About the Steel Industry
Given the unique combination of strength, formability and
versatility in steel; it is deployed across various industries
including construction, transport, electrical appliances, food
packaging and others. Steel products are classified into four broad
categories: flat steel products, long steel products, scrap and
semi-finished products. Flat products include plates, hot-rolled
strip and sheets, and cold-rolled strip and sheets. The long steel
products are wire rods, beams, reinforced bars and merchant
bars.
The steel industry in today’s world is considered as the backbone
of the economy and is often indicative of economic progress, as it
plays a critical role in infrastructural and overall economic
development. World crude steel production went up from 851 megatons
(Mt) in 2001 to 1,548 Mt in 2012. However, despite its size, the
steel industry remains relatively fragmented and is highly cyclical
and intensely competitive.
Outlook: Negative
Within the Zacks Industry classification, the steel industry falls
under the broader Basic Materials sector (one of 16 Zacks sectors).
We rank all of the more than 250 industries in the 16 Zacks sectors
based on the earnings outlook for the constituent companies in each
industry. This ranking is available in the Zacks Industry Rank.
The way to look at the complete list of 250+ industries is that the
outlook for the top one-third of the list (Zacks Industry Rank of
#85 and lower) is positive, while the outlook for the bottom
one-third (Zacks Industry Rank #170 and higher) is negative.
We have three Steel related industries: Steel Pipes, Steel
Producers and Steel Specialty. The Steel Pipes industry currently
retains a Zacks Industry Rank #118, placing it in the middle one
third of the 250+ industry groups. The Steel Producers industry is
featuring in the bottom 1/3rd of all Zacks industries with a Zacks
Industry Rank #235, followed by the Specialty Steel industry, with
a Zacks Industry Rank #249. Looking at the exact location of these
Steel industries, one could safely say that the outlook is on the
‘Negative’ side.
Please note that the Zacks Rank for stocks, which is at the core of
our Industry Outlook, has an impressive track record going back
years, verified by outside auditors, to foretell stock
prices, particularly over the short term (1 to 3 months). The rank
along with Expected Surprise Prediction (ESP) (Read: Zacks Earnings
ESP: A Better Method) helps in predicting the probability of
earnings surprises.
Industry Performance So Far
After witnessing sturdy growth for most part of the last decade,
the steel industry suffered a setback due to the recession in 2008
as consumers utilized existing inventories rather than buying new
stock. The industry witnessed a turnaround in late 2009 and
continued to grow thereafter, in sync with the global economic
recovery.
Demand for steel benefited from growth in the developing economies
that helped counter the sluggishness in developed economies. Asia,
particularly China, continued to be the principal growth driver.
Demand for steel products, nonetheless, remained below the
pre-recession levels.
However, China’s economic growth has been subdued compared to the
robust levels over the last decade. The economic slowdown in 2012
unfavorably impacted infrastructure and construction spending.
Concerns surrounding China’s growth and the European debt crisis
remain overhangs on the sector’s outlook.
Global Production Numbers in 2012
World crude steel production was a record 1,548 Mt in 2012,
outperforming the 2011 level by 1.2%. Production in Asia improved
2.7% to 1,012 Mt. China retained its leadership position, yielding
almost 46% of the global output at 716.5 Mt. Production in Japan,
the second largest producer, remained flat year over year at 107.2
Mt. The United States held the third position, producing 88.6 Mt of
crude steel, up 2.5% annually and accounting for 6% of the total
global output. Production in Europe and South America were somber,
declining 2.7% and 3.1%, respectively.
In Jan 2013, world crude steel production edged up 0.8% annually to
125 Mt. China’s crude steel production was 59.3 Mt, up 4.6% year
over year. Japan produced 8.9 Mt of crude steel, an increase of
2.7%. The U.S produced 7.3 Mt of crude steel in Jan 2013, a 5.8%
year-over-year decline.
Industry Capacity & Demand/Consumption
Dynamics
The average capacity utilization ratio in 2012 was 78.8% compared
to 80.7% in 2011. World crude steel capacity utilization ratio
further decreased to 71.2% in Jan 2013 from 73.2% in Dec 2012, and
also dipped 5.5 percentage points from Jan 2012.
Global apparent steel consumption increased 1.7% in 2012, down
sharply from 7.4% growth in 2011. Region wise, apparent steel
consumption decreased 9% in Europe, edged up 2% in China and
increased 7% in the United States in 2012 on a year-over-year
basis.
Steel Prices
Steel prices are generally volatile, in line with the highly
cyclical nature of the global steel industry. Rising raw material
prices have a direct impact on steel prices as higher raw material
prices induces a corresponding increase in steel prices.
However, in the wake of lower demand, it becomes increasingly
challenging to pass on raw material price hikes to consumers.
Overcapacity, glut in cheaper Chinese steel imports, economic
conditions, shifts toward other substitutes significantly impact
steel prices.
Steel prices improved in the first half of 2012, but declined in
the back half due to a glut in imports, oversupply in the market
from zealous steelmakers, weak demand in Europe and tempering
growth in Asia. A sustained downside in steel prices will
materially and adversely affect margins of the steel companies.
The overall negative tone of Zacks Industry Rank for the Steel
industry reflects this underwhelming earnings outlook. We believe
that the eventual pricing recovery will need a reviving economy,
stabilization in the Euro-zone and a rebound in construction
activity in the developing countries, in particular China, India
and South Korea.
Raw Material Trends
The primary inputs for the steel industry are iron ore and coking
coal, as well as coke, scrap, alloys and base metal. The industry
also uses large volumes of natural gas, electricity and oxygen for
its steel manufacturing operations.
In the first half of 2012, prices were more or less stable before
plummeting to a three-year low in September. Nonetheless, prices
have been on the rise based on aggressive restocking drive by
Chinese steel mills. However, average iron ore prices in 2012 were
much lower than the previous year.
The iron ore industry is highly concentrated with only three major
players,
Vale S.A. (VALE),
Rio Tinto
Plc (RIO) and BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP), having significant
pricing power. Iron ore prices are expected to slump in 2013 due to
the economic uncertainty in China.
Consolidation
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) have remained an important
growth strategy in the steel industry providing additional steel
capacity, production efficiency and economies of scale. However,
consolidation was minimal in 2012, given the current economic
uncertainties in the developed economies as well as a slowdown in
the emerging regions.
In 2012, a landmark development was the merger of Japan's largest
and world's sixth-largest steel maker Nippon Steel Corporation with
27th-ranked Sumitomo Metal Industries to form the world's second
largest steel firm -
Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal
Corporation (NSSMY). With a combined capacity of 46.1
million tons, the merger is targeted to generate savings in the
face of increasingly intense global competition.
We expect M&A activity to remain slow in 2013 until prices
stabilize and the industry strikes a balance between supply and
demand. Going forward, the abatement of the Euro-zone crisis,
recovery in the U.S. and Chinese economy will determine the fate of
such deals.
How Well Did Steel Stocks Fare?
Reflecting on the recently reported fourth quarter results of the
steel companies in our coverage --
ArcelorMittal
(MT),
U.S. Steel Corp. (X),
Nucor
Corp. (NUE) and
AK Steel Holding Corp.
(AKS) -- we see revenues were constrained across the board due to a
drop in average steel prices. All the steel players have been
plagued by weak steel demand, oversupply in the U.S. steel industry
and increased steel imports in the domestic market, which have
affected steel prices, hurting margins in the process. The weak
global conditions are a deterrent factor for volumes.
Given the scenario in Europe, ArcelorMittal, the world's largest
steelmaker in terms of volume, announced its plans in Jan 2013 to
permanently close its plant in Liege, Belgium, owing to the slack
demand. These plans, however, faced protests from the country's
leaders. In response, ArcelorMittal has agreed to stall its
restructuring programs through June until the European Union
Commission publishes its plan to revive Europe's steel
industry.
German heavy industry giant ThyssenKrupp also announced plans to
layoff more than 2,000 employees out of a total workforce of 27,600
at its Steel Europe division, thus generating cost savings of 500
million euros ($671 million).
Looking Ahead in 2013
The U.S. steel market down remains plagued by oversupply and
increased imports. Although Chinese steel production growth, which
was responsible for causing the glut to some extent, has somewhat
slowed down; supply in the steel market still overshadows demand.
We expect continued increase in steel imports, volatility in steel
pricing, the European debt crisis and its potential global impact,
and sluggish growth in the emerging markets to be deterrents for
the steel industry.
Let’s have a look at the performance of the major consumer markets.
Historically, the automotive and construction markets have been the
largest consumers of steel, consuming more than half of the total
steel produced. The industry caters to large automakers such as
General Motors Company (GM),
Ford Motor
Co. (F),
Toyota Motor Corporation (TM)
and
Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (HMC).
The automotive sector registered significant growth in 2012. The
momentum was carried forward in 2013 with auto sales in January
increasing 15% with the seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) at
15.3 million vehicles. This was the third straight month of above
15 million SAAR.
This performance creates the perfect start to achieve the consensus
expectation of 15.3 million vehicles to be sold in 2013, up from
14.5 million vehicles sold in 2012. The robust growth rate in the
sector has been fueled by strong pent-up demand, rising credit
availability, launch of several redesigned and fuel-efficient
vehicles and rebound in consumer confidence, thanks to a growing
belief that the housing market is recovering.
Another major market -- the Construction sector -- remained an
overhang on the steel companies’ earnings. However, in 2012, there
have been evident signs of upturn in construction activity. The
architecture billing index (ABI), an economic indicator that
provides an approximate nine- to twelve-month glimpse into the
future of non-residential construction spending activity, after
remaining negative through most of 2012, climbed back into the
positive territory in Aug 2012 and remained stable till then.
Construction activity for 2013 has kicked off on a promising note
with ABI at 54.2, up sharply from 51.2 in December. This has been
the strongest growth witnessed in five and a half years. This
momentum is expected to persist and conditions are expected
improve, albeit at a slow and steady rate.
The American Institute of Architects projects a 5% increase in
spending in 2013 for non-residential construction projects, on the
back of higher construction of commercial facilities, particularly
for hotels followed by industrial construction spending.
The residential housing sector is also showing signs of strong
momentum with housing starts and housing permits at highest levels
in more than four years as record-low mortgage rates, rising rents
and reduced prices of properties are luring buyers. In Jan 2013,
housing starts spiked 24% year over year to a seasonally adjusted
annual rate of 890,000. Building permits were at a seasonally
adjusted annual rate of 925,000, 35% higher than the year-ago
figure.
The steel industry will thus benefit from the strong momentum in
the automotive markets. The turnaround in the so-far faltering
construction sector will definitely provide a much-needed impetus
to the sector. The outlook for other key markets -- transportation,
energy, industrial and agricultural sectors also remains
favorable.
To Sum Up
In 2013, the steel industry will continue to face headwinds in the
form of overcapacity and surge of imports. Global steel demand is
expected to improve gradually in 2013 compared to the 2012 levels.
Growth in the United States will be supported by the Federal
Reserve attempts to sustain the U.S economy’s momentum, an
improving labor market, strong momentum in the auto sector and
recovery in construction markets.
Emerging and developing economies will continue to drive growth. In
China, government pro-growth policies, rising loan growth and a
renewed focus on infrastructure spending will induce demand. Prices
could potentially stabilize on the back of a rebound in
construction activity in other developing countries, in particular
India and South Korea.
Steel selling prices will improve hand-in-hand with improved demand
across most regions, due to higher raw material prices and an end
to the destocking that was observed during the fourth quarter of
2012. In addition to raw materials prices, the sustainability of
higher steel prices will continue to depend on an increase in
sustainable real demand, and no further worsening of the Euro-zone
debt crisis.
AK STEEL HLDG (AKS): Free Stock Analysis Report
BHP BILLITN LTD (BHP): Free Stock Analysis Report
FORD MOTOR CO (F): Free Stock Analysis Report
GENERAL MOTORS (GM): Free Stock Analysis Report
HONDA MOTOR (HMC): Free Stock Analysis Report
ARCELOR MITTAL (MT): Free Stock Analysis Report
NIPPON STEEL CP (NSSMY): Get Free Report
NUCOR CORP (NUE): Free Stock Analysis Report
RIO TINTO-ADR (RIO): Free Stock Analysis Report
TOYOTA MOTOR CP (TM): Free Stock Analysis Report
VALE SA (VALE): Free Stock Analysis Report
UTD STATES STL (X): Free Stock Analysis Report
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AK Steel (NYSE:AKS)
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AK Steel (NYSE:AKS)
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