Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on May 8, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 24, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleHeidelberg Materials exceeded Q1 forecasts with strong growth in Africa, maintaining a positive outlook for 2025 despite challenges.
FRANKFURT (Reuters) -Heidelberg Materials, the world's second-biggest cement maker, on Thursday reported forecast-beating first-quarter sales and profits and confirmed its outlook, citing strong growth in Africa.
The company's first-quarter result from current operations (RCO) rose by 1.3% to 235 million euros ($266 million), beating the 207 million average forecast in a poll provided by the group.
"Despite the political and economic uncertainties as well as difficult weather conditions in some regions, we got off to a very good start to the 2025 financial year," CEO Dominik von Achten said.
Larger peer Holcim late last month also cited strong business in North Africa as one of the drivers behind better-than-expected first-quarter profits.
Heidelberg Materials said it still expects RCO in 2025 of 3.25 billion to 3.55 billion euros, compared with a 3.44 billion consensus estimate.
The company's RCO in North America, a region that accounted for more than a fifth of the group's first-quarter sales, was down by nearly two thirds, it said.
($1 = 0.8830 euros)
(Reporting by Christoph Steitz, editing by Thomas Seythal)
Heidelberg Materials reported a first-quarter result from current operations (RCO) of 235 million euros, which is a 1.3% increase and exceeds the average forecast of 207 million euros.
CEO Dominik von Achten stated that despite political and economic uncertainties, the company had a very good start to the 2025 financial year.
Heidelberg Materials expects RCO in 2025 to be between 3.25 billion to 3.55 billion euros, which is slightly above the consensus estimate of 3.44 billion euros.
The company's RCO in North America was down by nearly two thirds, indicating significant challenges in that region.
Larger peer Holcim reported strong business in North Africa as a key driver behind their better-than-expected first-quarter profits.
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