Shares of ArcelorMittal SA (MT), the world's leading steel and mining company, soared 5.02% in pre-market trading on Thursday, following the company's better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings and an optimistic outlook for 2025.
ArcelorMittal reported adjusted earnings of $0.52 per share for the fourth quarter, surpassing analysts' expectations of $0.59 per share. Despite a decline in sales, the company's operating income and EBITDA saw significant improvements, driven by favorable price-cost effects and improved performance in its Mining segment.
Looking ahead, ArcelorMittal expects world ex-China apparent steel consumption to grow by 2.5% to 3.5% in 2025, supporting steel shipment growth. The company anticipates restocking activity to supplement real demand improvement, particularly in Europe, where inventory levels are low. Additionally, ArcelorMittal plans to invest $4.5-$5.0 billion in capital expenditures, including $1.4-$1.5 billion on strategic growth projects and $0.3-$0.4 billion on decarbonization initiatives.