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Dari Couspate Posts 2.9% Q2 Sales Growth Despite Headwinds
<p>Dari Couspate defied Morocco’s tougher trading climate by lifting second-quarter revenue 2.9 % to 135.4 million dirhams, extending the construction-materials group’s resilient run into 2019.</p><p>Management credits resilient domestic demand and tighter cost control for the gain, arguing the firm remains well placed to navigate a sluggish local cement market and rising import pressure.</p>
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Solid top-line momentum
Dari Couspate booked 135.4 million dirhams in second-quarter sales, up 2.9 % from the same period last year, the company announced in a Casablanca bourse filing.
While modest, the increase marks a fourth consecutive quarterly improvement and lifts first-half turnover to 267 million dirhams, keeping the group on track to match last year’s full-year figure of 538 million dirhams.
What drove the gain?
- Strong volumes in ready-mix concrete and aggregates as major infrastructure projects in Tangier and Casablanca moved ahead.
- Price discipline across core product lines, shielding margins from a 6 % slide in domestic cement prices.
- Export sales to Mauritania and Mali, which jumped 14 % year-on-year and now account for 11 % of group revenue.
Cost control cushions margin squeeze
Management highlighted a 3.5 % drop in unit energy costs after switching part of its Kenitra plant to biomass, helping operating margin hold steady at 11.2 % despite higher imported-clinker prices.
Outlook
Executives maintained a cautious but constructive tone for the rest of 2019, citing:
- Public-sector infrastructure spending tied to the 2026 World Cup co-hosting preparations.
- Private real-estate demand in mid-market housing.
- Downside risks from potential cement import quotas and further currency depreciation.
"Our priority is to protect cash flow and market share while the sector recalibrates," said CFO Hassan Barka.