Steel

Steel is awkward candidate for UK bailout largesse

31 May 2019

Thirty years after privatisation, a big chunk of Britain’s steel sector is going bust. The UK’s scope to offer support is less hopeless than it might appear, but the government would need to be convinced the industry is strategic and sustainable. Neither is obviously the case.

British Steel rescue loan is worst of bad options

21 May 2019

The UK’s second-largest steel producer may fail without state credit. Politicians can nationalise the company if they want to save thousands of jobs in a strategic sector. Or they could let the group go bust. The worst outcome is a short-term fix that bails out private owners.

Thyssenkrupp shoved into a panicky Plan B

10 May 2019

The German conglomerate is binning a split after weak operations hit its shares, Reuters reports. Spinning off its elevator business instead would help, especially if the EU blocks a merger of its steel arm. But Thyssenkrupp would still need to show it can cut bloated costs.

Oligarchs take U.S. sanctions risk in their stride

8 April 2019

The Russian owners of Evraz recently cut their stake below 50 pct, which offsets potential heat over their Kremlin links. That doesn’t mean fellow metal groups like Severstal need to follow suit. Still, Oleg Deripaska’s recent travails imply little cause for complacency.

Thyssenkrupp’s tarnished revamp is still needed

9 November 2018

Shares in the German industrial group plunged 10 pct after its latest profit warning. The bad news has further rattled investors already lukewarm about its planned breakup. Still, hiccups from unpicking an unwieldy conglomerate don’t make the strategy any less valid.

Metal tycoons test India’s new era of governance

26 October 2018

The Ruia family’s $7.4 bln offer to pull Essar Steel from bankruptcy is a brazen attempt to stop ArcelorMittal's winning bid. Creditors will do better with the former owners, but it makes a mockery of a young insolvency code and undermines the fight against errant moguls.

Thyssenkrupp gets half a breakup

27 September 2018

The German conglomerate’s shares surged on plans to split the company in two. Thyssenkrupp’s businesses are probably worth more apart than together. But the separation will take time, and one of the units will still have a stake in the other.

Ilva deal gives Italian business much-needed hope

7 September 2018

Rome has dropped its opposition to ArcelorMittal’s 4 bln euro swoop on Europe’s biggest steelworks. Scrapping Ilva would have been a victory for ideology over business logic and common sense. It’s an encouraging sign that the radical new government’s bark is less than its bite.

It’s time to take away Trump’s tariff toys

13 August 2018

Using steel duties to punish Turkey over a detained U.S. pastor is an abuse of the president's powers. While national security is a legitimate reason to restrict trade, doing so on a whim hurts America. Congress can be more muscular even if it's not yet prepared to rein Trump in.

South Korea offers cautionary Trump trade tale

13 August 2018

Seoul dodged U.S. steel tariffs by agreeing to a quota. The limit, however, was then applied retroactively and prevented exemptions. American manufacturers are now cut off from materials. EU President Jean-Claude Juncker and others will have to keep a close eye on the fine print.

Glencore risks writ large in balance sheet caution

8 August 2018

The $60 bln commodities giant only narrowly missed first-half EBITDA forecasts, despite a slew of Congo and U.S. subpoena-related woes. Given its swashbuckling image, investors might have expected more of a splash. The fact they got deleveraging instead flags the group’s concern.

CEO exit is game changer for ThyssenKrupp

6 July 2018

Heinrich Hiesinger offered to quit the German conglomerate days after clinching an underwhelming steel JV with Tata. His long tenure and advocacy of the group’s conglomerate structure made him ill-suited to the action ThyssenKrupp needs. His replacement should be more radical.

Steel pact lets Thyssen/Tata tackle wider problems

2 July 2018

Tweaking the terms of their September joint venture gives the German steelmaker a bigger share of a future IPO. It could have driven a harder bargain, but Tata had limited wiggle room. Besides, ThyssenKrupp needed a deal to kickstart its own much-needed overhaul.

ThyssenKrupp can forge better steel deal with Tata

14 June 2018

The German group has outperformed its Indian rival since they agreed a European steel joint venture last year, and now produces more than twice as much EBITDA. Tata could pay cash or give up dividends to close the gap. Walking away from the hefty synergies would be too painful.

Italy and ArcelorMittal can unpick steel knot

13 June 2018

The government’s largest party has campaigned for shutting Europe’s top smelter, now being sold to the Indian steel group. At the very least, Italy will demand more environmental and labour pledges. Yet the fact Arcelor doesn’t look to be overpaying suggests room for compromise.

Election shake-ups will make NAFTA more elusive

5 June 2018

Doug Ford, a Canada-first candidate, has a shot at becoming the next premier of Ontario – the province that will be hardest hit by U.S. steel tariffs. Voters also go to the polls this year in Mexico and the U.S. New political faces will make sealing a trade deal even harder.

ArcelorMittal paying an odd bid “premium” in India

21 May 2018

The world's largest steelmaker is ready to cover $1 bln of debt in a tiny rival it no longer backs so it can buy bankrupt Essar. A quirky rule bans owners of defaulting companies from acquiring distressed assets. It's a sign of how India’s bankruptcy law is a work in progress.

Electrolux buffeted by perfect Trump tariff storm

27 April 2018

The Swedish fridge maker lost a tenth of its value after operating profit almost halved in the first quarter. A rejig of its freezer factories in the U.S. was one culprit. But investors are dubious that cost cuts will enable such a global business to offset higher steel prices.

ArcelorMittal’s India homecoming may be scrappy

14 March 2018

The world’s largest steelmaker is back on the acquisition trail with a $6 bln bid for bankrupt Essar. It paves the way for the family to go back to its roots. The Mittals would face an inhospitable environment, but it's probably manageable for a company spawned by a hostile deal.

M&A rebound is good sign for Indo-Japanese ties

9 March 2018

Nippon Steel is part of a bid for bankrupt rival Essar. That would mark a revival of Japanese deals in India after flops with Docomo and Daiichi Sankyo. Healthy financial relations are a prerequisite for creating the harmonious "Indo-Pacific” that Tokyo and Washington both want.