Cleveland-Cliffs Clears U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Review for the Acquisition of Stelco

Rhea-AI Summary

Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. (NYSE: CLF) has announced a significant milestone in its pending acquisition of Stelco Holdings Inc. The waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (HSR Act) has expired, clearing a major regulatory hurdle for the transaction. This development marks a important step towards finalizing the acquisition, which is anticipated to close in the fourth quarter of 2024, subject to other customary closing conditions and approvals.

Lourenco Goncalves, Cliffs' Chairman, President and CEO, expressed excitement about this progress, highlighting the transformative nature of the Stelco acquisition. He emphasized that this move will enhance Cleveland-Cliffs' resilience and geographic diversification in the highly competitive global market.

Positive

• Expiration of HSR Act waiting period clears a major regulatory hurdle for the Stelco acquisition
• Acquisition expected to enhance Cleveland-Cliffs' resilience and geographic diversification
• Transaction on track to close in Q4 2024, indicating progress in the acquisition process

Negative

• None.

Insights

Legal Expert

The expiration of the HSR Act waiting period is a significant milestone in Cleveland-Cliffs' acquisition of Stelco. This regulatory clearance removes a major hurdle in the merger process, indicating that the U.S. Department of Justice doesn't see substantial antitrust concerns.

However, investors should note that the deal is not yet finalized. The expected closing in Q4 2024 is still subject to other customary closing conditions and approvals, which may include Canadian regulatory reviews, shareholder approvals and potentially other jurisdictional clearances.

The acquisition's strategic rationale of providing "more resilience and geographic diversification" aligns with industry trends of consolidation to enhance competitiveness. This move could potentially strengthen Cleveland-Cliffs' position in the North American steel market, but the full impact will depend on successful integration and market conditions post-acquisition.

Financial Analyst

While the antitrust clearance is positive news, investors should focus on the long-term financial implications of this acquisition. The deal's impact on Cleveland-Cliffs' balance sheet, cash flow and earnings potential will be crucial. Key factors to consider include:

• Potential synergies and cost savings from the combined operations
• Integration costs and timeline
• How the acquisition will be financed and its effect on the company's debt profile
• The combined entity's market share and pricing power in key product segments

The "transformative" nature of this acquisition suggests it could significantly alter Cleveland-Cliffs' financial profile. Investors should watch for detailed financial projections and integration plans as the closing date approaches to better assess the long-term value creation potential of this strategic move.

CLEVELAND--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. (NYSE: CLF) (“Cliffs”) today announced the expiration of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (the “HSR Act”), in connection with its pending acquisition of Stelco Holdings Inc. (“Stelco”). The expiration of the HSR Act waiting period clears an important regulatory hurdle and marks a significant step toward the closing of this acquisition, which is expected to occur in the fourth quarter of 2024 following the satisfaction or waiver of other customary closing conditions and approvals.

Lourenco Goncalves, Cliffs’ Chairman, President and CEO, said, “We are excited to secure this critical step in the process and move another step closer toward completing this transformative acquisition of Stelco. This acquisition will provide us more resilience and geographic diversification in a highly competitive global market.”

About Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.

Cleveland-Cliffs is a leading North America-based steel producer with focus on value-added sheet products, particularly for the automotive industry. The Company is vertically integrated from the mining of iron ore, production of pellets and direct reduced iron, and processing of ferrous scrap through primary steelmaking and downstream finishing, stamping, tooling, and tubing. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Cleveland-Cliffs employs approximately 28,000 people across its operations in the United States and Canada.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. All statements other than historical facts, including, without limitation, statements regarding our current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry, our businesses or the proposed transaction with Stelco, are forward-looking statements. We caution investors that any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results and future trends to differ materially from those matters expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Among the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those described in forward-looking statements are the following: continued volatility of steel, iron ore and scrap metal market prices, which directly and indirectly impact the prices of the products that we sell to our customers; uncertainties associated with the highly competitive and cyclical steel industry and our reliance on the demand for steel from the automotive industry; potential weaknesses and uncertainties in global economic conditions, excess global steelmaking capacity, oversupply of iron ore, prevalence of steel imports and reduced market demand; severe financial hardship, bankruptcy, temporary or permanent shutdowns or operational challenges of one or more of our major customers, key suppliers or contractors, which, among other adverse effects, could disrupt our operations or lead to reduced demand for our products, increased difficulty collecting receivables, and customers and/or suppliers asserting force majeure or other reasons for not performing their contractual obligations to us; risks related to U.S. government actions with respect to Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (as amended by the Trade Act of 1974), the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement and/or other trade agreements, tariffs, treaties or policies, as well as the uncertainty of obtaining and maintaining effective antidumping and countervailing duty orders to counteract the harmful effects of unfairly traded imports; impacts of existing and increasing governmental regulation, including potential environmental regulations relating to climate change and carbon emissions, and related costs and liabilities, including failure to receive or maintain required operating and environmental permits, approvals, modifications or other authorizations of, or from, any governmental or regulatory authority and costs related to implementing improvements to ensure compliance with regulatory changes, including potential financial assurance requirements, and reclamation and remediation obligations; potential impacts to the environment or exposure to hazardous substances resulting from our operations; our ability to maintain adequate liquidity, our level of indebtedness and the availability of capital could limit our financial flexibility and cash flow necessary to fund working capital, planned capital expenditures, acquisitions, and other general corporate purposes or ongoing needs of our business, or to repurchase our common shares; our ability to reduce our indebtedness or return capital to shareholders within the currently expected timeframes or at all; adverse changes in credit ratings, interest rates, foreign currency rates and tax laws; the outcome of, and costs incurred in connection with, lawsuits, claims, arbitrations or governmental proceedings relating to commercial and business disputes, antitrust claims, environmental matters, government investigations, occupational or personal injury claims, property-related matters, labor and employment matters, or suits involving legacy operations and other matters; supply chain disruptions or changes in the cost, quality or availability of energy sources, including electricity, natural gas and diesel fuel, critical raw materials and supplies, including iron ore, industrial gases, graphite electrodes, scrap metal, chrome, zinc, other alloys, coke and metallurgical coal, and critical manufacturing equipment and spare parts; problems or disruptions associated with transporting products to our customers, moving manufacturing inputs or products internally among our facilities, or suppliers transporting raw materials to us; the risk that the cost or time to implement a strategic or sustaining capital project may prove to be greater than originally anticipated; our ability to consummate any public or private acquisition transactions and to realize any or all of the anticipated benefits or estimated future synergies, as well as to successfully integrate any acquired businesses into our existing businesses; uncertainties associated with natural or human-caused disasters, adverse weather conditions, unanticipated geological conditions, critical equipment failures, infectious disease outbreaks, tailings dam failures and other unexpected events; cybersecurity incidents relating to, disruptions in, or failures of, information technology systems that are managed by us or third parties that host or have access to our data or systems, including the loss, theft or corruption of sensitive or essential business or personal information and the inability to access or control systems; liabilities and costs arising in connection with any business decisions to temporarily or indefinitely idle or permanently close an operating facility or mine, which could adversely impact the carrying value of associated assets and give rise to impairment charges or closure and reclamation obligations, as well as uncertainties associated with restarting any previously idled operating facility or mine; our level of self-insurance and our ability to obtain sufficient third-party insurance to adequately cover potential adverse events and business risks; uncertainties associated with our ability to meet customers' and suppliers' decarbonization goals and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions in alignment with our own announced targets; challenges to maintaining our social license to operate with our stakeholders, including the impacts of our operations on local communities, reputational impacts of operating in a carbon-intensive industry that produces greenhouse gas emissions, and our ability to foster a consistent operational and safety track record; our actual economic mineral reserves or reductions in current mineral reserve estimates, and any title defect or loss of any lease, license, easement or other possessory interest for any mining property; our ability to maintain satisfactory labor relations with unions and employees; unanticipated or higher costs associated with pension and other post-employment benefit obligations resulting from changes in the value of plan assets or contribution increases required for unfunded obligations; uncertain availability or cost of skilled workers to fill critical operational positions and potential labor shortages caused by experienced employee attrition or otherwise, as well as our ability to attract, hire, develop and retain key personnel; the amount and timing of any repurchases of our common shares; potential significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting; the risk that the proposed transaction with Stelco may not be consummated; the risk that the proposed transaction with Stelco may be less accretive than expected, or may be dilutive, to Cliffs’ earnings per share, which may negatively affect the market price of Cliffs’ common shares; the risk that adverse reactions or changes to business or regulatory relationships may result from the completion of the proposed transaction; the possibility of the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the right of one or both of Cliffs or Stelco to terminate the transaction agreement between the two companies, including, but not limited to, the companies’ inability to obtain necessary regulatory approvals; the risk of shareholder litigation relating to the proposed transaction that could be instituted against Stelco, Cliffs or their respective directors and officers; the possibility that Cliffs and Stelco will incur significant transaction and other costs in connection with the proposed transaction, which may be in excess of those anticipated by Cliffs; the risk that the financing transactions to be undertaken in connection with the proposed transaction may have a negative impact on the combined company’s credit profile, financial condition or financial flexibility; the possibility that the anticipated benefits of the proposed acquisition of Stelco are not realized to the same extent as projected and that the integration of the acquired business into our existing business, including uncertainties associated with maintaining relationships with customers, vendors and employees, is not as successful as expected; the risk that future synergies from the proposed transaction may not be realized or may take longer than expected to achieve; the possibility that the business and management strategies currently in place or implemented in the future for the maintenance, expansion and growth of the combined company’s operations may not be as successful as anticipated; the risk associated with the retention and hiring of key personnel, including those of Stelco; the risk that any announcements relating to, or the completion of, the proposed transaction could have adverse effects on the market price of Cliffs' common shares; and the risk of any unforeseen liabilities and future capital expenditures related to the proposed transaction.

For additional factors affecting the business of Cliffs, refer to Part I – Item 1A. Risk Factors of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, Part II – Item 1A. Risk Factors of our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2024, and other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241008558795/en/

MEDIA CONTACT:

Patricia Persico

Senior Director, Corporate Communications

(216) 694-5316

INVESTOR CONTACT:

James Kerr

Director, Investor Relations

(216) 694-7719

Source: Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.

FAQ

What regulatory milestone has Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) achieved for its Stelco acquisition?

Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) has cleared the U.S. Department of Justice antitrust review with the expiration of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 for its pending acquisition of Stelco.

When is Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) expected to complete the Stelco acquisition?

Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) expects to complete the Stelco acquisition in the fourth quarter of 2024, following the satisfaction or waiver of other customary closing conditions and approvals.

How will the Stelco acquisition benefit Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF)?

According to CEO Lourenco Goncalves, the Stelco acquisition will provide Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) with more resilience and geographic diversification in a highly competitive global market.

What is the significance of the HSR Act waiting period expiration for Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF)?

The expiration of the HSR Act waiting period clears an important regulatory hurdle for Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) and marks a significant step toward closing the Stelco acquisition.