profit per share:
Basic and diluted (cents)		1.4		0.1
^ Insignificant amount.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 30 JUNE 2019 (UNAUDITED)

		The Group		The Company
		6 months ended		6 months ended
		30 June 2019		30 June 2018		30 June 2019		30 June 2018
		USD'000		USD'000		USD'000		USD'000
Profit/(Loss) for the period	3,082	206	485	(76)
Other comprehensive
income/(loss):
Item that may be
reclassified subsequently to
profit or loss
Exchange differences	759	(1,756)	-	-
arising on translation of
foreign subsidiary
companies
Total other comprehensive	759	(1,756)	-	-
income/(loss) for the period
Total comprehensive	3,841	(1,550)	485	(76)
income/(loss) for the period
Attributable to:
Shareholders of the	3,841	(1,550)	485	(76)
Company