Cleveland-Cliffs shares jump on strong Q2 results and upbeat guidance

Published: Jul 28, 2026 09:31
Cleveland-Cliffs shares closed up nearly 16% on July 23 after the US steelmaker reported second-quarter results and issued upbeat forward guidance, with management pointing to automotive steel shipments at their highest level in two years and continuing to climb. The company guided to adjusted EBITDA of approximately $575 million for the third quarter of 2026, which it said would be its strongest quarterly result in three years, and indicated fourth-quarter profitability was expected to top that figure. Cleveland-Cliffs, the largest flat-rolled steel producer supplying the North American automotive sector, cited robust domestic demand and firmer pricing as drivers. Rival domestic producers Nucor and Steel Dynamics also posted share gains the same day. Separately, Cleveland-Cliffs and Nucor have publicly diverged on tariffs covering imported pig iron, a key raw material for US electric-arc-furnace steelmaking. The update comes as US steelmakers continue operating behind a 50% Section 232 tariff wall on most imported steel.

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