Steel maker Mittal Steel South Africa on Wednesday reported a 37% decline in headline earnings per share (HEPS) for the September quarter to 221 cents from 353 cents in the September 2004 quarter.
The median of three analysts surveyed by I-Net Bridge was for HEPS of 200 cents, with forecasts ranging from 187 to 226 cents.
Compared with the June quarter, when HEPS amounted to 369 cents, the September quarter reflected a 40% decline.
The group attributed the decline to lower international steel prices, lower local volumes and an increase in the prices of major input materials, which was partially offset by higher export volumes.
Revenue for the September quarter was R6,110-billion, down from R6,387-billion a year ago.
Export volumes increased by 58% compared with the corresponding period last
year and by 31% compared with the previous quarter.
“This increase was mainly driven by the lower local volumes redirected to exports and delayed shipments rolled over from quarter two,” the group said.
The sudden drop in international demand and prices was mainly a result of a destocking effect and a softening of demand in China, the company added.
Domestic sales decreased by 21% compared with the corresponding period last
year and 3% compared with the previous quarter.
The decrease was mainly driven by a destocking effect, a delay in orders in anticipation of further price reductions and lower sales by some of Mittal Steel South African customers, especially customers exporting value added products, as a result of the strong rand as well as customers competing with cheap final product imports from China.
On August 1, Mittal Steel South Africa’s prices for hot rolled steel products fell by 7,5%, cold rolled material by 7,5% and galvanised and colour coated sheet by 5%.
Liquid steel production for the quarter increased by 8% compared to the corresponding period last year to 1,819-million tonnes from 1,690-million tonnes mainly due to an improvement in operational efficiencies at the company’s Vanderbijlpark plant.
The 2% decrease compared with the June quarter, when 1,858-million tonnes was produced, mainly resulted from a brief cutback in production during the beginning of the quarter following the sudden weakening of international market conditions.
Total liquid steel sales for the September quarter was 1,669-million tonnes, up from 1,590-million tonnes in the 2004 September quarter and up from 1,499-million tonnes in the June quarter.
Local sales made up 51% of the company’s total sales for the September quarter from 68% in the 2004 September quarter and 59% in the June quarter.
Cash cost per ton of hot rolled coil for the quarter increased by 12% compared to the corresponding period last year and that of billets by 13%, driven mainly by a substantial increase in the prices of coking coal, scrap, iron ore pellets and alloys.
During August, Mittal Steel submitted an objection to the South African Revenue Service (Sars), disputing the disallowance of the deductibility of the payment made in terms of the Business Assistance Agreement (BAA).
“Sars responded by a request for more information. We are currently in the process of compiling the necessary documentation,” the group said.
The company has set aside a contingent liability of R403-million regarding the tax dispute.
As a result of the BAA, Mittal Steel South Africa paid the Mittal Steel Group two payments — R630-million and R731-million.
Turning to the outlook, Mittal Steel the group said that the domestic demand for the December quarter was expected to show an improvement over the September quarter levels, driven to a large extent by stock building activities by customers, especially merchants, following the exceptionally low inventory levels towards the end of the September quarter, together with some improvement expected in real demand.
Export order intake, for the December quarter dispatches, indicates a moderate improvement in export prices compared to the September quarter.
Cost is expected to be higher during the December quarter mainly due to the increase in imported coking coal prices, effective from July 2005, but which will only fully impact Mittal Steel South Africa’s cost base during the December quarter.
“Overall we expect the results for quarter four to be in line with quarter three,” it concluded. – I-Net Bridge