U.S. President Joe Biden reported plans to block Nippon Steel's buyout of U.S. Steel
According to a report from Bloomberg News that cited people familiar with the matter, U.S. President Joe Biden will block Nippon Steel's proposed $14.9 billion buyout of U.S. Steel (X) on national security concerns.
The moves comes after a tough year for U.S. steel prices, weighed down by weakening demand and increased supply. With this in mind, now is a good time to check in on sector stalwarts Cleveland-Cliffs Inc (NYSE:CLF), Steel Dynamics Inc (NASDAQ:STLD), and Carpenter Technology Corporation (NYSE:CRS).
Cleveland-Cliffs stock was last seen 7.2% lower at $10.93, extending its year-to-date deficit to more than 46.5%. The security's problems started in late April, when it gapped below $20, and eventually moved to roughly four-year lows in early September. Recent attempts to rally were stymied by CLF's 126-day and 110-day moving averages, though the $11 region appears to be moving in as support.
Steel Dynamics stock sports a more modest midday slump, down 4.4% at $127.65 at last glance following a bear note at UBS. The brokerage downgraded STLD to "neutral" from "buy," citing weak fundamentals and limited near-term upside, though it did raise its price target to $149 from $145. Year to date, the equity is up 8.3%.
Finally, Carpenter Technology stock is trading flat at $180.94 at last check. Shares are vastly outperforming its sector peers, up more than 155% since the start of 2024. For comparison, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) is up 27.6% year to date. BTIG today raised its price target on CRS from $185 to $210 -- a 16% premium to its current perch.