** Dec-qtr likely to be weak for Indian cement makers as prices fell 1%-3% sequentially, say analysts at HSBC Research
** Attempted price hikes in eastern India did not last - HSBC
** Second half of 2025 was disappointing, expect trend to reverse over coming months - note
** Despite capacity additions outweighing incremental cement demand, we believe increased industry consolidation will lead to price hikes - HSBC
** Brokerage's top picks:
** ULTC up 1% on the day, ABUJ and DALB down 0.9% and 0.3% respectively
(Reporting by Hritam Mukherjee in Bengaluru)
((Hritam.Mukherjee@thomsonreuters.com;))