(1888PressRelease)
April 28, 2009 - Mira, Portugal – SADIF Investment Analytics SA, today announced the release of a new equity research report covering United States Steel Corporation (X). The report utilizes SADIF's powerful StockMarks™ stock rating system and is required reading for any current or potential US Steel investor.
Report Summary: Shares in United States Steel corporation have tumbled more than 80% since the end of April 2008, dropping far further than the 38% decline in the broader S&P500 index. The company has struggled over the past year due to poor credit markets and recessionary fears taking a toll on steel demand from construction companies and automakers. US Steel reported 2008 fourth quarter net income of USD 308M (revised down to USD 290M in February) which was an increase from USD 35M in the fourth quarter of 2007, primarily because of cost-controlling measures and a strong tubular steel business. However, other segments of the company, such as US Steel Europe reported losses. US Steel reduced production through idling plants as a result of weakened demand.
The company's flat-rolled operations ran at 45% of capacity during the fourth quarter while US Steel Europe operated at 51% of capacity. Investors will get an update on whether this weakness has spread to US Steel's other operations when the company announces first quarter results on April 28th. Other US-based steel companies such as Nucor Corporation have already reported first-quarter results, revealing a quarterly loss and an uncertain outlook for the industry. However, while US Steel's expects to report a first quarter loss, when assessing the company as a long-term investment we should focus on its long-term underlying fundamentals. We can assess US Steel's fundamentals through the use of the StockMarks framework. US Steel currently has an overall long-term investment-attractiveness rating (Total StockMark or SMT) of 36, rating the company below the US market average. This rating places US Steel ninth when compared to ten of the company's closest US-listed peers, selected on the basis of similarity of business, market positioning factors such as size and share comparisons.
The complete report breaks down the Total StockMark into its three components – business, management and price, performing a thorough analysis of US Steel for long-term investors.
A summary of the StockMarks™ ratings for United States Steel Corporation is available here:
http://sadifanalytics.com/stockmarks/company.php?ticker=X&cod_country=125
The report has been distributed to Reuters, and forwarded to Yahoo Finance and FT.com. It is available under 'Analyst Reports' from these websites, from multiple professional platforms including Reuters Knowledge, TheMarkets.com and Thomson Research or directly from SADIF-Investment Analytics SA at:
http://sadifanalytics.com/stockmarks/article/hist_article.php?cod_country=125
About SADIF-Investment Analytics SA:
SADIF-Investment Analytics SA is an independent investment research company covering sixteen different markets and over 12,000 companies. The StockMarks™ system is based on proven investment principles and is designed to drive long-term shareholder returns.
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