Heidelberg Materials Bangladesh financial analysis: three loss quarters as clinker and fees squeeze a 10% margin (Oct 2026)

Heidelberg Materials Bangladesh: debt-free, but imported clinker and parent fees leave little for shareholders

A grinder with 3,510 kt of capacity running at 52.5%, buying 87.5% of its clinker from the group and paying parent fees of 1.8 times its 2025 profit. H1 2026 loss Tk 111m.

Company · Analysis · 29 Oct 2026 · FY2016-FY2025 annual (Dec) + H1 2026 (to 30-Jun-2026) · By AnalystBro Team · 15 min read

For information only, not investment advice. AnalystBro accepts no responsibility for decisions made on it. Full disclaimer.

Companies covered: LHB

Price (29-Oct-2026)Tk 197.1
52-week rangeTk 196.0 - 272.7
Market valueTk 11.1bn
Shares56.5m
Parent (Heidelberg Materials) stake60.67%
NAV per share, 30-Jun-2026Tk 70.86
EPS 2025 / H1 2026Tk 3.55 / -Tk 1.96
DPS 2025Tk 1.10
Net cash, 30-Jun-2026Tk 1,098m (no borrowings)
Capacity / 2025 utilisation3,510 kt / 52.5%
Average daily turnover, last 60 sessionsabout 5,000 shares (~Tk 1m)

A debt-free grinder with a global parent, but it buys all its clinker and has lost money for three quarters

What it is. Heidelberg Materials Bangladesh (HMB) grinds imported clinker into cement at three plants (Kanchpur near Dhaka, Chattogram and Mukterpur in Munshiganj) with 3,510 kt of installed capacity [1 p.102] and sells it as ScanCement and RubyCement [1 p.12]. It owns no kiln and no limestone, so cost of sales is almost entirely bought-in materials: clinker alone was 55.7% of cost of goods sold in 2025 [1 p.120]. The German parent owns 60.67% through two holding companies [1 p.80].

Where it stands. 2025 revenue was Tk 14,515m (-1.5%) on 1,842 kt sold (+1.4%), so realisation fell 2.9% to Tk 7,880 a tonne; net profit halved to Tk 201m (EPS Tk 3.55) [1 p.99] [2 p.11] [1 p.120]. The decline continued in 2026: a loss of Tk 49.5m in Q1 [4 p.3] and Tk 61.3m in Q2, Tk 110.8m for the half (EPS -Tk 1.96) against a Tk 223.0m profit a year earlier [3 p.3]. Gross margin fell to 6.6% in H1 2026 from 12.1% in H1 2025. Q4 2025 was already a Tk 31.8m loss (full year less nine months) [5 p.3]. The shares closed at Tk 197.1 on 29-Oct-2026 [7], against NAV per share of Tk 70.86 at 30-Jun-2026 [8].

Strengths an investor can weigh

  • No bank debt at 31-Dec-2025: Tk 1,190m of short-term borrowing was repaid in 2025 and cash was Tk 1,310m (Tk 1,098m at 30-Jun-2026).
  • Almost no credit risk in sales: receivables were Tk 234m, about 6 days of revenue.
  • Spare capacity: 1,843 kt produced against 3,510 kt installed (52.5%), so volume can grow without new plants; capex was Tk 306m in 2025.
  • Two long-established brands and a global parent's technical support; four specialty products launched in 2025.
  • Ten-year record of paying a cash dividend in every profitable year (payout about 31% since 2021).

Weaknesses an investor can weigh

  • All clinker is imported in US dollars, and 87.5% of 2025 clinker purchases (Tk 6,282m) came from a group trading company.
  • Parent fees of Tk 361m in 2025 (2.5% of revenue) were 1.8 times net profit.
  • Gross margin 10.5% in 2025 against 30.2% at LafargeHolcim, which owns its kiln and quarry.
  • Losses in four of the last ten years (2019, 2020, 2022 and H1 2026) and ROE below 13% in every year since 2018.
  • Minimum tax of 1% of gross receipts lifted the 2025 tax rate to 47.8% and charged tax on the H1 2026 loss.

What drives shareholder returns. HMB's earnings are a thin spread between a price set in a crowded market and a cost set in US dollars by clinker, freight and the taka. Over 2020-2025 gross profit moved between Tk 486 and Tk 963 a tonne [19]: each Tk 100 a tonne on 1,842 kt is Tk 184m of gross profit, close to the whole of 2025 net profit. Cash conversion is uneven because the business runs on supplier credit (payables Tk 4,536m, 128 days of cost of sales) and swings in that credit, not profit, decide the year's cash: operating cash flow was Tk 2,049m in 2024 and -Tk 2m in 2025 [6 p.18] [1 p.18]. Capital allocation is simple: no acquisitions since the 2019 Emirates purchase, low capex and a cash dividend of about 31% of profit.

  • Is the 2026 loss a clinker-price event or a lasting price war? Signpost: Q3 2026 gross margin (board met 29-Oct-2026; filing not yet in our corpus) and the Q4 trend.
  • Will the group pass lower clinker costs through? Signpost: clinker Tk per tonne in note 25.03 of the 2026 annual report against 2025's Tk 6,825.
  • Do volumes recover with public works? Signpost: ADP spending and ECNEC approvals, and HMB's tonnes against the 1,842 kt of 2025.
  • Will the final 2026 dividend be paid from a loss year? Signpost: the board meeting on the 2026 accounts (around April 2027).
  • Does the parent keep its fee terms? Signpost: related-party note 43 and the fee rates in note 19.03.

Three grinding plants with 3,510 kt of capacity ran at 52.5% in 2025

History. The group entered Bangladesh in 1998 with a floating terminal at Chattogram, built ScanCement International near Dhaka in 1999-2000 and bought the Chattogram clinker grinder (CCCGCL) in 2000-2003; the two merged as HeidelbergCement Bangladesh in 2004 [1 p.13]. Grinding units were added at Kanchpur (0.45 mt, 2008-2012; 0.472 mt, end-2019) and Chattogram (0.75 mt, 2012) [1 p.12]. It bought Emirates Cement Bangladesh and Emirates Power in 2019 and amalgamated them in 2021, adding the 660 kt Mukterpur plant; Meghna Energy was bought in 2020 and amalgamated in 2021 [1 p.13] [1 p.102]. The company took the Heidelberg Materials name in 2024 [1 p.13].

Plants and sales. Total production capacity is 3,510 kt a year [1 p.102]. In 2025 HMB produced 1,843 kt and sold 1,842 kt [1 p.33], a utilisation of 52.5%. Kanchpur is the biggest seller (Tk 7,079m), Chattogram grew 17% to Tk 5,359m, and Mukterpur fell 26% to Tk 2,077m [1 p.119]. Exports were negligible (Tk 0.7m). Sales are close to cash: receivables were Tk 234m at year-end [1 p.98].

Exhibit 1Capacity is twice what HMB sells
kt20242025
Installed capacity3,5103,510
Cement production1,8051,843
Cement sales1,8161,842
Utilisation (production / capacity)51.4%52.5%
Source: AR2025 [1 p.102] [1 p.33]; model [19]
Exhibit 2Chattogram grew while Mukterpur shrank in 2025
Tk mn20242025Change
Kanchpur7,3687,079-0
Chattogram4,5775,3590
Mukterpur2,7952,077-0
Total revenue14,74014,515-0
Source: Note 24.02 [1 p.119]

Brands and products. ScanCement and RubyCement are sold as Portland Composite Cement (PCC, pioneered by HMB in 2004), Ordinary Portland Cement and, since 2023, a multi-purpose blast-furnace/composite cement [1 p.12]. In 2025 it launched PCC Max and evoBuild under Scan and PCC Max and Sulphate Resistant Cement under Ruby [1 p.12]. Management says its marketing in 2025 aimed to 'justify price premium' and that it ran its 'largest-ever retail branding program' [1 p.56]; advertising and promotion rose from Tk 131m to Tk 218m [1 p.121]. The data do not show a premium being earned: realisation fell 2.9% in 2025 while volume rose 1.4%.

Blended cement. HMB used 1,059 kt of clinker for 1,843 kt of cement in 2025, a clinker factor of 57.5% (59.7% in 2024); the rest is slag (323 kt), fly ash (230 kt), gypsum and limestone [1 p.120]. Lowering the clinker share is HMB's main cost lever, and the chairman cites 'clinker factor optimization' [1 p.32].

Exhibit 3Volume peaked at 2,213 kt in 2022 and fell 17% by 2025
kt · right: %
05001,0001,5002,0002,5000%20.0%40.0%60.0%80.0%2020202120222023202420251,6372,1732,2132,1851,8161,842
Cement sales (kt)Utilisation of 3,510 kt
Data
202020212022202320242025
Cement sales (kt)1,637.002,173.002,213.002,185.001,816.001,842.00
Utilisation of 3,510 kt46.6061.9063.0062.3051.7052.50
Source: AR2025 graphs [1 p.20]; model [19]

86 mt of capacity for 40 mt of demand: the market sets the price, not HMB

Demand. The Bangladesh Cement Manufacturers Association (BCMA), as reported by The Daily Star, counted 39.75 mt of cement demand in 2025 against 86.02 mt of capacity at 41 plants [9]. The Financial Express reported a rebound of about 5% in 2025 after three weak years [10]. On those figures HMB's 1,842 kt is about 4.6% of the market. Demand rests on public works (the Annual Development Programme), private housing and real-estate; HMB's chairman expects 'gradual stabilization' as 'public infrastructure activity strengthens' [1 p.32]. ECNEC approved 12 projects totalling Tk 1.69 trillion in September 2026, including a metro line [14].

Competition and price discipline. The large local grinders (Shah Cement, Bashundhara, Seven Rings, Premier, Crown and others) and LafargeHolcim, the one integrated producer, compete for a market half the size of installed capacity. The Daily Star has reported that the largest firms hold most of the market and squeeze small producers [17]; we have no audited company-level share table (gap). With that much spare capacity, nobody can hold price when costs fall and nobody can raise it quickly when they rise. HMB's managing director put the 2025 revenue decline down to 'lower average selling prices per bag amid intense competition' [1 p.33]. In 2025 realisation fell Tk 237 a tonne while clinker cost rose Tk 116 a tonne of clinker [19].

Exhibit 4HMB sells about 4.6% of a market with twice the capacity it needs
2025IndustryHMB
Demand / sales (kt)39,7501,842
Capacity (kt)86,0203,510
Utilisation46.2%52.5%
HMB share of demand—4.6%
Source: BCMA via Daily Star [9]; AR2025 [1 p.33] [1 p.102]

How HMB compares with LafargeHolcim. On 2025 own filings, HMB's gross margin was 10.5% against 30.2% at LafargeHolcim, whose kiln and Indian quarry cover about 70% of its clinker and whose aggregates business added profit [18 p.61] [18 p.73]. LafargeHolcim's parent fees were higher as a share of revenue (3.51% against 2.49%), so the gap is about owning the clinker, not about fees. Premier and Crown, the other listed peers, report on June years and are not comparable line by line here.

Exhibit 5Owning clinker is worth about 20 points of gross margin
2025HeidelbergLafargeHolcim
Revenue (Tk mn)14,51529,314
Cement sales (kt)1,8422,831
Gross margin10.5%30.2%
Parent fees (Tk mn)3611,029
Parent fees / revenue2.5%3.5%
Revenue per tonne (Tk; LHB incl. aggregates)7,88010,355
Source: HMB [1 p.99] [1 p.121]; LHB [18 p.61] [18 p.73]; Peers sheet [19]

Clinker is 56% of cost of sales, bought in dollars, mostly from the group

Cost of sales. 2025 cost of goods sold was Tk 12,984m: raw and packing materials Tk 10,767m and manufacturing overheads Tk 2,226m [1 p.119]. Within materials, clinker cost Tk 7,228m (1,059 kt at Tk 6,825 a tonne, up from Tk 6,709), slag Tk 1,105m, fly ash Tk 775m, gypsum and limestone Tk 861m and packing Tk 799m [1 p.120]. Raw materials imported at CIF were Tk 7,962m [1 p.125], so roughly three-fifths of cost of sales is priced in foreign currency.

Exhibit 6Cost of goods sold by component
Tk mn20242025Share of 2025 COGS
Clinker7,2267,2281
Slag9871,1050
Fly ash8657750
Gypsum and limestone9298610
Packing7817990
Power9069410
Factory depreciation4043970
Other overheads and stock change8988780
Cost of goods sold12,99312,9841
Source: Notes 25.01-25.04 [1 p.119] [1 p.120]

Clinker prices and freight. Imported clinker prices rose in 2026: LafargeHolcim's chief executive told The Daily Star that clinker had risen from about US$43 to US$53 a tonne [11], and The Business Standard reported freight and input shocks across building materials [12]. HMB's H1 2026 gross margin of 6.6% (12.1% a year earlier) [3 p.3] is consistent with that, but HMB does not disclose a 2026 clinker price; the per-tonne figure will be in the 2026 annual report.

BDT/USD. HMB pays for clinker, slag and fly ash in dollars through letters of credit; confirmed irrevocable LCs were Tk 12,017m at 31-Dec-2025 [1 p.119]. A weaker taka raises cost straight away and price only if competitors follow. On 2025 figures, each 1% on the Tk 7,962m of imported raw materials is about Tk 80m, 21% of 2025 profit before tax [19].

Energy. Power cost was Tk 941m in 2025 (Tk 511 a tonne produced, Tk 502 in 2024) [1 p.120]. The government raised power tariffs by 16.68% from June 2026 [13]; on the 2025 bill each 10% is about Tk 94m. Grinders use less energy than integrated plants, so power matters less to HMB than clinker.

Exhibit 7Unit economics: price fell, clinker rose, gross profit per tonne down 14%
Tk per tonne20242025
Realisation (revenue / tonne sold)8,1177,880
Clinker cost per tonne of clinker6,7096,825
Clinker factor59.7%57.5%
Power per tonne produced502511
Cost of goods sold per tonne sold7,1557,049
Gross profit per tonne sold962831
Source: [1 p.99] [1 p.120]; Drivers sheet [19]

Parent fees of Tk 361m were 1.8 times 2025 profit; the group now supplies 88% of clinker

Fee terms. The old technical know-how agreements were replaced from 1-Jan-2022 by a General Services Agreement with Heidelberg Materials Asia and a Master License Agreement with Heidelberg Materials AG: a licence fee of 0.99% of net sales less the cost of clinker (0.92% in 2024), a service fee of 1.8% of net sales and a brand licence fee of 0.19% of net sales [1 p.117]. In 2025 the charges were Tk 261m (technical service), Tk 72m (group licence) and Tk 28m (brand) [1 p.121]. Because most of the fee is a share of sales, it is paid whether or not HMB earns a profit.

Exhibit 8Group fees: 2.5% of revenue, 180% of 2025 net profit
Tk mn20242025
Technical service fee (Heidelberg Materials Asia)265261
Group licence fee (Heidelberg Materials AG)6972
Brand licence fee (Heidelberg Materials AG)1428
Total group fees348361
Group fees / revenue2.4%2.5%
Group fees / net profit75%180%
Source: Notes 19.03, 28, 43 [1 p.117] [1 p.121] [1 p.125]; Drivers sheet [19]

Clinker from the group. HM Trading Global (APAC) Pte. Ltd., a group company, sold HMB Tk 6,282m of clinker in 2025 against Tk 3,809m in 2024, plus slag (Tk 890m), limestone (Tk 247m) and gypsum (Tk 247m) [1 p.125]. That is 87.5% of 2025 clinker purchases (48.8% in 2024) [19]. The note says the trades are 'on an arms length basis' and shareholders approved them at the AGM of 16-Jun-2025 [1 p.126]. The group's buying power can help, but it also means the price HMB pays for its biggest input is set inside the group, and minority shareholders see only the totals.

Exhibit 9The group's share of HMB's clinker jumped to 87.5%
Tk mn20242025
Clinker from HM Trading Global (APAC)3,8096,282
All clinker purchases7,8097,178
Group share48.8%87.5%
Slag from the group242890
Payable to group for technical service, year-end890527
Source: Note 43 [1 p.125]; note 25.01 [1 p.120]

Group restructuring. The pattern over ten years is consolidation under the parent: the Emirates and Meghna Energy amalgamations (2021), the new fee agreements (2022), the name change (2024) and centralised clinker trading (2025) [1 p.13] [1 p.117]. Unpaid technical-service fees fell from Tk 890m to Tk 527m in 2025 as HMB paid down the backlog [1 p.125]. The parent holds 60.67% [1 p.80].

Line items: price and clinker set gross profit; tax and fees take what is left

Revenue. Revenue rose from Tk 10,521m in 2020 to a peak of Tk 17,956m in 2023 and fell to Tk 14,515m in 2025 [6 p.18] [1 p.18]. Volume explains the 2021 jump (the Emirates plant) and the 2024 drop (-17%, as demand fell during the political transition); price explains 2022-2023, when realisation rose from Tk 6,594 (2021) to Tk 8,218 a tonne (2023) as the taka weakened and costs were passed on [19]. In 2025 a 1.4% volume gain was more than offset by a 2.9% price fall.

Exhibit 10Ten years of revenue and net profit
Tk mn · right: Tk mn
05,00010,00015,00020,000-50005001,0001,5002,000201620172018201920202021202220232024202510,6009,80211,15111,92710,52114,32816,76717,95614,74014,515
Revenue (Tk mn)Net profit (Tk mn)
Data
2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Revenue (Tk mn)10,600.009,802.0011,151.0011,927.0010,521.0014,328.0016,767.0017,956.0014,740.0014,515.00
Net profit (Tk mn)1,508.00803.00711.00-258.00-5.00475.00-233.00459.00462.00201.00
Source: Comparative highlights [6 p.18] [1 p.18]

Cost of sales. Gross margin was 25.9% in 2016 and has not exceeded 12.4% since 2019 [19]. The step down came in 2018-2019 (16.3%, then 9.7%); 2022 (6.4%) was the year the taka fell sharply against the dollar, when HMB paid more for dollar clinker before it could raise prices. Gross profit per tonne recovered to Tk 946-963 in 2023-2024 and fell back to Tk 831 in 2025.

Exhibit 11Margins have stayed in a low band since 2019
%
-10.0010.020.030.02016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Gross marginEBITDA marginNet margin
Data
2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Gross margin25.9020.0016.309.7012.4011.206.4011.5011.9010.50
EBITDA margin22.3014.9012.105.007.907.903.107.607.805.30
Net margin14.208.206.40-2.200.003.30-1.402.603.101.40
Source: Ratios sheet [19]
Exhibit 12Realisation and gross profit per tonne
Tk/t · right: Tk/t
02,0004,0006,0008,00010,00002004006008001,000202020212022202320242025
Realisation (Tk/t)Gross profit per tonne (Tk)
Data
202020212022202320242025
Realisation (Tk/t)6,427.006,594.007,577.008,218.008,117.007,880.00
Gross profit per tonne (Tk)795.00735.00486.00946.00963.00831.00
Source: Ratios sheet [19]; volumes [1 p.20]

Operating expenses. Selling and distribution rose 31% to Tk 561m in 2025, led by advertising (Tk 153m from Tk 69m) for the product launches, and staff and distribution cost [1 p.121]. Administrative expenses were Tk 633m, of which Tk 361m was group fees; the rest (staff, rent, depreciation, IT) fell slightly, in line with the 'significant reduction in fixed costs' the MD describes [1 p.33]. In H1 2026 selling costs were Tk 255m and administration Tk 303m, both below H1 2025 [3 p.3].

Exhibit 13Selling costs up 31% on product launches; admin is mostly parent fees
Tk mn20242025
Selling and distribution430561
of which advertising and promotion131218
of which staff120140
of which distribution85112
Administrative expenses619633
of which group fees348361
of which staff148159
Source: Notes 27-28 [1 p.121]

Finance items. HMB earns more interest than it pays. Interest on fixed deposits was Tk 181m in 2025 (Tk 333m in 2024) and interest and bank charges Tk 111m (Tk 270m), for net finance income of Tk 69m [1 p.121]. Interest income fell because cash fell from Tk 2,979m to Tk 1,310m when HMB repaid its Tk 1,190m short-term loan [1 p.98]. In H1 2026 net finance income was Tk 29m [3 p.3].

Tax. The corporate rate is 20% as a listed company, but the Finance Ordinance 2025-26 sets a minimum tax of the higher of 1% of gross receipts, tax deducted at source and import-stage tax, or 20% of taxable income [1 p.122]. On Tk 14.5bn of sales the 1% floor is about Tk 145m, close to all of 2025's taxable profit, so the 2025 tax charge was Tk 184m on Tk 385m of profit (47.8%) [1 p.99]. In H1 2026 HMB booked Tk 37.8m of tax on a Tk 73.0m pre-tax loss [3 p.3]. As long as margins stay thin, the minimum tax, not the 20% rate, sets the tax line.

Exhibit 14Below operating profit: finance income shrinks, tax floor bites
Tk mn20242025H1 2025H1 2026
Operating profit704336337-102
Net finance income61695329
WPPF-38-20-200
Profit before tax727385371-73
Tax-265-184-148-38
Net profit462201223-111

Three loss-making quarters in a row: gross margin 6.3% in Q2 2026

Revenue fell 11.1% in H1 2026 to Tk 6,839m and gross profit fell 51% to Tk 455m [3 p.3]. The Business Standard reported that management blamed 'a lower profit margin per tonne' and a slowdown in sales volume [15]; The Financial Express cited soaring raw-material costs, weak demand and competition [16]. Operating cash flow was -Tk 50m for the half (-Tk 573m in H1 2025) and inventories rose to Tk 2,553m from Tk 1,995m [3 p.2] [3 p.5].

Exhibit 15Quarterly profit has fallen every quarter since Q1 2025
Tk mn
-1000100200Q1 25Q2 25Q3 25Q4 25Q1 26Q2 2619626.59.4-31.8-49.5-61.3
Data
Q1 25Q2 25Q3 25Q4 25Q1 26Q2 26
Net profit (Tk mn)196.5026.509.40-31.80-49.50-61.30
Source: Interims [3 p.3] [4 p.3] [5 p.3]; Q3/Q4 2025 derived; Quarterly sheet [19]
Exhibit 16Quarterly income statement
Tk mnQ1 2025Q2 2025Q1 2026Q2 2026
Revenue4,2963,3963,6243,215
Gross profit555373250204
Gross margin12.9%11.0%6.9%6.4%
Operating profit26572-27-76
Net profit196.526.5-49.5-61.3
EPS (Tk)3.480.47-0.88-1.09
Source: Interims [3 p.3]; Q1 2026 = H1 less Q2; Quarterly sheet [19]

The Q3 2026 accounts were considered by the board on 29-Oct-2026 [8] but were not yet in our filings corpus when this note was written; the analysis uses filings to 30-Jun-2026.

Ten-year ratios: ROE has averaged 6.7% since 2017; the best years still earned under 16%

Returns. ROE on average equity was 15.6% in 2017 and 15.4% in 2018, negative in 2019, 2020 and 2022, and 12.3-12.8% in 2021, 2023 and 2024 before 4.8% in 2025 [19]. The 2017-2025 average is 6.7% and the median 11.7%. ROCE (EBIT on average capital employed) peaked at 20.0% in 2023 because capital employed is small: the plant is old and supplier credit funds the working capital.

Exhibit 17ROE and ROCE, 2017-2025
%
-10.0010.020.0201720182019202020212022202320242025
ROEROCE
Data
201720182019202020212022202320242025
ROE15.6015.40-6.10-0.1012.30-6.5012.8011.704.80
ROCE16.3016.402.906.4012.90-0.5020.0015.106.80
Source: Ratios sheet [19]

Growth. Revenue grew at 3.6% a year from 2016 to 2025 (Tk 10.6bn to Tk 14.5bn), almost all of it from the 2021 Emirates merger and 2022-2023 price rises; net profit fell from Tk 1,508m to Tk 201m [6 p.18] [1 p.18].

Efficiency. Receivables are about 6 days, inventory 56 days and payables 128 days of cost of sales (2025), so working capital is negative (-Tk 566m) [19] [1 p.18]. Asset turnover was 1.6x in 2025, against 1.0x in 2016 when HMB held more cash.

Exhibit 18Working capital is funded by suppliers
Days20242025
Receivable days (revenue)6.45.9
Inventory days (COGS)58.156.1
Payable days (COGS)139.4127.5
Net working capital (Tk mn, company table)-733-566
Source: Drivers sheet [19]; [1 p.98]

Leverage and cash conversion. HMB moved from Tk 3.7bn of net cash in 2016 to net debt of Tk 2.0bn after the 2019 Emirates purchase, and back to net cash of Tk 1.8bn in 2024 and Tk 1.3bn in 2025 [6 p.18] [1 p.18]. Operating cash flow was more than twice profit in 2021, 2023 and 2024 as supplier credit grew, and about nil in 2025 when it shrank [19].

Earnings quality. Reported profit is close to cash profit: depreciation (Tk 397m in the factory, Tk 50m in selling and administration, including amortisation) is roughly matched by capex (Tk 306m in 2025), there is no capitalised interest, and the only large provisions are for slow-moving spares (Tk 138m charged in 2025, Tk 32m in 2024) [1 p.120] [1 p.121]. The spares charge cut 2025 gross profit by about 1 percentage point of revenue and is the one item an investor may treat as partly non-recurring. Other operating items are small (a Tk 1.5m net expense). The quality issue is not accounting but timing: cash flow follows supplier credit, which rose in 2023-2024 and was paid down in 2025.

Capital allocation. Since the 2019 Emirates purchase, which turned net cash into Tk 2.0bn of net debt [6 p.18] [1 p.18], HMB has spent little: capex of Tk 268-306m a year [1 p.123] against depreciation and amortisation of about Tk 450m, no acquisitions and no share issues. Surplus cash has gone to repaying debt and to dividends. With grinding capacity half used, the main use of new money would be working capital and marketing rather than plants.

Exhibit 19Cash conversion swings with supplier credit
202020212022202320242025
Operating cash flow (Tk mn)9981,1162151,2312,049-2
Net profit (Tk mn)-5475-233459462201
CFO / net profit (x)—2.4x—2.7x4.4x-0.0x
Net borrowings, negative = net cash (Tk mn)1,007413570-203-1,790-1,310
Net borrowings / EBITDA (x)1.2x0.4x1.1x-0.1x-1.6x-1.7x
Source: Comparative highlights [6 p.18] [1 p.18]; Ratios sheet [19]

No bank debt, Tk 1.1bn of cash, and Tk 5.1bn owed to suppliers

At 30-Jun-2026 HMB had Tk 1,098m of cash and no borrowings, against trade and other payables of Tk 5,102m [3 p.2]. Equity was Tk 4,004m (NAV Tk 70.86 a share) after the Tk 62m final dividend for 2025 and the H1 loss. The banks holding the cash are not named in the statements we read (gap). Non-current liabilities are small: a Tk 123m quasi-equity loan, a Tk 13m ADP loan, Tk 3m of blocked supplier credit, a Tk 146m jetty-dismantling provision and lease liabilities [3 p.2].

Exhibit 20Balance sheet summary
Tk mn31-Dec-2431-Dec-2530-Jun-26
Property, plant and equipment + RoU + CWIP5,3285,2295,074
Inventories2,0681,9952,553
Trade and other receivables259234239
Cash and equivalents2,9791,3101,098
Borrowings1,19000
Trade and other payables4,9634,5365,102
Total equity4,1174,1774,004
Source: [1 p.98]; [3 p.2]

Commitments and contingencies. Open letters of credit were Tk 12,017m (Tk 14,234m in 2024) and bank guarantees Tk 204m [1 p.119]. Several income-tax assessments are under appeal; management considers its provisions adequate [1 p.119]. The auditor, Hoda Vasi Chowdhury & Co, listed revenue recognition and receivables, inventories and property, plant and equipment as key audit matters [1 p.92]; we found no emphasis of matter on the pages read.

Dividends cut from Tk 30 in 2016 to Tk 1.10 for 2025

HMB paid out more than its earnings in 2016-2017 (Tk 30 and Tk 15 a share), nothing for 2019, and about 31% of EPS in each profitable year since 2021: Tk 2.60 (2021), Tk 2.50 (2023 and 2024) and Tk 1.10 for 2025 [6 p.18] [1 p.18] [1 p.85]. It paid Tk 1.00 for loss-making 2022 and Tk 2.00 for 2020, from retained earnings. Cash paid as dividends was Tk 141m in each of 2024 and 2025 [1 p.123]. The record date for the 2025 dividend was 20-May-2026 and the AGM 18-Jun-2026 [8]. There have been no bonus shares or rights issues; the share count has stayed at 56.5m.

Exhibit 21EPS and dividend per share, 2016-2025
Tk
-10.0010.020.030.02016201720182019202020212022202320242025
EPS (Tk)DPS (Tk)
Data
2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
EPS (Tk)26.7014.2012.60-4.60-0.098.41-4.138.138.173.55
DPS (Tk)30.0015.007.500.002.002.601.002.502.501.10

Market multiples as facts. At Tk 197.1 the market value is Tk 11.1bn. Trailing EPS to June 2026 is -Tk 2.36 (2025 EPS 3.55 less H1 2025 3.95 plus H1 2026 -1.96), so there is no meaningful P/E; the price is 2.8 times June 2026 NAV and the 2025 dividend is 0.6% of the price. At year-ends since 2016 the P/B ranged from 2.1x (2020) to 5.6x (2016) and the dividend yield from 0% to 5.4% [19]. We draw no conclusion from these numbers about the share price.

Exhibit 22Year-end multiples, 2016-2025 (facts, not a valuation)
Year-end2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Share price (Tk)552.3424.9334.7166.7149.6272.4179.1239.5221.5216.1
P/E (x)20.7x29.9x26.6x——32.4x—29.5x27.1x60.9x
P/B (x)5.6x5.1x4.1x2.4x2.1x4.1x3.0x3.6x3.0x2.9x
Dividend yield5.4%3.5%2.2%0.0%1.3%1.0%0.6%1.0%1.1%0.5%
Source: Ratios sheet [19]; prices [1 p.18] [6 p.18]

Controlled by the parent: 60.67% of shares, six of nine board seats

Heidelberg Materials Netherlands Holding B.V. owns 39.81% and Heidelberg Materials Asia Holding GmbH 20.86% [1 p.80]. The chairman (Roberto Callieri), managing director (Ong Kian Hock Terence) and the CFO are parent nominees; Investment Corporation of Bangladesh has a nominee director and there are two independent directors [1 p.80]. Directors hold no shares personally. The company secretary resigned effective 1-May-2026 and the head of internal audit effective 1-Apr-2026 [1 p.80]; the Q2 2026 accounts were signed by an acting company secretary [3 p.2]. Directors received Tk 0.4m in meeting fees; managers and officers Tk 332m [1 p.125].

Exhibit 23Shareholding at 31-Dec-2025
SharesShare
Heidelberg Materials Netherlands Holding B.V.22,493,0200
Heidelberg Materials Asia Holding GmbH11,784,3900
Parent total34,277,4101
Others (institutions and public)22,226,1700
Source: [1 p.80]

Related-party approval. Because group purchases exceed the regulatory threshold, shareholders approved the related-party transactions at the 2025 AGM [1 p.126]. Minority shareholders vote on the total, not on the clinker price per tonne. DSE news, last 24 months: quarterly results and board meetings, the 2025 dividend (record date 20-May-2026) and the AGM of 18-Jun-2026 [8]; we found no rights issue, bond, sponsor sale or regulatory action.

What will move the lines next: clinker, power tariffs, public works and the tax floor

Exhibit 24Known events and which line they move
ItemDateLineDirection
Q3 2026 accounts (board met)29-Oct-2026AllShows whether the loss continued
Power tariff +16.68%Jun-2026Cost of sales (power)Up
Imported clinker US$43 to US$53/t (LHB CEO)2026Cost of sales (clinker)Up
ECNEC: 12 projects, Tk 1.69tnSep-2026VolumeUp, with a lag
Minimum tax 1% of gross receiptsFY2025-26 onwardTaxFloor regardless of profit
Clinker sourced 87.5% via group trading2025 onwardCost of salesDepends on group pricing
2026 annual accounts and dividend~Apr-2027DividendLoss year
Source: Sources as cited in the text

Capex and capacity. No new plant is planned: capital expenditure authorised and committed was Tk 5m and authorised but not contracted Tk 34m at end-2025 [1 p.119]. Growth therefore depends on filling the 1.7 mt of idle grinding capacity. Policy. Power tariffs rose from June 2026 [13]; the minimum tax applies from FY2025-26 [1 p.122]. Demand. ECNEC approvals [14] and a recovering construction market [10] support volume; HMB's own outlook is 'gradual stabilization' [1 p.32]. Prices. Every producer faced higher clinker and power costs in 2026, which is the condition under which cement prices have risen in the past (2022-2023: realisation +25%), but the 2026 interims show no such rise yet.

Risks: price and clinker matter most; each Tk 100 a tonne moves profit by more than Tk 100m

Exhibit 25Risk table with history-based sensitivities (2025 base)
RiskLineSensitivity on 2025 figuresLikelihood
Cement price warRevenueEach 1% of realisation = Tk 145m, 38% of 2025 PBTHigh
Clinker price / freightCost of salesEach Tk 100/t on 1,059 kt = Tk 106mHigh
Taka weakensCost of salesEach 1% on Tk 7,962m imports = Tk 80mMedium
Power tariffCost of salesEach 10% on Tk 941m = Tk 94mHappened (Jun-2026)
Volume (ADP stalls)Revenue / gross profitEach 100 kt at Tk 831/t = Tk 83mMedium
Group pricing of clinker and feesCost of sales / adminFees Tk 361m fixed to sales; clinker 87.5% from groupOngoing
Minimum taxTaxAbout Tk 145m a year at 2025 salesCertain
Supplier credit tightensOperating cash flowEach 10 payable days = Tk 356m of cashMedium
Source: Drivers sheet [19]; [1 p.99] [1 p.120] [1 p.125]

The two lines that matter are realisation and clinker cost, and both are outside HMB's control: one is set by a market with 46% utilisation [9], the other in US dollars, mostly through a group company [1 p.125]. The fixed take of the parent and of the tax office (Tk 361m of fees and a tax floor of about Tk 145m, both tied to sales) [1 p.121] [1 p.122] means a small margin squeeze turns into a loss quickly, as in 2019, 2020, 2022 and H1 2026. The balance sheet softens this: there is no bank debt, and the dividend has always been small enough to pay from retained earnings.

  • Q3 2026 results (board met 29-Oct-2026): gross margin against 6.3% in Q2 2026.
  • Cement bag prices from dealers and press reports, Nov-2026 to Mar-2027.
  • Clinker CFR price and freight (press reports quoting producers).
  • Taka/US dollar rate and LC margins.
  • ADP spending and ECNEC approvals each month.
  • 2026 annual report (~Apr-2027): clinker Tk per tonne, group share of clinker, fees, dividend.

The model

The model with its formulas: open it in the spreadsheet view or download the Excel file (AnalystBro paid accounts). Download .xlsx

History

Tk mn (standalone)2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Net revenue10,6009,80211,15111,92710,52114,32816,76717,95614,74014,515
Gross profit2,7421,9571,8141,1541,3011,5981,0752,0681,7481,531
Income from operations1,9461,020924172386705-21889704336
EBITDA2,3691,4601,3455978341,1365231,3661,144763
EBIT1,837959870163373670-21847666316
Net profit1,508803711-258-5475-233459462201
Operating cash flow1,7247965462029981,1162151,2312,049-2
Total assets10,1898,7308,22210,0859,1449,2358,78012,60211,0019,325
Shareholders' equity5,5924,7004,5633,8813,9343,7633,3943,7974,1174,177
Net borrowings (negative = net cash)-3,722-2,652-1,0542,0411,007413570-203-1,790-1,310
Capital employed6,3425,4045,2326,1245,4844,8784,2304,2414,5964,663
EPS (Tk)26.7014.2012.60-4.60-0.098.41-4.138.138.173.55
DPS (Tk)30.0015.007.500.002.002.601.002.502.501.10
Year-end share price (Tk)552.3424.9334.7166.7149.6272.4179.1239.5221.5216.1
Cement sales volume (kt)————1,6372,1732,2132,1851,8161,842
Shares (mn)56.556.556.556.556.556.556.556.556.556.5

Ratios

Ratio2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Revenue growth—-7.5%13.8%7.0%-11.8%36.2%17.0%7.1%-17.9%-1.5%
Gross margin25.9%20.0%16.3%9.7%12.4%11.2%6.4%11.5%11.9%10.5%
EBITDA margin22.3%14.9%12.1%5.0%7.9%7.9%3.1%7.6%7.8%5.3%
Operating margin18.4%10.4%8.3%1.4%3.7%4.9%-0.1%5.0%4.8%2.3%
Net margin14.2%8.2%6.4%-2.2%-0.0%3.3%-1.4%2.6%3.1%1.4%
ROE (average equity)—15.6%15.4%-6.1%-0.1%12.3%-6.5%12.8%11.7%4.8%
ROCE (EBIT / average capital employed)—16.3%16.4%2.9%6.4%12.9%-0.5%20.0%15.1%6.8%
Asset turnover (x)1.0x1.1x1.4x1.2x1.2x1.6x1.9x1.4x1.3x1.6x
Cash conversion (CFO / net profit)1.1x1.0x0.8xn/mn/m2.3xn/m2.7x4.4x-0.0x
Net borrowings / EBITDA (x)-1.6x-1.8x-0.8x3.4x1.2x0.4x1.1x-0.1x-1.6x-1.7x
Payout (DPS / EPS)112%106%60%n/mn/m31%n/m31%31%31%
NAV per share (Tk)98.9783.1880.7668.6969.6266.6060.0767.2072.8673.92
Realisation (Tk per tonne)n/an/an/an/a6,4276,5947,5778,2188,1177,880
Gross profit per tonne (Tk)n/an/an/an/a795735486946963831
Utilisation (sales / 3,510 kt capacity)n/an/an/an/a46.6%61.9%63.0%62.3%51.7%52.5%
Year-end P/E (x)20.7x29.9x26.6xn/mn/m32.4xn/m29.5x27.1x60.9x
Year-end P/B (x)5.6x5.1x4.1x2.4x2.1x4.1x3.0x3.6x3.0x2.9x
Year-end dividend yield5.4%3.5%2.2%0.0%1.3%1.0%0.6%1.0%1.1%0.5%

Drivers

Tk mn unless stated20242025
Cement sales (kt)1,8161,842
Cement production (kt)1,8051,843
Installed capacity (kt)3,5103,510
Revenue14,74014,515
Chattogram plant sales4,5775,359
Kanchpur plant sales7,3687,079
Mukterpur plant sales2,7952,077
Clinker consumed (kt)1,0771,059
Clinker consumed (Tk mn)7,2267,228
Slag consumed (Tk mn)9871,105
Fly ash consumed (Tk mn)865775
Gypsum + limestone (Tk mn)929861
Packing (Tk mn)781799
Power cost (Tk mn)906941
Factory depreciation (Tk mn)404397
Other manufacturing overheads (Tk mn)822888
Cost of goods sold12,99312,984
Selling and distribution430561
of which advertising + promotion131218
Administrative expenses619633
Technical know-how / service fee265261
Group licence fee6972
Brand licence fee1428
Bank interest income333181
Interest and bank charges (incl. lease)270111
Profit before tax727385
Tax expense265184
Net profit462201
Clinker bought from HM Trading Global (Tk mn)3,8096,282
Clinker purchases, all suppliers (Tk mn)7,8097,178
Cash and equivalents2,9791,310
Short-term borrowings1,1900
Trade and other payables4,9634,536
Inventories2,0681,995
Trade receivables259234
Capex paid268306
Dividend paid141141
Income tax paid316301
Realisation (Tk/t)8,1177,880
Clinker cost (Tk/t of clinker)6,7096,825
Clinker factor (clinker / cement produced)59.7%57.5%
COGS per tonne sold (Tk)7,1557,049
Gross profit per tonne (Tk)962831
Utilisation (production / capacity)51.4%52.5%
Group fees, total348361
Group fees / revenue2.4%2.5%
Group fees / net profit75%180%
Group share of clinker purchases48.8%87.5%
Effective tax rate36.5%47.8%
Clinker share of COGS55.6%55.7%
Power cost per tonne produced (Tk)502511
Net cash (cash less borrowings)1,7891,310
Payable days (on COGS)139128
Inventory days (on COGS)5856
Receivable days (on revenue)66

Quarterly

Tk mnQ1 2025Q2 2025Q3 2025Q4 2025Q1 2026Q2 2026
Revenue4,2963,396——3,6243,215
Gross profit555373——250204
Operating profit26572——-27-76
Net profit196.526.59.4-31.8-49.5-61.3
Gross margin12.9%11.0%n/an/a6.9%6.3%
EPS (Tk)3.480.470.17-0.56-0.88-1.08

Peers

2025 (Tk mn)HeidelbergLafargeHolcim
Revenue14,51529,314
Gross profit1,5318,846
Parent fees3611,029
Cement sales (kt)1,8422,831
Gross margin10.5%30.2%
Parent fees / revenue2.5%3.5%
Revenue per tonne of cement (Tk; LHB incl. aggregates)7,88010,355

FAQ

Why did Heidelberg Materials Bangladesh make a loss in 2026?
Gross margin fell from 12.1% to 6.6% in H1 2026 as imported clinker and power costs rose while competition kept prices down; revenue fell 11%. The half-year loss was Tk 110.8m (EPS -Tk 1.96).
Does Heidelberg Materials Bangladesh make its own clinker?
No. It grinds imported clinker at Kanchpur, Chattogram and Mukterpur (3,510 kt capacity). In 2025 it used 1,059 kt of clinker costing Tk 6,825 a tonne, 87.5% bought from a group company.
How much does HMB pay its parent?
Tk 361m in 2025: a 1.8% service fee, a 0.99% licence fee on sales less clinker and a 0.19% brand fee, equal to 2.5% of revenue and 1.8 times net profit.
What dividend did HMB pay for 2025?
Tk 1.10 a share (11% cash), about 31% of EPS of Tk 3.55; record date 20-May-2026.
Does HMB have debt?
No bank borrowings at 31-Dec-2025 or 30-Jun-2026; cash was Tk 1,098m at June 2026.

Sources

  1. Heidelberg Materials Bangladesh PLC Annual Report 2025 (corpus HEIDELBCEM_ANNUAL_2025, PDF page numbers) · link · accessed 2026-10-31
  2. Heidelberg Materials Bangladesh PLC audited financial statements 2025 (corpus HEIDELBCEM_ANNUAL_2025_2) · link · accessed 2026-10-31
  3. Un-audited condensed interim financial statements, half year to 30-Jun-2026 · link · accessed 2026-10-31
  4. Un-audited condensed interim financial statements, quarter to 31-Mar-2026 · link · accessed 2026-10-31
  5. Un-audited condensed interim financial statements, nine months to 30-Sep-2025 · link · accessed 2026-10-31
  6. HeidelbergCement Bangladesh Limited Annual Report 2020 (comparative financial highlights 2016-2020) · link · accessed 2026-10-31
  7. AnalystBro market data: DSE daily bars for HEIDELBCEM to 29-Oct-2026 · link · accessed 2026-10-31
  8. DSE announcements via AnalystBro events: record date 20-May-2026, AGM 18-Jun-2026, Q2 results 26-Jul-2026 (NAV Tk 70.86), Q3 board meeting 29-Oct-2026 · link · accessed 2026-10-31
  9. The Daily Star, 'Bangladesh's cement producers reject US overcapacity claims' (BCMA: 41 plants, 86.02 mt capacity, 39.75 mt demand 2025), 17 Mar 2026 · link · accessed 2026-10-31
  10. The Financial Express, 'Cement sector rebounds after 3-year slump', 11 Mar 2026 · link · accessed 2026-10-31
  11. The Daily Star, 'Cement makers under strain as war drives input costs', 29 Apr 2026 · link · accessed 2026-10-31
  12. The Business Standard, 'Why building materials remain vulnerable to price shocks', 29 Oct 2026 · link · accessed 2026-10-31
  13. Prothom Alo English, 'Power tariff rises by 16.68pc from June', 3 Jun 2026 · link · accessed 2026-10-31
  14. Prothom Alo English, 'ECNEC approves Gabtali-Dasherkandi metro rail project, 11 others worth Tk 1.69 trillion', 16 Sep 2026 · link · accessed 2026-10-31
  15. The Business Standard, 'Heidelberg Materials slips into loss in H1 on margin squeeze', Jul 2026 · link · accessed 2026-10-31
  16. The Financial Express, 'Heidelberg sinks into losses in Q2', Jul 2026 · link · accessed 2026-10-31
  17. The Daily Star, 'Competition choking small cement makers' (market concentration) · link · accessed 2026-10-31
  18. LafargeHolcim Bangladesh PLC Annual Report 2025 (peer, consolidated statements p.61, cost note p.73) · link · accessed 2026-10-31
  19. AnalystBro history and ratio model for HEIDELBCEM (model.xlsx, the workbook below) · link · accessed 2026-10-31

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