One South Korean steelmaker is seeing significant business returns as a result of rising steel prices.
According to a recent report from Reuters, POSCO (NYSE:PKX), the steelmaker in question, said its estimated Q1 operating profit likely grew 82%, far exceeding analyst expectations. The reason? Rising steel prices outpacing raw material cost growth.
It is also worth noting that POSCO’s (formerly the Pohang Iron & Steel Company) estimated revenue grew 17% in Q1 with final Q1 numbers expected to be reported sometime in April.
Steel Industry Rallying Behind President Trump
Our own Jeff Yoders reported this week the American Iron and Steel Institute stands firmly in the corner of the Trump administration in supporting its executive actions against regulation. The AISI released a statement supporting the executive action lifting the Environmental Protection Agency‘s Clean Power Plan.
“The domestic steel industry has made substantial gains in reducing our energy usage as well as our environmental footprint, and we remain committed to our sustainable performance,” said Thomas J. Gibson, president and CEO of AISI. “However, these burdensome regulations could harm the international competitiveness of energy-intensive, trade-exposed U.S. industries like steel.’
How will steel and base metals fare in 2017? You can find a more in-depth copper price forecast and outlook in our brand new Monthly Metal Buying Outlook report. For a short- and long-term buying strategy with specific price thresholds:
by Kyle Fitzsimmons