Q3 2024 Cleveland-Cliffs Inc Earnings Call

In This Article:

Participants

Lourenco Goncalves; Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer; Cleveland-Cliffs Inc

Celso Goncalves; Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President; Cleveland-Cliffs Inc

Lucas Pipes; Analyst; B. Riley Securities, Inc

Lawson Winder; Analyst; Bank of America

Carlos De Alba; Analyst; Morgan Stanley

Bill Peterson; Analyst; J.P Morgan

Alex Hacking; Analyst; Citi

Chris Lafond; Analyst; Jefferies

Philip Gibbs; Analyst; KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc

Presentation

Operator

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Darryl, and I am your conference facilitator today. I would like to welcome everyone to Cleveland Cliffs Third Quarter 2024 earnings conference call.
All lines have been placed on mute to prevent any background noise. After the speakers' remarks, there will be a question-and-answer session. To remind you that certain comments made on today's call will include predictive statements that are intended to be made as forward-looking within the Safe Harbor protections of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Although the Company believes that its forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause an actual results to differ materially. Important factors that could cause results to differ materially are set forth in reports on Forms 10 K and 10 Q and news releases filed with the SEC, which are available on the Company website. Today's conference call is also available and being broadcast that clearly will be on the website and available for replay.
The company will also discuss results excluding certain special items. Reconciliation for Regulation G purposes can be found in the earnings release which was published yesterday. At this time, I would like to introduce the Lourenco Goncalves, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer.

Lourenco Goncalves

I think a very good morning and happy election day to the Americans listening in on the call today. Throughout my 10 years with a glimpse, we have work is very consistently to position the Company to benefit no matter what candidate or political Bharti is Empower. This year is no different at this point. It's clear to us that with either Donald Trump or Gunilla hairs as President of United States, our executive branch, we work to improve conditions and support domestic steel industry owned and operated by American producers. American steel companies are way ahead of all others in the entire world. Both in is still making technology and access to capital markets. We have a domestic market for steel. That's the envy of other nations.
And we have the American people willing to work for us and benefit from these favorable conditions still good. Several important areas, national security, infrastructure, manufacturing, supply chains, middle-class union and nonunion jobs, just to name a few. It's exciting that both presidential candidates are concerned about all these areas. And also that both have similar growth is steel views. We have had a total dialogue with surrogates for each campaign, and we definitely believe that critical points we have made about our American steel industry have been heard accepted and understood. Our number one topic of conversation with the officials is 3D. Wiley steel imports are effect of life in the United States. Not all imports are created equal, a country like Canada, for example, for all the rules and those things the right way. And this is a large part of the rationale behind Cleveland-Cliffs acquiring Stelco. There's still a Company of Canada. We received all approvals within the timeframe.
We expected we would close the deal in three months. That's how M&A is done when we have to be honest counterparties. Working collaboratively, video grows by bankers and lawyers get paid and shareholders are rewarded. In our release. Yesterday evening, we provided Stelco's financial results. Why operating on a smaller scale is Stelco provides amazing resilience in a not so good. The steel markets as well as substantial upside in a strong markets, all driven by the best in class cost structure than emphasis on a spot sales versus there primarily contractual book of business that standalone Cliffs relies upon. Based on this current market conditions, the acquisition of Stelco will allow us to average up the overall EBITDA margin of Cleveland-Cliffs.
This standalone Cliffs is primarily a company centered towards serving the automotive industry. Our specialized equipment capabilities, all material flows and robust customer and technical service efforts are distinct from any other steelmaker when automotive is humming, our footprint humps nicely along with that. Conversely, in an environment like we had in Q3 where the automotive industry is low, down well below expectations, the fixed cost associated to our configuration become more difficult to overcome with Southwest part of our company. Our overall cost structure is significantly improved, making us better suited to serve the non-automotive markets as a supplier to primarily no Automotive end users and service centers. Stelco runs a much lower fixed cost and nimble operation. They are geared to thrive sell into these end markets at mid-cycle peak and trough spot pricing levels because of their cost advantages. These advantages are well documented.
Currency is or cost plant layout, healthcare and power costs. With these advantages, Lake Erie Works became the benchmarking low costs of our new operating footprint from day one. Our Lake Erie cost structure for hot-rolled is lower than anyone else is in North America mini mills included in the numbers are unquestionable. Unlike the acquisitions of AK Steel and ArcelorMittal USA, which were either underperforming or under invested when we acquired them, Stelco is both well invested and a standout performer in the industry. Based on our experience from the previous acquisitions mentioned above, we are convinced that we have the opportunity to generate $120 million of cost synergies within the 1st year. Stelco, we will keep its name structure in most of its leadership in the Canadian flag will continue to fly probably at each operational facility. I will now kick into Celso Goncalves for his remarks.