New Delhi, May 24 -- The trajectory of infrastructure capex, potential price hikes, and rising input costs will be key to cement stocks in the near term, even as May demand stayed sluggish across most regions, according to Nuvama.

Geopolitical volatility poses near-term risks to housing demand and profitability, while cost headwinds from petcoke and packaging are set to pressure margins into Q2FY27.

Cement demand remained sluggish in May 2026 due to labour shortages and unfavourable weather conditions in most regions, Nuvama said. The western region was the exception, reporting an improvement in demand during the month.

West Bengal continued to see sluggish demand due to the impact of state elections, while Bihar posted a slight recove...