Steppe Cement Share Discussion Threads

[azalea] 23/6/2016 16:24

After laying dormant for a couple of months since it came off its all time low, an interesting tickle today. Lets see if there is more to come.

[azalea] 01/6/2016 13:15

SP starting to pick up.

[azalea] 25/5/2016 10:08

Hari
I do not discuss my investment strategies with amateurs. But of course you are free to set out your list of great winners and loosers.

[hari] 25/5/2016 08:01

Another Azalea great investment.
Do you have a term for your investments.OPG and SPL other duds at present.
So what is your strategy ,buy and hold long enough in the hope they go up to make you money, or lose all your money.

Ramp,ramp and they just keep falling. Do you realise how foolish and stupid you sound. You have become a laughing stock on the threads.

Please have some self respect mate.

[azalea] 14/4/2016 12:32

Market share up 2% y-o-y in Q1 2016. If the recovering Russian economy continues and the rouble strengthens, higher costs of Russian imports of cement into KAZ will benefit STCM.

[azalea] 01/3/2016 09:57

Mach100
Having done a bit more work on Mr Hamzah's share purchases, I calculate the following, give or take a penny or two.

4/10/13 Added 1.25m @ 38p
8/10/13 " " 3.7m @ 38p
31/1/14 " " 1.05m @ 45p
26/03/14 " " 2.256m @ 37.75p
24/10/14 " " 1.8m @ 36.75p

On the 14/12/2012 he held 46,409,416(21.9%). Currently holds 62,760,906(28.71%)

[azalea] 01/3/2016 08:07

In the last 12 months on the 26/11/2015, Mr Ahmed bought 3.575m at circa 17-18p. However in 2012 & 2014 as he increased his stake, he paid circa 31-35p.

During Feb-May 2013, Malcom Brown(recently retired) bought 527,880 between 30.75p -34p(total holding 1 million).

FWIW, I think the bid issue is a two way street, either him making it or someone else. Few holders of such large stakes sit on them for ever.

Given the huge boost to trade that the Silk Road rail project will bring to the countries involved and with Iran now free of sanctions and eager to turn its economy around, I am convinced there will be movement in the next 6-12 months. Further out, we could see the p.o.o. recover to a viable level, boosting the Tenge and Rouble.

[mach100] 29/2/2016 14:14

Thanks Azalea. I appreciate your efforts on this thread. Do you know the highest price Mr Ahmed paid in the last 12 months? I fear as the share price stays low his take-out bid if it comes may see me lose on this one.

[azalea] 29/2/2016 11:08

Mach100
On the WCC thread(West China Cement),Melton John in his post 10030, mentions the Silk Road projects planned over the next few years.

[leonasdad] 28/2/2016 11:07

there should be plenty of ticket inspector jobs along that route

[azalea] 28/2/2016 10:59

An interesting article in the China Daily,in November 2015(google-silk road high speed rail)which importantly pre-dates the lifting of E.U. & U.S. sanctions against Iran, contains some very interesting statistics. All of which makes a strong case for the Chinese Rail authority's proposal for the construction of the new high speed rail line running from China's Urumqi to Almaty in Kaz and onwards through various countries and finally ending in Tehran.

The new line would overcome the existing incompatibility between China's standard rail gauge system of 1.435m, which is the worldwide standard for fast rail and the 1.52m standard gauge used in Central Asia. Changing gauges at the border, not only takes days for cargoes but makes the rail route less competitive against shipping goods by sea. In 2014,the Khorgos station bordering Kaz, running at full capacity handled less than 17m metric tons of cargo. Beyond that station the east west annual cargo capacity is 100m tons.
Crucially, increased container traffic and shipping container traffic diverted to a seamless gauge fast rail system from China's east coast to Tehran, would alone justify the cost of building the new line.

[azalea] 27/2/2016 13:45

Mach100
There are perhaps a number of both separate and interconnected points in relation to you questions, which whilst i am no expert, i will give my opinion, FWIW.

Recent reports on the Russian economy, suggests that EU and U.S. sanctions have led to a boost in domestic agricultural products if not other essential food stuffs, whilst Putin's political standing in the country is as strong as ever. Russia's economic union with Kaz and a few other ex USSR members are probably all affected by the strong dollar one way or another. With regards to Russia and Kaz, perhaps the worst issue they are facing is the huge fall in global oil and gas prices. Whilst both the rouble and tenge are off their lows, I think the rouble is stronger of the two, IF so, I am surprised that the last STCM report stated that Russian imports of cement had increased. Demand for cement in Kaz over recent years has continued to rise from 7% and is now forecast to hit circa 9.5%

The issues that I am focused on are as follows

a. Will STCM pay a dividend?
b. Is Mr Azmi Wan Hamzah with his 28.66% stake, looking for a bidder for the company?
c. What influence will the reported planned construction of a major rail route running through Kaz to connect China and Iran have on STCM sales of cement?
d. Will the go ahead for the construction lead to a bid for what is a highly modern and efficient cement company with its share price on its knees from a Chinese company, with a stronger global currency?

[mach100] 27/2/2016 10:56

Azalea how do you think the fall of the Tenge- admittedly off its absolute low now-and the slowing Kazakh economy will have on STCM? Obviously the low Tenge at 348 to $1 will boost exports but I assume the internal market will slow due to the spluttering economy. Has the devaluation meant that the price pressure from Russian imports abated or did the rouble fall in tandem?

[azalea] 26/2/2016 15:41

A little nibbling going on this week, with no problem this pm doing a dummy trade to sell 32k @ 14.5p.

[azalea] 25/1/2016 15:25

According to Aljazeera TV, the Chinese are going to build a 3200km rail link from its border with Kazakhstan, from east to west through Kazakhstan an onward to Iran. Whether this wlll be dual or single track construction was not made know. Regardless its will require significant expertise(very likely Chinese)and large t amounts of cement for concrete sleepers, associated roads and bridges. All the Chinese will then need is a modern Kazakhstan based cement company to buy and control, in the overall project.

[azalea] 25/1/2016 09:47

News of a massive $600Bn investment by China in Iran over the next decade, includes a strategic move by China's to secure its long term oil and gas supplies by importing it from Iran overland on the old silk road route that runs through Kazakhstan(5 times the size of France) and into China's western province of Xinjiang. By doing so, China's energy supplies will be protected from any seaborne blockades. Kaz is bound to be a major beneficiary from trade and foreign infrastructure investment.

[azalea] 14/1/2016 11:21

Disappointing results are largely due to the fall in the rouble allowing Russian imports of cement to increase. The weak rouble has undoubtedly been brought about by the crash in oil prices, U.S. & E.U. sanctions over Ukraine,Crimea and Russia's murderous and costly military involvement in supporting Bashir Al Assad.

On a positive note, demand for cement in KAZ has continued to rise (up 11% y-o-y), whilst there are signs that Putin might agree to push Assad into standing down and thereby his own war machine. If Putin were to succeed, there might be a warming of relations between Russia,EU & Turkey with a relaxation of trade sanctions on both sides. Which in turn could raise the value of the rouble.

[azalea] 04/1/2016 16:09

Very interesting, with only the 30k buy still showing, my dummy sell is now giving me 16p. Which can only suggest the MM know something is in the wind: it could be just a sizable order waiting to be filled, or perhaps they know what is in the update?

[azalea] 04/1/2016 15:42

Based on last year, a preliminary update for the year ending 31/12, is due Wednesday 13/1.

[mach100] 04/1/2016 14:13

Yes nice bounce Azalea. A long way off my purchase price but at least the direction of travel is good. When is the next production update due?

[azalea] 04/1/2016 14:02

Continuing to tick up (bid now 15p) on modest(30k) buying today. Up 25% in the last few months.

[azalea] 23/12/2015 14:12

A sell of 20K @ 14P this morning, did not deter MM from giving me 14.25p on my dummy sell of 70k+ this pm. Interesting.

[azalea] 22/12/2015 16:23

Another 10k tickle @ 14p.

[azalea] 20/12/2015 12:18

Mach 100. I am pleased for you.

If the BoD were to decide not to pay a div in this financial year(ending December),it might be for the reason you suggest; in which case it would also present a better financial picture to any would be bidder. The BoD has already announced putting off the purchase of a further 100 rail wagons costing $5m. All of which then raises the question, if there is no dividend, then why did Mr Hamzah and Neon Liberty recently up their stakes and no major holder has sold? We should get an update next month, however, barring a bid in the meantime, we will very likely have to wait for the Preliminary results to find out the answer.