The government’s push on infrastructure along with sustained demand courtesy affordable housing has turned analysts bullish on the cement sector. Besides, expectations of further price hikes, to ensure sustainability of the current hikes, further alleviate their concerns on sustenance of margins amid rising cost pressures. Factoring-in an above-average demand growth of 9 per cent CAGR over financial year 2021-23, coupled with and limited new supply (4.6 per cent CAGR), analysts at global brokerage Morgan Stanley have raised their FY23 earnings estimates by up to 13 per cent, driven by better realization/margin assumptions. “Valuation (on EV/EBITDA) is not cheap, but with improving growth visibility and return ratios, multiples tend to overshoot long-term averages, and investors' focus should shift to two-year forward EV/EBITDA and free cash flow (FCF) yield, which are still attractive,” notes Gaurav Rateria, equity analyst at the brokerage in a co-authored report with Mukund Sarawogi.