Highveld says H1 headline EPS at 648.2 cts

(Reuters) - South Africa's Highveld Steel and Vanadium Corporation's first half headline earnings per share increased to 648.2 cents from 404.9 cents a year ago, the firm said on Friday.

Highveld said headline earnings rose to 643 million rand, from 401 million rand.


Read more at Reuters Africa

UPDATE 5-Nippon Steel, JFE report strong Q1 profit gains

(Reuters) - TOKYO, July 30 - Nippon Steel Corp and
JFE Holdings Inc. on Monday booked strong quarterly
profits on higher prices, raising prospects Japan's top two
steel makers' earnings could gain further momentum this year.




But high raw materials and depreciation costs look to limit
growth at Sumitomo Metal Industries Ltd. and Kobe Steel
Ltd., which rely less on booming car sheet production
than the bigger two rivals.


Read more at Reuters.com Market News

Asian Stocks Rebound From 1-Month Low; JFE, Nippon Steel Rise, Sony Falls

(Bloomberg) -- Asian stocks rebounded from a one-
month low after higher profits at JFE Holdings Inc. and Nippon
Steel Corp. helped offset concerns of a slump in U.S. housing.

Sony Corp., the maker of Cyber-shot cameras and PlayStation 3
consoles, and James Hardie Industries NV, the biggest supplier of
home siding in the U.S., led declines after a report showed a
decline in U.S. housing investment.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

China's 2007 Steel Production May Rise by 14 Percent, Industry Guild Says

(Bloomberg) -- China, producer of one third of the
world's steel, may increase output of the metal by 14 percent
this year, the China Iron and Steel Association said.

Production may reach 480 million tons this year, the
association said in a statement in Beijing. That compares with
its previous forecast of 475 million tons.


Read more at Bloomberg Emerging Markets News

U.S. Steel second-quarter profit falls

(Reuters) - Analysts on average were expecting $2.35 per share,
according to Reuters Estimates. Analysts lowered their
forecasts in April after U.S. Steel said second-quarter results
would be in line with the first quarter, putting them well
below the then-average Wall Street estimate of $2.62 per
share.





Read more at Reuters.com Market News

U.S. Steel, Arcelor Mittal CEOs see steel growth

(Reuters) - Lakshmi Mittal, chief executive of ArcelorMittal , and John Surma, chief executive of United States Steel Corp. , told Reuters that demand has been growing for steel in North America and globally.




"The medium-term view in North American steel is positive with some reasonable economic growth particularly in industrial activity," Surma said.


Read more at Reuters.com Business News

U.S. Stocks Rebound on Takeovers; Yum!, Steelmaker Shares Lead Advance

(Bloomberg) -- U.S. stocks rose after takeover
speculation swept through the metals industry and Federal
Reserve officials said the economy will weather the home loan
crisis.

Nucor Corp. and Alcoa Inc. led the Standard & Poor's 500
Index to its sixth gain in seven days after Chaparral Steel Co.
agreed to be bought for $4.22 billion and the Times of London
reported Alcan Inc. may be the target of a bidding war. Yum!
Brands Inc., owner of the Pizza Hut and Taco Bell chains,
climbed on a UBS AG report predicting it will buy back stock.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

ANZ financing China iron pellet plant for CVRD venture

(Reuters) - Zhuhai YPM Pellet Co. Ltd is a joint venture set up by Zhuhai
Yueyufeng Iron & Steel Co. Ltd, Pioneer Iron & Steel Group and
CVRD in 2006.




Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

UPDATE 1-Japan's Bull-Dog OK's poison pill for Steel Partners

(Reuters) - TOKYO, June 24 - Shareholders of Japan's Bull-Dog
Sauce approved a "poison pill" scheme that will allow
the sauce maker to issue new shares aimed at thwarting a $260
million takeover attempt by U.S. hedge fund Steel Partners.




If enacted, it would be the first time in Japan that a
company has used an anti-takeover defence to dilute a would-be
acquirer's stake, setting a precedent for the hundreds of other
firms building up similar defences, commonly called poison
pills.


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

UPDATE 1-Steel Partners may buy all Aderans shares -paper

(Reuters) - An Aderans investor relations official confirmed that Steel
Partners Chairman Warren Lichtenstein and Aderans Chairman
Takayoshi Okamoto met on Wednesday.




But the official, who declined to be named, said
Lichtenstein did not tell Okamoto that he may try to acquire all
its shares.


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News