JSW Steel Q3 preview: Import curbs lift stock, but earnings seen under pressure
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Mumbai: JSW Steel stock has surged in the past three weeks in tandem with domestic steel prices after the government put a levy on cheaper imports. The steelmaker’s shares rose 5.7% since 30 December, outperforming the benchmark Sensex, which fell 3.3% over the same period.
But this may have come a quarter too late, as the domestic market leader saw the prices of its product fall to an absolute low during the October-December quarter, rivalled only by the abnormal lows seen during the covid-19 pandemic. Analysts estimate that lower iron ore costs will partly offset the impact of weaker steel prices and higher coking coal prices. Even so, the steelmaker’s net profit is expected to fall sequentially for the second quarter in a row, according estimates of brokerage firms Yes Securities and Elara Securities. What's reassuring the company's investors is that the Centre's decision to levy a 12% safeguard duty for three years on 30 December gave steelmakers the confidence to raise prices twice within two weeks of the announcement.
Even as pricing remains in focus, regulatory risks have resurfaced. India’s competition watchdog has found that market leaders JSW Steel, Tata Steel, state-run SAIL and 25 other firms colluded on steel selling prices, according to a Reuters report citing a confidential document, potentially exposing the companies and their executives to hefty fines. With JSW Steel set to announce its December quarter earnings on Friday, management is also likely to face tough questions on the allegations of price collusion.
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