Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.
CLF
is slated to release third-quarter 2020 results on Oct 23, before the opening bell.
The company has a trailing four-quarter positive earnings surprise of 49.4%, on average. The benefits of higher iron ore prices and merger with AK Steel are likely to get reflected in the company’s third-quarter performance.
The stock has gained 11.3% in a year’s time compared with the
industry
’s 15.1% rise.
Let’s see how things are shaping up for the upcoming announcement.
What to Expect in Q3
Cleveland-Cliffs, in its second-quarter call, stated that it anticipates idle costs during the third quarter to be less than $50 million, which will lead to an improvement in unit cost performance.
In June, the company announced that demand for its steel, iron ore and metallics products recovered considerably, which enabled it to restart the Toledo and Tilden facilities sooner than the company originally expected. Cleveland-Cliffs also restarted several other facilities idled due to the coronavirus pandemic, including Precision Partners, AK Tube, Mansfield Works and the Dearborn downstream facilities. The benefits from these actions are likely to get reflected in its third-quarter performance.
Cleveland-Cliffs is also likely to have gained from its merger with AK Steel, which might have had a positive impact on its quarterly performance. Notably, it is a major supplier to the automotive industry, both directly through its subsidiary AK Steel and indirectly through third-party clients. As demand in the automotive space improved in the third quarter, the company’s steel shipments and margins are likely to have benefited.
Other Factors at Play
Demand strength in China on surging crude steel production has also propelled iron ore prices to their highest level in six years during the third quarter. A recovery in China is driving demand for the steel-making commodity, as reflected by rising imports. Moreover, worries over a supply shortage from Brazil, a country battered by coronavirus, are contributing to increase in iron ore prices. The worsening coronavirus situation in Brazil, a major producer, has put iron ore supply at risk. The benefits of higher iron prices stemming from these factors are likely to get reflected in Cleveland-Cliffs’ third-quarter results.
Q3 Sales Estimates
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter consolidated revenues for Cleveland-Cliffs is currently pegged at $1,606 million, which calls for year-over-year rise of 188.8% and sequential growth of 46.9%.
ClevelandCliffs Inc. Price and EPS Surprise
ClevelandCliffs Inc. price-eps-surprise
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ClevelandCliffs Inc. Quote
What the Zacks Model Says
Our proven model doesn’t conclusively predict an earnings beat for Cleveland-Cliffs this time around. The combination of a positive
Earnings ESP
and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an earnings beat. But that’s not the case here.
Earnings ESP
: Earnings ESP for Cleveland-Cliffs is -0.91%. The Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate are currently pegged at a loss of 19 cents and a loss of 18 cents, respectively. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our
Earnings ESP Filter
.
Zacks Rank
: Cleveland-Cliffs currently carries a Zacks Rank #2. You can see
the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here
.
Stocks Likely to Beat Estimates
Here are some companies that you may want to consider as our model shows that they have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter:
Coeur Mining, Inc.
CDE
, scheduled to release third-quarter 2020 results on Oct 28, has an Earnings ESP of +60.00% and sports a Zacks Rank #1.
Pan American Silver Corp.
PAAS
, scheduled to release third-quarter 2020 earnings on Nov 4, has an Earnings ESP of +2.78% and carries a Zacks Rank #3.
Westlake Chemical Corporation
WLK
, slated to release third-quarter 2020 earnings on Nov 3, has an Earnings ESP of +6.32% and carries a Zacks Rank #3.
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