Yahoo Finance Reliance Steel (RS) Rides on Strong Demand and Acquisitions
Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. RS is benefiting from strong demand across key end-use markets, a diversified product base and strategic acquisitions.
Shares of Reliance Steel have gained 24% in the past year against 13% decline of the industry.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Reliance Steel is witnessing strong underlying demand in its major markets. The company benefited from the recovery in aerospace and energy and continued strong performance in the semiconductor market in the third quarter of 2022. It expects healthy demand trends to continue in the fourth quarter notwithstanding the current macroeconomic uncertainty, inflation, ongoing supply-chain disruptions and geopolitical factors.
The company saw strength in the semiconductors market in the third quarter and expects this trend to continue in the fourth quarter. It also witnessed sequentially higher demand for the toll processing services that it provides to the automotive market due to increased production rates by certain automotive OEMs despite the impact of supply-chain challenges.
Demand in commercial aerospace also recovered during the third quarter and Reliance Steel is cautiously optimistic that demand will continue to improve in the fourth quarter. It also expects demand in the energy (oil and natural gas) market to modestly improve in the fourth quarter.
The company has also been following an aggressive acquisition strategy for a while as part of its core business policy to drive operating results. Its latest acquisitions of Rotax Metals, Admiral Metals and Nu-Tech Precision Metals are in sync with its strategy of investing in high-quality businesses.
Reliance Steel also remains committed to boost returns to shareholders. It repurchased around 1.9 million shares of its common stock for $336.7 million in the third quarter of 2022. The company also generated cash flow from operations of $635.7 million in the quarter.
Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. Price and Consensus
Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. price-consensus-chart | Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. Quote
Zacks Rank & Key Picks
Reliance Steel currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Other top-ranked stocks worth considering in the basic materials space include Olympic Steel, Inc. ZEUS, Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A. SQM and Commercial Metals Company CMC.
Olympic Steel currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ZEUS's current-year earnings has been revised 4.8% upward in the past 60 days. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Olympic Steel’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the last four quarters. It has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of roughly 25.4%, on average. ZEUS has rallied around 30% in a year.
Sociedad has a projected earnings growth rate of 553.7% for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SQM’s current-year earnings has been revised 3.6% upward in the past 60 days.
Sociedad has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of roughly 37.4%. SQM has rallied roughly 59% in a year. The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #1.
Commercial Metals currently carries a Zacks Rank #1. The consensus estimate for CMC's current-year earnings has been revised 8.7% upward in the past 60 days.
Commercial Metals’ earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the last four quarters. It has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of roughly 19.7%, on average. CMC has gained around 37% in a year.
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Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. (RS) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Sociedad Quimica y Minera S.A. (SQM) : Free Stock Analysis Report
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Olympic Steel, Inc. (ZEUS) : Free Stock Analysis Report
