Loma Negra Compañía Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anónima (LOMA) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Access earnings results, analyst expectations, report, slides, earnings call, and transcript.
Overview
The earnings call reveals a 1.7% revenue decline, significant EBITDA margin contraction, and macroeconomic challenges, indicating financial struggles. While there is optimism for 2026 growth and volume recovery, the lack of specific pricing guidance and current economic volatility raise concerns. Despite some positive aspects like debt reduction and renewable energy contracts, the overall sentiment is negative due to the immediate financial performance issues and uncertainties.
Key Financial Performance
Net Revenue ARS 225.2 billion for the quarter, equivalent to USD 152 million, reflecting a 1.7% year-over-year decline versus fourth quarter 2024. The decline was attributed to challenging demand environment and softer pricing conditions.
Adjusted EBITDA $37 million with a margin of 19.7% for the quarter, representing a contraction of 938 basis points year-over-year. The decline was due to higher costs of sales, softer pricing dynamics, and a lower contribution from other gains and losses.
Net Debt $183 million, declining by $23 million quarter-over-quarter, resulting in a net debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 1.4x. This reflects the company's solid financial position.
Cement Segment Revenue Decreased 4.4% year-over-year, mainly reflecting softer pricing conditions compared to the same period last year. Volumes declined 1.2% year-over-year.
Concrete Segment Revenue Increased 37% year-over-year, driven by a 62% expansion in volumes, partially offset by competitive pricing dynamics.
Aggregates Segment Revenue Essentially stable, down 0.9% year-over-year. Volumes increased 8.2%, but pricing and product mix offset the positive volume contribution.
Railroad Segment Revenue Declined 8.9% year-over-year. Transported volumes increased 2.8%, but weaker pricing and disruptions in the Bahia Blanca rail line impacted revenues.
Gross Profit Declined by 29.1% year-over-year, with gross margin contracting by 906 basis points to 23.5%. The decline was due to higher costs in the Cement segment and increased depreciation expenses.
Net Profit ARS 6.2 billion compared to ARS 29.5 billion in the fourth quarter of 2024. The decline was driven by weaker operating performance and lower net financial results, partially offset by lower income tax expenses.
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Operating Highlights
Launch of 25-kilo bag: Introduced a new 25-kilo bag to safeguard health and well-being in the industry.
Cement industry growth: Cement industry posted 5.6% growth in 2025, driven by large-scale projects and infrastructure works.
Economic growth: Argentina's economy grew by 4.4% in 2025, with agriculture, mining, and financial intermediation as key contributors.
CO2 emissions reduction: Achieved a 22% reduction in CO2 equivalent emissions compared to 2021 baseline.
Circular economy strategy: Valorized 85% of waste generated, recovering over 270,000 tons of waste and by-products.
Water stewardship: Reduced total water withdrawal by 3.5% and achieved a 21% reduction in water-stressed areas compared to 2024.
Air quality improvement: Reduced PM10 emissions from cement production by 9.3% year-over-year.
Infrastructure investment: Announced investment initiatives in infrastructure, road corridors, and energy projects to support future growth.
Sustainability focus: Released the fifth sustainability report, emphasizing long-term sustainable value creation and decarbonization efforts.
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Risk or Challenges
Cement Dispatch Decline: Cement dispatch declined by 1.2% year-over-year in Q4 2025, reflecting weaker retail demand and subdued activity in the individual and small contractor segment due to monetary tightening and interest rate volatility.
Revenue Decline: Net revenue declined by 1.7% year-over-year in Q4 2025, with softer pricing conditions and subdued demand impacting financial performance.
Profitability Pressure: Adjusted EBITDA margin contracted by 938 basis points year-over-year to 19.7% in Q4 2025, driven by higher costs, softer pricing dynamics, and increased SG&A expenses.
Cost Increases: Higher maintenance expenses, increased utilization of spare parts, packaging costs, and depreciation from new projects contributed to rising costs, pressuring margins.
Railroad Disruptions: The Bahia Blanca rail line disruption constrained longer-haul traffic, particularly for grains, gypsum, and frac sand, negatively impacting the Railroad segment's revenue and operations.
Economic and Financial Volatility: Financial and FX tensions, along with political uncertainty during the election period, weighed on recovery momentum and overall activity levels.
Competitive Pricing Environment: Competitive pricing dynamics in the Concrete and Aggregates segments continued to weigh on profitability, despite volume growth.
Macroeconomic Challenges: Tight monetary conditions, interest rate volatility, and delayed transmission of macroeconomic improvements to the real economy created a challenging operating environment.
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Guidance & Outlook
Economic Growth and Cement Industry Recovery: The company expects sectors that have lagged behind to gradually catch up in 2026, supported by a more flexible monetary stance. This recovery is anticipated to contribute to greater dynamism in overall economic activity. Cement demand is expected to improve, particularly after the summer period, driven by recently announced investment initiatives in infrastructure, road corridors, and mining and energy projects.
Pricing and Volume Trends: Sequential improvement in pricing is expected to continue, extending the real-term recovery and reducing the year-over-year gap. Bulk cement is anticipated to outperform, supported by stronger activity from large-scale projects and public works, while retail demand remains subdued.
Macroeconomic Stabilization and Monetary Policy: The company is optimistic that continued macroeconomic stabilization and a gradual easing of monetary constraints will help restore economic activity dynamics in 2026.
Investment Initiatives: Several investment initiatives, particularly in infrastructure, road corridors, and energy, are expected to progressively impact dispatch volumes as execution advances throughout 2026.
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Shareholder Return Plan
The selected topic was not discussed during the call.
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Key Q&A
Q:What is the company's approach to energy management this year, particularly regarding energy mix, fuel contracting, hedging, and renewables?
A:The company is primarily utilizing natural gas for thermal energy. They have signed contracts at lower prices for natural gas, effective from October this year to April 2027. They have also signed renewable energy contracts starting this year with favorable prices.
Q:Can you provide guidance on volumes and margins for 2026, and any insights into the first quarter?
A:The company expects 2026 to be a year of growth, with high single-digit growth in volumes. January and February figures were below year-over-year comparisons due to delayed activities and February festivities. However, average daily dispatches are similar to last year. Margins are expected to recover due to ongoing price improvements.
Q:What are the expectations for sales volumes in Argentina for 2026, given the 6% decline in the first two months year-over-year?
A:The company acknowledges the 6% decline in the first two months but attributes it to delayed activity levels and holiday impacts. They expect a recovery in volumes in the upcoming months compared to last year.
Q:What are the company's expectations regarding prices, especially in dollar terms, for 2026?
A:The company does not provide specific guidance on pricing. However, they expect the price recovery process that began in the second half of last year to continue, assuming no sudden changes in foreign exchange rates.
Q:Review of Unclear Management Responses
A:The company avoided providing specific guidance on pricing in dollar terms for 2026, citing uncertainty and not giving detailed projections.
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Earnings Word Cloud
The most frequently occurring keywords in this quarter's earning call
ARS decline
Class II
Director
Human
II bond
Loma Negra
Sustainability Legal
USD
account
backdrop
cash
cement industry
cement production
cement volume
challenge
comparison base
completion kilogram
contraction basis
contrast cement
contribution
emission
income
infrastructure work
logistics
margin comparison
margin contraction
maturity
milestone
mix share
sector
segment improvement
summer
sustainability
volume demand
water
work contrast
year
LOMA Transcript
Loma Negra Compañía Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anónima (LOMA) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Unknown3-6
The earnings call reveals a 1.7% revenue decline, significant EBITDA margin contraction, and macroeconomic challenges, indicating financial struggles. While there is optimism for 2026 growth and volume recovery, the lack of specific pricing guidance and current economic volatility raise concerns. Despite some positive aspects like debt reduction and renewable energy contracts, the overall sentiment is negative due to the immediate financial performance issues and uncertainties.
Loma Negra Compañía Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anónima (LOMA) Q3 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Unknown11-7
The earnings call reveals several challenges: declining revenues across segments, increased leverage, and working capital challenges. Despite some optimism in volume performance, the company faces significant financial pressures, including FX exposure and competitive pressures. The Q&A section highlights uncertainties in pricing and dividend plans, adding to investor concerns. Overall, the sentiment leans negative due to financial struggles and lack of clear positive catalysts.
Loma Negra Compañía Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anónima (LOMA) Q2 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Neutral8-8
Loma Negra Compañía Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anónima (LOMA) Q1 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Unknown5-7
The earnings call presents a mixed outlook. While there is optimism for double-digit growth in 2025 and a strong EBITDA margin, current financial metrics show a decline in revenue and net profit, alongside increased net debt. The Q&A reveals stable market share but lacks clarity on key projects. Economic, competitive, and supply chain risks persist, impacting sentiment. With no new partnerships or significant guidance changes, the stock reaction is likely neutral, reflecting both positive long-term growth potential and short-term challenges.
LOMA Report
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They are generated by a specialized financial-language model trained exclusively on 15+ years of earnings transcripts. The model extracts financial figures, guidance, and tone with 97%+ accuracy and is regularly validated against human analysts. The full raw transcript always remains available for verification.
