NEW DELHI, Jan. 15 -- A sharp surge in demand and prices for steel products has perked up NMDC Ltd's prospects. Sales volumes jumped 19% in December, a sizeable increase from the slowdown seen in the fiscal first half.
The other bit of good news for the company's investors is the recent round of price hikes, which can improve margins and profitability in the coming quarters.
The company, in fact, took a price hike of '200-400 per tonne in January. This is about 50% more than the October levels. In international markets, supply disruptions in key ironore producing nations have also helped in driving prices on the higher side. International prices are higher by about 39% since October, having surged to about $160 per tonne (ex-China).
In a...