Steel Mills
SDI Sales and Earnings Rise in Q2
Written by Sandy Williams
July 22, 2014
Steel Dynamics announced net income of $72 million in second quarter 2014 on net sales of $2.1 billion. In comparison, second quarter 2013 net income was $29 million and sequential quarter net income was $39 million. Sales were 13 percent higher both year over year and sequentially. All reporting segments showed higher profitability after the negative weather impact of the first quarter.
Quarterly steel shipments were at record levels. Sheet steel shipments were up 21 percent, structural beam 14 percent, and rail 22 percent compared to Q1 2014. Total steel shipments for Q2 2014 were 1.678 million tons. Production for second quarter totaled 1.7 million tons. Average price per ton for the quarter was $833. The steel mill utilization rate improved by 9 percent across all of SDI’s mills.
Metals recycling and ferrous resources operations from OmniSource and the Minnesota iron producing operations totaled sales of $1.0 million with external sales of $645,216.
In the earnings conference call today, CEO Mark Millet said the market today was positive from a “pricing standpoint and potential” and the “current environment is sustainable.” On scrap prices, Millet said “given that the export market is not incredibly strong, we expect scrap to be sideways or edge down a few bucks.”
The Severstal Columbus acquisition for $1.625 billion is expected to be immediately accretive to earnings and cash flow per share. SDI anticipates synergies of $30 million. The acquisition will increase SDI’s steel production capacity by more than 40 percent while not adding new capacity to the market.
The Columbus mill is a complement to SDI’s Butler facility, said Millet, and has the potential to match or exceed Butler’s production.
Sandy Williams
Read more from Sandy WilliamsLatest in Steel Mills
Nippon plans to double steel output at USS operations: Report
Now that it has acquired U.S. Steel, Nippon Steel is planning a significant expansion of its US operations, including the construction of a new mill and more than doubling its steel output.
Algoma fires up EAF steelmaking with first arc
Algoma Steel reached a milestone in its transformation from blast furnace to electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking, with its Unit One EAF achieving its first steel production this week.
Nucor holds HR list price at $910/ton
Nucor is keeping its list price for spot hot-rolled coil unchanged after last week’s shortened holiday week.
Cliffs unveils new hydrogen-powered stainless line in Ohio
CEO Lourenco Goncalves, flanked by state leaders and union reps, touted the project as proof that US manufacturing is not only alive, but also advancing.
Cliffs idles Steelton, Riverdale, and Conshohocken operations
Cliffs has idled facilities in Riverdale, Ill., and Conshohocken and Steelton, Pa.