El Condor 3Q 2018 Construction Net Income Triples Year-on-Year

Medellin-based highway construction giant Construcciones El Condor announced November 14 that its third quarter (3Q) 2018 net income for its construction operations more than tripled year-on-year, to COP$53.5 billion (US$16.7 million), from COP$15 billion (US$4.7 million) in 3Q 2017.

The figures for the latest quarter “reflect a high level of project execution,” according to the company. “We note a 52.9% increase in construction services [in latest quarter] compared to the prior-year quarter.”

Likewise, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) improved along with a “very positive” boost in EBITDA margin, thanks mainly to efficient execution and favorable weather for outdoor construction, according to the company.

The improvement came despite a 7.6% decline this year in national construction activity in Colombia as measured by DANE, the national economic-statistics agency, El Condor noted.

Colombia’s “fourth-generation” (4G) highway construction projects continue to provide credits to construction companies, the company added.

Gross revenues so far this year are up 49%, hitting COP$676 billion (US$212 million), and the company expects similar growth in 4Q 2018.

Nine-month 2018 company-wide EBITDA dipped to COP$126 billion (US$39.5 million), from COP$252 billion (US$79 million), but this was because of a non-recurring, one-time sale of investments last year, El Condor noted.

If only measuring construction activity — rather than including the one-time asset sale last year — then nine-months 2018 EBITDA was up 40% year-on-year, the company added.

Similarly, nine-months net income corporate-wide was higher in 2017 that in 2018. But this was the result of the same non-recurring sales-of-investments last year, the company noted.