Gypsum industry news

US: GMS raised its sales by 3.5% year-on-year to US$1.5bn in the second quarter of the 2025 financial year. The producer noted volumes growth and ‘resilient or improved’ pricing across its product categories, with gypsum wallboard accounting for 39% of total sales. It recorded an impact of US$20m in reduced sales due to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, primarily impacting the single-family residential market. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell by 11% to US$152m.

GMS said that an ‘attractive capital structure’ helped it to achieve its strategic priorities in the quarter, including expanding its market share for its core products.

New Zealand: The government has launched a ‘major’ review of competition rules to combat monopolies and improve economic productivity. Fuseworks Media News has reported that the review is partly a response to a gypsum wallboard supply ‘crisis’ in 2022.

Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly said "We have launched a two-pronged approach: 1 – to update the competition settings in the Commerce Act to ensure our legal framework is right; and 2 – to review the governance and effectiveness of the Commerce Commission to ensure our regulatory and enforcement framework is right."

Australia: Leichhardt Industrials Group has completed its acquisition of gypsum and salt extraction operations at Lake MacLeod, Western Australia. The operations also include a deepwater port at Cape Cuvier. Contify Investment News has reported that Leichhardt Industrials Group paid the seller, Rio Tinto subsidiary Dampier Salt, US$241m.