Daily monitor

In March 2009, cement production in Ukraine decreased 54.6% in comparison to production levels reported in March 2008. Last month’s output equaled 620,000 metric tons. In the same period, slate production in Ukraine dropped by 56.4% to 26 mln tiles.

The EGM of Ukrnafta [UNAF UZ, U/R], which was scheduled for today, did not take place because of the absence of the shareholders’ registry.

MHP [MHPC LI, spec. BUY], a vertically integrated holding that is comprised of 20 enterprises focusing on the poultry business and grain cultivation, has released its preliminary financial results for the 2008 financial year.

On April 13, Nikopol Ferroalloys [NFER UZ, SELL] released its 2008 annual report.

The Ukrainian Government suggested that the NERC increase power tariffs by 3.5 times for residential users that consume over 0.6 MWh of power per month, up from the current UAH 244 per MWh to UAH 823 per MWh.

The Ukrainian Parliament overturned the President’s veto which banned the law amending rules of electricity exports.

The AGMs of two power distributors were conducted yesterday. Sevastopolenergo [SMEN, N/R], which operates power distribution grids in the city of Sevastopol and is 96% owned by the VS Energy group, allocated 100% of its UAH 19.2 mln (USD 3.6 mln) net income for 2008 towards a dividend payout.

Shareholders of the Kharkiv-based OJSC Turboatom [TATM UZ, HOLD] – the largest turbine manufacturer in Ukraine and one of the largest energy equipment producers in the world – have decided to pay out UAH 50.884 mln (USD 6.6 mln) in dividends for 2008.

Heidelbergcement Ukraine, one of the largest cement producers in Ukraine, has announced that in 2008, the company increased its net profit 37.8% YoY to reach UAH 1.136 bln. As the company disclosed to the State Commission on Securities and Stock Market (SCSSM), the gross profit from 2008 rose by 17.6% to UAH 486.294 bln.

In January-February 2009, Ukraine’s exports totalled USD 5.1 bln and imports equalled USD 5.8 bln. Both indicators saw serious year-on-year contractions with the exports volume falling by 38.6% YoY and imports by 48.5% YoY.