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United States Steel Corporation Reports 2005 Third Quarter ResultsPRNewswire-FirstCall United States Steel Corporation Earnings Highlights (Dollars in millions except per share data) 3Q 2005 2Q 2005 3Q 2004 Net sales $3,200 $3,582 $3,707 Segment income from operations Flat-rolled Products $41 $190 $362 U. S. Steel Europe 32 141 146 Tubular Products 124 133 55 Other Businesses 21 23 7 Total segment income from operations $218 $487 $570 Retiree benefit expenses (55) (70) (72) Other items not allocated to segments (4) (4) (4) Income from operations $159 $413 $494 Interest and other financial costs 17 20 8 Foreign currency losses (gains) (1) 43 (4) Net interest and other financial costs 16 63 4 Income tax provision 28 93 126 Net income $107 $245 $354 - Per basic share $0.89 $2.11 $3.08 - Per diluted share $0.82 $1.88 $2.72 United States Steel Corporation (NYSE: X) reported third quarter 2005 net income of $107 million, or $0.82 per diluted share, compared to second quarter 2005 net income of $245 million, or $1.88 per diluted share, and third quarter 2004 net income of $354 million, or $2.72 per diluted share. Commenting on third quarter results, U. S. Steel President and CEO John P. Surma said, "Our Flat-rolled and European segments remained profitable despite lower spot market prices and reduced operating rates. Our largest domestic blast furnace and our largest European blast furnace were both down for the entire quarter for major rebuilds. In addition, after standing idle for eighteen years, our No. 1 blast furnace in Serbia took time to ramp up to full production following a rebuild completed in June. In contrast, our Tubular segment had another outstanding quarter as demand and prices remained strong." The company reported third quarter 2005 income from operations of $159 million, compared with income from operations of $413 million in the second quarter of 2005 and $494 million in the third quarter of 2004. Other items not allocated to segments reduced third quarter 2005 net income by $4 million, or 3 cents per diluted share and second quarter 2005 net income by $3 million, or 2 cents per diluted share. Third quarter 2004 net income was increased by $21 million, or 16 cents per diluted share, primarily resulting from a $24 million favorable effect related to the settlements of prior years' income tax audits. Foreign currency gains in the third quarter of 2005 were $1 million, compared to losses of $43 million in the second quarter of 2005 and gains of $4 million in the third quarter of 2004. The year-to-date losses in 2005 primarily reflect accounting remeasurement losses from the appreciation of the U.S. dollar functional currency versus the euro and other local currencies. Reportable Segments and Other Businesses Management uses segment income from operations to evaluate company performance because we believe it to be a key measure of ongoing operating results. U. S. Steel's reportable segments and Other Businesses reported segment income from operations of $218 million, or $47 per ton, in the third quarter of 2005, compared with $487 million, or $100 per ton, in the second quarter of 2005 and $570 million, or $108 per ton, in the third quarter of 2004. The decrease in third quarter 2005 Flat-rolled income from operations compared to the second quarter primarily reflected lower spot prices and higher natural gas costs. The decline in European results was mainly due to lower spot market prices and shipments compared to the second quarter, partly resulting from a longer than anticipated outage at the No. 2 blast furnace in Slovakia. Outlook Commenting on U. S. Steel's outlook, Surma said, "With continuing reductions in service center inventory levels and firming spot prices, we expect fourth quarter market conditions to show improvement over the third, but results will remain well below those of the first two quarters of the year. Our order book remains strong across all industries, but we will continue to be affected by high natural gas prices and by reduced domestic raw steel capability for the duration of the Gary blast furnace rebuild." For Flat-rolled, fourth quarter 2005 shipments and average realized prices are expected to improve compared to the third quarter; however, these effects may be more than offset by higher costs for natural gas. We expect the Gary No. 14 blast furnace to start up in December and to reach full production early next year. For U. S. Steel Europe (USSE), fourth quarter shipments are expected to improve compared to the third quarter with all five blast furnaces operational after the October 12 restart of No. 2 blast furnace in Slovakia. Average realized prices should also improve, reflecting the recent increase in spot prices. Raw material costs are expected to decline compared to the third quarter. Shipments for the Tubular segment in the fourth quarter of 2005 are expected to return to second quarter levels while average realized prices should increase due to continued strong energy markets. The transfer price of tube rounds supplied by Flat-rolled was increased by $46 per ton effective October 1, 2005. Common Stock Repurchase Program On July 26, 2005, U. S. Steel announced that its Board of Directors had approved the repurchase of up to eight million shares of its common stock. During the third quarter, 1,210,000 shares were repurchased under this program for a total cost of $52 million. ***** This release contains forward-looking statements with respect to market conditions, operating costs, shipments and prices. Some factors, among others, that could affect market conditions, costs, shipments and prices for both domestic operations and USSE include global product demand, prices and mix; global and company steel production levels; plant operating performance; the timing and completion of the startup of the No. 14 blast furnace project at Gary Works and other facility projects; natural gas and electricity prices and usage; scrap and other raw materials availability and prices; the impact of fixed prices in energy and raw materials contracts (many of which have terms of one year or longer) as compared to short-term contract and spot prices of steel products; changes in environmental, tax and other laws; employee strikes; power outages; and U.S. and global economic performance and political developments. Domestic steel shipments and prices could be affected by import levels and actions taken by the U.S. Government and its agencies. Economic conditions and political factors in Europe that may affect USSE's results include, but are not limited to, taxation, nationalization, inflation, currency fluctuations, increased regulation, export quotas, tariffs, and other protectionist measures. In accordance with "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, cautionary statements identifying important factors, but not necessarily all factors, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward- looking statements have been included in the Form 10-K of U. S. Steel for the year ended December 31, 2004, and in subsequent filings for U. S. Steel. A Statement of Operations (Unaudited), Other Financial Data (Unaudited) and Preliminary Supplemental Statistics (Unaudited) for U. S. Steel are attached. The company will conduct a conference call on third quarter earnings on Tuesday, October 25, at 2 p.m. EDT. To listen to the webcast of the conference call, visit the U. S. Steel web site, www.ussteel.com, and click on the "Investors" button. For more information on U. S. Steel, visit its web site at www.ussteel.com. UNITED STATES STEEL CORPORATION STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited) ------------------------------------ Quarter Ended Nine Months Ended ------------------------------- ----------------- Sept. 30 June 30 Sept. 30 September 30 (Dollars in millions) 2005 2005 2004 2005 2004 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- NET SALES $3,200 $3,582 $3,707 $10,569 $10,085 OPERATING EXPENSES (INCOME): Cost of sales (excludes items shown below) 2,808 2,925 2,967 8,632 8,341 Selling, general and administrative expenses 161 176 172 506 521 Depreciation, depletion and amortization 88 88 96 274 287 Income from investees (2) (13) (18) (28) (37) Net gains on disposal of assets (7) (6) (2) (17) (46) Other income, net (7) (1) (2) (10) (14) ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- Total operating expenses 3,041 3,169 3,213 9,357 9,052 ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- INCOME FROM OPERATIONS 159 413 494 1,212 1,033 Net interest and other financial costs 16 63 4 101 142 ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES, MINORITY INTERESTS AND CUMULATIVE EFFECT OF CHANGE IN ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLE 143 350 490 1,111 891 Income tax provision 28 93 126 276 263 Minority interests 8 12 10 28 19 ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- INCOME BEFORE CUMULATIVE EFFECT OF CHANGE IN ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLE 107 245 354 807 609 Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle, net of tax -- -- -- -- 14 ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- NET INCOME 107 245 354 807 623 Dividends on preferred stock (4) (5) (4) (13) (13) ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- NET INCOME APPLICABLE TO COMMON STOCK $103 $240 $350 $794 $610 ===== ===== ===== ===== ===== UNITED STATES STEEL CORPORATION STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited) (Continued) ------------------------------------ Quarter Ended Nine Months Ended ------------------------------- ----------------- Sept. 30 June 30 Sept. 30 September 30 (Dollars in millions) 2005 2005 2004 2005 2004 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Per share: Income before cumulative effect of change in accounting principle: - Basic $.89 $2.11 $3.08 $6.96 $5.36 - Diluted $.82 $1.88 $2.72 $6.18 $4.76 Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle, net of tax: - Basic $-- $-- $-- $-- $.13 - Diluted $-- $-- $-- $-- $.11 Net income: - Basic $.89 $2.11 $3.08 $6.96 $5.49 - Diluted $.82 $1.88 $2.72 $6.18 $4.87 Weighted average shares, in thousands: - Basic 113,980 114,222 113,523 114,054 111,170 - Diluted 130,339 130,646 130,021 130,583 127,940 Dividends paid per common share $.10 $.10 $.05 $.28 $.15 UNITED STATES STEEL CORPORATION OTHER FINANCIAL DATA (Unaudited) ------------------------------------ Nine Months Ended ----------------- September 30 Cash Flow Data (In millions) 2005 2004 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash provided from operating activities: Net income $807 $623 Depreciation, depletion and amortization 274 287 Pensions and other postretirement benefits (77) (19) Property tax settlement gain (95) -- Deferred income taxes 86 264 Net gains on disposal of assets (17) (46) Changes in: Current receivables 153 (431) Inventories (144) 32 Current accounts payable and accrued expenses (104) 235 Other operating activities 1 (23) ------ ------ Total 884 922 ------ ------ Cash used in investing activities: Capital expenditures (473) (367) Disposal of assets 25 87 Other investing activities 11 5 ------ ------ Total (437) (275) ------ ------ Cash (used in) provided from financing activities: Repayment of long-term debt (7) (297) Common stock issued 27 348 Common stock repurchased (52) -- Dividends paid (45) (29) Change in bank checks outstanding 20 93 Other financing activities (26) (16) ------ ------ Total (83) 99 ------ ------ Effect of exchange rate changes on cash (7) -- ------ ------ Total net cash flow 357 746 Cash at beginning of the year 1,037 316 ------ ------ Cash at end of the period $1,394 $1,062 ====== ====== Sept. 30 Dec. 31 Balance Sheet Data (In millions) 2005 2004 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash and cash equivalents $1,394 $1,037 Other current assets 3,233 3,206 Property, plant and equipment - net 3,840 3,627 Pension Asset 2,377 2,538 Other assets 521 548 ------ ------ Total assets $11,365 $10,956 ====== ====== Current liabilities $2,207 $2,531 Long-term debt 1,366 1,363 Employee benefits 2,024 2,125 Other long-term liabilities 1,038 939 Minority interests 29 28 Stockholders' equity 4,701 3,970 ------ ------ Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $11,365 $10,956 ====== ====== UNITED STATES STEEL CORPORATION PRELIMINARY SUPPLEMENTAL STATISTICS (Unaudited) ----------------------------------------------- Quarter Ended Nine Months Ended -------------------------- ----------------- Sept. 30 June 30 Sept. 30 September 30 (Dollars in millions) 2005 2005 2004 2005 2004 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- INCOME (LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS Flat-rolled Products $41 $190 $362 $566 $810 U. S. Steel Europe 32 141 146 385 262 Tubular Products 124 133 55 379 83 Other Businesses(a) 21 23 7 27 31 ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- Segment Income from Operations 218 487 570 1,357 1,186 Retiree benefit expenses(b) (55) (70) (72) (208) (181) Other items not allocated to segments: Property tax settlement gain(c) -- -- -- 70 -- Stock appreciation rights (1) 2 (4) 2 (15) Workforce reduction charges(d) (3) (6) -- (9) -- Income from sale of real estate interests -- -- -- -- 43 ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- Total Income from Operations $159 $413 $494 $1,212 $1,033 CAPITAL EXPENDITURES Flat-rolled Products $83 $78 $109 $220 $167 U. S. Steel Europe 67 59 57 175 136 Tubular Products 1 - 3 4 8 Other Businesses 43 20 33 74 56 ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- Total $194 $157 $202 $473 $367 ----------- (a) Includes the results of the former Real Estate segment. (b) Includes certain profit-based expenses for U. S. Steel retirees and National retirees pursuant to provisions of the 2003 labor agreement with the United Steelworkers of America. (c) Reflects the portion of the Gary property tax settlement gain that is included in cost of sales, and excludes $25 million that is included in net interest and other financial costs. (d) Reflects special termination benefits for a USSK voluntary early retirement program. UNITED STATES STEEL CORPORATION PRELIMINARY SUPPLEMENTAL STATISTICS (Unaudited) ----------------------------------------------- Quarter Ended Nine Months Ended ----------------------------- ---------------- Sept. 30 June 30 Sept. 30 September 30 (Dollars in millions) 2005 2005 2004 2005 2004 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- OPERATING STATISTICS Average realized price: ($/net ton) Flat-rolled Products(a) $586 $633 $627 $624 $561 U. S. Steel Europe 562 643 573 631 496 Tubular Products 1,393 1,302 907 1,281 785 Steel Shipments:(a)(b) Flat-rolled Products 3,191 3,224 3,745 9,950 11,888 U. S. Steel Europe 1,230 1,332 1,257 3,852 3,693 Tubular Products 264 297 266 864 807 Raw Steel-Production:(b) Domestic Facilities 3,514 3,597 4,293 11,414 13,002 U. S. Steel Europe 1,200 1,486 1,400 4,234 4,211 Raw Steel-Capability Utilization:(c) Domestic Facilities 71.9% 74.4% 87.8% 78.7% 89.3% U. S. Steel Europe 64.1% 80.2% 75.0% 76.2% 75.8% Domestic iron ore production(b) 5,878 5,670 5,546 16,930 17,169 Domestic iron ore shipments(b)(d) 6,066 6,232 6,930 15,687 17,688 Domestic coke production(b)(e) 1,602 1,585 1,659 4,607 4,974 Domestic coke shipments (b)(e)(f) 192 241 686 678 1,999 ----------- (a) Excludes intersegment transfers. (b) Thousands of net tons. (c) Based on annual raw steel production capability of 19.4 million net tons for domestic facilities and 7.4 million net tons for U. S. Steel Europe. (d) Includes trade shipments and intersegment transfers. (e) Includes the Clairton 1314B Partnership. (f) Includes trade shipments only. SOURCE: United States Steel Corporation CONTACT: Media, John Armstrong, +1-412-433-6792, or Investors-Analysts, Web site: http://www.ussteel.com/ Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/929150.html |