Cleveland-Cliffs Calls for Enhanced Steel Industry Protections
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 4 days ago
0mins
Should l Buy CLF?
Source: stocktwits
- Trade Policy Effectiveness: Cleveland-Cliffs CEO Goncalves praised the Trump administration's trade enforcement policy as “working exactly as intended,” noting that U.S. steel imports have fallen to their lowest levels since the 2008 financial crisis, indicating a positive impact on domestic manufacturing protection.
- Middle East Situation Strengthens Competitive Position: The ongoing Iran war has bolstered Cleveland-Cliffs' competitive position, with Goncalves stating that global steel producers are increasingly willing to partner with the company, reflecting a rising demand for its products in the market.
- Financial Performance vs. Expectations: The company reported an adjusted net loss of $0.4 per share on revenue of $4.9 billion in Q1, surpassing Wall Street analysts' expectations of a $0.42 loss and $4.8 billion in revenue, demonstrating resilience amid challenging conditions.
- Future Cash Flow Outlook: Cleveland-Cliffs expects to generate positive free cash flow in Q2 and reiterated its steel shipment guidance of 16.5 to 17 million net tons for fiscal year 2026, indicating confidence in future performance.
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Analyst Views on CLF
Wall Street analysts forecast CLF stock price to rise
9 Analyst Rating
2 Buy
5 Hold
2 Sell
Hold
Current: 9.090
Low
5.75
Averages
12.78
High
17.00
Current: 9.090
Low
5.75
Averages
12.78
High
17.00
About CLF
Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. is a steel producer with a focus on value-added sheet products, particularly for the automotive industry in North America. The Company is vertically integrated from the mining of iron ore, production of pellets and direct reduced iron, and processing of ferrous scrap through primary steelmaking and downstream finishing, stamping, tooling, and tubing. Its offering includes advanced high-strength steel, hot-dipped galvanized, aluminized, galvalume, electrogalvanized, galvanneal, hot-rolled coil (HRC), cold-rolled coil, plate, grain oriented electrical steel (GOES), non-oriented electrical steel (NOES), stainless steels, tool and die, stamped components, and slabs. Its Other Businesses primarily include the Tubular and Tooling and Stamping segments that provide customer solutions with carbon and stainless-steel tubing products, advanced-engineered solutions, tool design and build, hot- and cold-stamped steel components and complex assemblies.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Cleveland-Cliffs Q1 Earnings Highlights
- Adjusted EBITDA Surge: Cleveland-Cliffs reported an adjusted EBITDA of $95 million, reflecting a $274 million increase year-over-year, driven by improved pricing that enhances the company's competitive edge in the steel market.
- Shipment Recovery: First-quarter shipments exceeded 4.1 million tons, recovering over 300,000 tons sequentially, indicating a rebound in demand, particularly with increased orders from automotive manufacturers, which solidifies market position.
- Energy Cost Impact: The spike in energy prices negatively impacted EBITDA by $80 million in Q1, although improvements are expected in Q2, demonstrating the company's resilience in managing cost pressures.
- Cash Flow Outlook: Free cash flow is anticipated to turn positive in Q2, primarily due to reduced inventory and expected land sales, which are projected to generate $425 million in cash flow, further strengthening liquidity.
See More
Steel Sector Earnings Outlook Improves Ahead of Reports
- Earnings Season Kickoff: Cleveland-Cliffs opened the first-quarter earnings season for the steel sector early Monday, signaling an improved outlook that may set the stage for subsequent company performances.
- STLD and Nucor Breakout: During Monday's regular session, Steel Dynamics (STLD) and Nucor stocks showed strong performance, reflecting market optimism about the steel industry's recovery, which could bolster investor confidence.
- Tariff Boost: Steel Dynamics' Q1 results revealed a significant surge in earnings, largely attributed to tariffs implemented by the Trump administration, providing the company with a competitive edge and enhancing profit margins.
- Positive Market Reaction: As the overall earnings outlook for the steel sector improves, investor interest in related stocks is increasing, potentially leading to capital inflows and further stock price appreciation, thereby invigorating the market.
See More
Market's Muted Response to Middle East Tensions
- Market Stability: Despite Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz causing a more than 5% spike in West Texas Intermediate crude oil prices, the Dow Jones Industrial Average only fell by 4.87 points, indicating a reduced investor focus on geopolitical tensions.
- Bond Market Influence: Cramer noted that the stock market is more responsive to the bond market, as interest rates remained unchanged despite rising oil prices, suggesting a diminished expectation for inflation surges and anticipation of rate cuts.
- Corporate Earnings Support: Strong results from companies like Cleveland-Cliffs indicate a healthy manufacturing backdrop, with the CEO reporting a full order book and increasing steel bookings from automotive OEMs, highlighting steady demand amid broader uncertainties.
- AI Revolution Driving Market: Cramer emphasized that the ongoing AI revolution is a key market driver, unaffected by geopolitical issues, involving a broad ecosystem of companies from Nvidia to Microsoft, suggesting robust market momentum.
See More
Market Unfazed by Iran Tensions, Cramer Explains
- Market Resilience: Despite Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz and a more than 5% spike in West Texas Intermediate crude prices, the Dow Jones Industrial Average only fell by 4.87 points, indicating a market largely indifferent to geopolitical tensions and focused on larger economic forces.
- Bond Market Influence: Cramer emphasized that the bond market is the true driver of stocks, noting that interest rates remained unchanged even as oil prices rose, suggesting that investors are not bracing for inflation surges and are anticipating rate cuts in the near future.
- Diminished Economic Impact: Cramer pointed out that the economic impact of rising oil prices may be less significant than in the past, as improved fuel efficiency and reliance on cheaper domestic natural gas could lead to lower utility bills, alleviating pressure on the broader market.
- AI Revolution Driving Growth: Cramer highlighted that the market continues to be propelled by the AI revolution, with companies like Nvidia and Microsoft benefiting from this trend, indicating that technological advancements are driving economic growth even amidst geopolitical uncertainties.
See More
Cleveland-Cliffs Q1 2026 Earnings Call Insights
- Performance Review: In Q1 2026, Cleveland-Cliffs reported an adjusted EBITDA of $95 million, despite an $80 million negative impact from spiking energy costs, demonstrating the company's resilience in a high-demand environment.
- Orders and Production: The CEO noted a full order book with increasing steel demand from automotive OEMs, expecting Q2 shipments to exceed 4.1 million tons and selling prices to rise by approximately $60 per ton from Q1, reflecting strong market demand.
- Cost and Challenges: Although Q2 costs are projected to increase by $15 per ton due to rising raw material and fuel prices, management anticipates a significant decline in costs in the second half of the year, indicating effective strategies in managing cost pressures.
- Strategic Investment and Innovation: Cleveland-Cliffs has partnered with a leading AI provider to embed AI into production planning and order entry, with a detailed announcement expected in the coming weeks, highlighting the company's commitment to technological innovation.
See More
S&P 500 Flat Amid Rising Oil Prices and Earnings Outlook
- Market Dynamics: The S&P 500 remained flat on Monday despite escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran, while West Texas Intermediate crude surged 5% to over $88 per barrel, indicating market sensitivity to oil price fluctuations.
- Company Update: Bank of America analysts raised Corning's price target from $155 to $186, highlighting that its scale-out potential for increasing compute capacity is not reflected in current valuations, which is expected to drive demand for fiber-optic networking, although this may pressure margins in the near term.
- Apple Outlook: Morgan Stanley named Apple a 'tactical long', forecasting that memory-related gross margin pressures will be offset by positive June-quarter guidance, with upcoming catalysts including the WWDC and the foldable iPhone launch.
- Investment Strategy: Jim Cramer noted in the livestream that while recent cautious calls on Corning may lead to a potential stock decline, opportunistic investors in the market may seize the chance to buy, reflecting confidence in future earnings.
See More
Cleveland-Cliffs Q1 Earnings Highlights
- Adjusted EBITDA Surge: Cleveland-Cliffs reported an adjusted EBITDA of $95 million, reflecting a $274 million increase year-over-year, driven by improved pricing that enhances the company's competitive edge in the steel market.
- Shipment Recovery: First-quarter shipments exceeded 4.1 million tons, recovering over 300,000 tons sequentially, indicating a rebound in demand, particularly with increased orders from automotive manufacturers, which solidifies market position.
- Energy Cost Impact: The spike in energy prices negatively impacted EBITDA by $80 million in Q1, although improvements are expected in Q2, demonstrating the company's resilience in managing cost pressures.
- Cash Flow Outlook: Free cash flow is anticipated to turn positive in Q2, primarily due to reduced inventory and expected land sales, which are projected to generate $425 million in cash flow, further strengthening liquidity.
See More
Steel Sector Earnings Outlook Improves Ahead of Reports
- Earnings Season Kickoff: Cleveland-Cliffs opened the first-quarter earnings season for the steel sector early Monday, signaling an improved outlook that may set the stage for subsequent company performances.
- STLD and Nucor Breakout: During Monday's regular session, Steel Dynamics (STLD) and Nucor stocks showed strong performance, reflecting market optimism about the steel industry's recovery, which could bolster investor confidence.
- Tariff Boost: Steel Dynamics' Q1 results revealed a significant surge in earnings, largely attributed to tariffs implemented by the Trump administration, providing the company with a competitive edge and enhancing profit margins.
- Positive Market Reaction: As the overall earnings outlook for the steel sector improves, investor interest in related stocks is increasing, potentially leading to capital inflows and further stock price appreciation, thereby invigorating the market.
See More
Market's Muted Response to Middle East Tensions
- Market Stability: Despite Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz causing a more than 5% spike in West Texas Intermediate crude oil prices, the Dow Jones Industrial Average only fell by 4.87 points, indicating a reduced investor focus on geopolitical tensions.
- Bond Market Influence: Cramer noted that the stock market is more responsive to the bond market, as interest rates remained unchanged despite rising oil prices, suggesting a diminished expectation for inflation surges and anticipation of rate cuts.
- Corporate Earnings Support: Strong results from companies like Cleveland-Cliffs indicate a healthy manufacturing backdrop, with the CEO reporting a full order book and increasing steel bookings from automotive OEMs, highlighting steady demand amid broader uncertainties.
- AI Revolution Driving Market: Cramer emphasized that the ongoing AI revolution is a key market driver, unaffected by geopolitical issues, involving a broad ecosystem of companies from Nvidia to Microsoft, suggesting robust market momentum.
See More
Market Unfazed by Iran Tensions, Cramer Explains
- Market Resilience: Despite Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz and a more than 5% spike in West Texas Intermediate crude prices, the Dow Jones Industrial Average only fell by 4.87 points, indicating a market largely indifferent to geopolitical tensions and focused on larger economic forces.
- Bond Market Influence: Cramer emphasized that the bond market is the true driver of stocks, noting that interest rates remained unchanged even as oil prices rose, suggesting that investors are not bracing for inflation surges and are anticipating rate cuts in the near future.
- Diminished Economic Impact: Cramer pointed out that the economic impact of rising oil prices may be less significant than in the past, as improved fuel efficiency and reliance on cheaper domestic natural gas could lead to lower utility bills, alleviating pressure on the broader market.
- AI Revolution Driving Growth: Cramer highlighted that the market continues to be propelled by the AI revolution, with companies like Nvidia and Microsoft benefiting from this trend, indicating that technological advancements are driving economic growth even amidst geopolitical uncertainties.
See More
Cleveland-Cliffs Q1 2026 Earnings Call Insights
- Performance Review: In Q1 2026, Cleveland-Cliffs reported an adjusted EBITDA of $95 million, despite an $80 million negative impact from spiking energy costs, demonstrating the company's resilience in a high-demand environment.
- Orders and Production: The CEO noted a full order book with increasing steel demand from automotive OEMs, expecting Q2 shipments to exceed 4.1 million tons and selling prices to rise by approximately $60 per ton from Q1, reflecting strong market demand.
- Cost and Challenges: Although Q2 costs are projected to increase by $15 per ton due to rising raw material and fuel prices, management anticipates a significant decline in costs in the second half of the year, indicating effective strategies in managing cost pressures.
- Strategic Investment and Innovation: Cleveland-Cliffs has partnered with a leading AI provider to embed AI into production planning and order entry, with a detailed announcement expected in the coming weeks, highlighting the company's commitment to technological innovation.
See More
S&P 500 Flat Amid Rising Oil Prices and Earnings Outlook
- Market Dynamics: The S&P 500 remained flat on Monday despite escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran, while West Texas Intermediate crude surged 5% to over $88 per barrel, indicating market sensitivity to oil price fluctuations.
- Company Update: Bank of America analysts raised Corning's price target from $155 to $186, highlighting that its scale-out potential for increasing compute capacity is not reflected in current valuations, which is expected to drive demand for fiber-optic networking, although this may pressure margins in the near term.
- Apple Outlook: Morgan Stanley named Apple a 'tactical long', forecasting that memory-related gross margin pressures will be offset by positive June-quarter guidance, with upcoming catalysts including the WWDC and the foldable iPhone launch.
- Investment Strategy: Jim Cramer noted in the livestream that while recent cautious calls on Corning may lead to a potential stock decline, opportunistic investors in the market may seize the chance to buy, reflecting confidence in future earnings.
See More
