Cliffs is an iron ore and coal producer that has seen its share price tumble from a high of nearly $100 in July 2011 to a recent low of $4.12. Some of that is due to declining global demand for steel, primarily in China. Because both iron ore and the company’s metallurgical coal are major ingredients in steelmaking, Cliffs was hit with a double whammy.
Now Cliffs is also contending with a strong dollar that makes its exports more costly than iron ore from South America or coal from Australia. The company’s iron ore resources are well-placed in the United States near the country’s principal steel production cities, but that is a drag on exports.
What may have hurt Cliffs most was a $1.4 billion non-cash write-down in 2013 on its acquisition of a Canadian iron ore miner and an expansion project at its Bloom Lake mine, among other things. Things went downhill from there.
After Cliffs reported fourth-quarter results earlier this year, Credit Suisse had a price target of $1 and an Underperform rating on the stock. Merrill Lynch rated the company at Underperform with $4 price target. Not exactly a vote of confidence.
ALSO READ: 8 Analyst Stock Picks Under $10 With Massive Upside Targets
Since then shares have lost about $0.80, or nearly 12%, and the consensus price target on the stock is around $4.60. Analysts have very negative targets on Cliffs, and some of them have even questioned these targets with more fears than that.
Shares traded down about 1.5% to $6.04 in the late morning Tuesday, in a 52-week range of $4.12 to $18.41.
Credit card companies are handing out rewards and benefits to win the best customers. A good cash back card can be worth thousands of dollars a year in free money, not to mention other perks like travel, insurance, and access to fancy lounges. See our top picks for the best credit cards today. You won’t want to miss some of these offers.
Flywheel Publishing has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Flywheel Publishing and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.