Algoma Steel Rises Following Canada's Announcement of Additional Support for Tariff-Affected Steel Sector
Government Support for Steel Industry: Algoma Steel's stock rose by 9.5% following Prime Minister Carney's announcement of measures to support Canada's steel and lumber industries against U.S. tariffs, including reducing steel import quotas and cutting freight rates by 50%.
Impact on Domestic Demand: The government anticipates that these measures could generate over C$1 billion in new domestic steel demand, which could positively affect Algoma Steel's revenue, although the actual impact on pricing remains uncertain according to RBC Capital analyst James McGarragle.
RBC's Outlook on Algoma Steel: RBC has a Sector Perform rating and a target price of C$5.46 for Algoma Steel shares, suggesting potential upside if the company can capture a portion of the expected demand increase.
Challenges Ahead: Despite the positive outlook from government support, Algoma Steel faces ongoing challenges such as negative earnings and increasing debt, which may exert downward pressure on its stock.
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- Stock Surge: Algoma Steel (ASTL) saw an 11.1% increase in Friday's trading, primarily driven by reports of Trump considering rolling back steel and aluminum tariffs, indicating a positive market reaction to potential policy changes.
- Tariff Impact: Trump's 50% tariffs on imported steel and aluminum aim to curb the flow of Chinese metals, yet U.S. Commerce Department officials believe these tariffs are raising consumer prices for goods like auto parts and food cans, highlighting a conflict between trade policy and consumer interests.
- Market Response: Unlike U.S. steelmakers, Algoma Steel's shares surged on the potential tariff rollback news, although the stock remains down 45% from a year ago, reflecting ongoing pressures from tariffs and duties imposed by its largest trading partner.
- Competitive Pressure: In the U.S. market, Steel Dynamics (STLD) and Nucor (NUE) fell by 3.4% and 2.6%, respectively, illustrating the negative impact of tariff policies on the industry, while Algoma Steel's rise underscores its relative advantage in the current environment.
- Investment Agreement Signed: Algoma Steel's memorandum of understanding with Hanwha Ocean secures up to C$345 million (US$250 million) for a new structural steel beam mill in Ontario, reflecting strong confidence in future production capacity expansion.
- Funding Allocation Details: Of the committed C$345 million, approximately C$275 million is earmarked for the development of the beam mill, while the remaining funds will support Algoma Steel's other products, indicating a strategic focus on product diversification.
- Sales Revenue Sharing Terms: The agreement stipulates that Algoma Steel will make annual payments to Hanwha Ocean equal to 3% of the net sales from the beam mill for 10 years post-operation, which will directly impact the company's cash flow and profitability.
- Project Dependency: The effectiveness of the MOU is contingent upon Hanwha winning an order to build up to 12 submarines for the Royal Canadian Navy, emphasizing the close ties to government projects and commitment to local investment.
- Price Increase: Algoma Steel Group's stock has risen 7.8% over the past four weeks, reflecting growing investor interest and enhancing its market appeal.
- Long-Term Momentum: The stock gained 4.7% over the past 12 weeks, indicating not only strong short-term performance but also sustained upward potential, making it suitable for long-term momentum investors.
- Momentum Score: With a Momentum Score of B, Algoma Steel is positioned as an attractive entry point for investors, suggesting a high probability of success and drawing further market attention.
- Reasonable Valuation: Despite its fast-paced momentum, Algoma Steel trades at a Price-to-Sales ratio of just 0.31, meaning investors pay only 31 cents for each dollar of sales, indicating significant room for growth.

- Coverage Initiation: RBC Capital Markets has initiated coverage on the semiconductor sector, assigning a ‘Sector Perform’ rating to most legacy chipmakers like Intel and AMD, citing a lack of near-term catalysts that could impact their stock performance.
- Bullish Forecasts: The brokerage rates Nvidia and Micron as ‘Outperform’, expecting Nvidia to benefit from gradually slowing hyperscaler capital expenditures, while Micron may gain strong profits due to a memory chip shortage.
- Stock Price Targets: RBC has set optimistic price targets for Arm, Astera Labs, and Marvell at $140, $225, and $105 respectively, anticipating these companies will benefit from data center growth and collaborations with Amazon.
- Dim Outlook for Legacy Chipmakers: While RBC expresses caution regarding the prospects of legacy chipmakers like Intel and AMD due to a lack of catalysts, it remains optimistic about the growth potential of emerging companies, reflecting market preference for innovative technologies.

- EPS Revision Grade Analysis: As the earnings season approaches, an analysis reveals that several mid to low cap material stocks have received an 'F' EPS revision grade, indicating significant downward pressure on future earnings expectations, which may lead to decreased investor confidence.
- List of Affected Companies: Companies such as American Battery Technology Company (ABAT), Algoma Steel Group Inc. (ASTL), and Eastman Chemical Company (EMN) have all received an 'F' grade, highlighting serious challenges in their earnings momentum.
- Market Impact Assessment: The poor EPS revision grades of these companies could adversely affect their stock performance, prompting investors to carefully assess associated risks, especially during the earnings season when market sensitivity to earnings is heightened.
- Industry Outlook: With the earnings season underway, the overall performance of the materials sector may be dragged down by these low-rated companies, leading investors to seek out better-performing firms within the industry for potential investment opportunities.
- Shipment Guidance: Algoma Steel anticipates total steel shipments for Q4 2025 to be between 375,000 and 380,000 tons, reflecting ongoing challenges in the market due to steel tariffs.
- Adjusted EBITDA Outlook: The company expects an Adjusted EBITDA in the range of negative CAD 95 million to negative CAD 105 million, indicating significant financial pressure during its transition phase.
- EAF Project Progress: The first unit of Algoma's Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) project is now operating six days a week, demonstrating positive advancements in the company's shift towards more sustainable steel production.
- Strategic Alignment: Algoma's transformation aligns with Canada's national interests by enhancing domestic steelmaking capacity and supporting critical infrastructure, showcasing the company's proactive approach to future market demands.







