Graphite electrode - other side view
R ecently, Indian graphite electrode manufacturers cornered investors’ attention with fundamentals pointing towards a turnaround in the sector. Key manufacturers in India – HEG and Graphite India Graphite electrode manufacturers are the key beneficiary of the improvement in its end market - global steel demand. Industry consolidation leading to lower supply and higher barriers to entry is also positive news. However, a sharp surge in raw material prices and China exports are the factors to watch out for which can cap this upside. Further, our calculations suggest that stock prices of both HEG and Graphite India are trading ahead of the expected pricing dynamics in medium-term. Industry-wide capacity consolidation – lower supply In the last few years, the global graphite electrode industry had witnessed curtailment of capacity (by 210 k tons) on account of weak profitability. Major companies like SGL Carbon and Graftech downsized their cap...