Cementing deal

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However, Gujarat Ambuja's results of the last quarter are not strictly comparable with the corresponding period of the previous year, as Ambuja Cement India Limited (ACIL) and its subsidiaries, Ambuja Cement Eastern Ltd. and Kakinada Cements Ltd., have ceased to be subsidiaries of the company.

Nevertheless, the company's operating profit margin has expanded 443 basis points y-o-y to 25.82 per cent in the last quarter. The company's sales rose 2.4 per cent y-o-y to 3.42 million in the December quarter. Price realisations too improved for the company in northern and western markets.

To the company's credit, it has also kept a tight check on operating costs in the last quarter -- for instance, power and fuel costs have fallen almost 8 per cent y-o-y.

Earlier, improved price realisations also helped ACC to grow its operating profit margins by 203 basis points y-o-y to 14.67 per cent in the December quarter, 05.