New Delhi, Sept. 29 -- India's cement sector may face near-term pressure on profits due to high input costs, while expectations of higher cement prices and lower costs in the second half of FY27 could leave limited room for earnings to outperform market expectations, according to Kotak Institutional Equities.

The brokerage said the market capitalisation of India's cement sector has risen 31 per cent, or around Rs 1.6 trillion, over the past five years. The sector has also seen new listings during this period, while investor sentiment towards cement has remained strong and valuations continue to be high.

Kotak said investor optimism has been driven by several factors, including limited or no decline in cement prices following the GST rat...