Luxembourg, August 1, 2018 - ArcelorMittal (referred to as "ArcelorMittal" or the "Company") (MT (New York, Amsterdam, Paris, Luxembourg), MTS (Madrid)), the world's leading integrated steel and mining company, today announced results[1] for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2018.
Highlights:
Health and safety: LTIF rate of 0.71x in 2Q 2018; 1H 2018 LTIF of 0.67x vs. 0.78x 1H 2017Operating income of $2.4 billion in 2Q 2018; 1H 2018 operating income of $3.9 billion, 32.5% higher YoYEBITDA of $3.1 billion in 2Q 2018, 22.3% higher vs. 1Q 2018; 1H 2018 EBITDA of $5.6 billion, 28.6% higher YoYNet income of $1.9 billion in 2Q 2018, 56.4% higher vs. 1Q 2018; 1H 2018 net income of $3.1 billion, +31.5% YoYSteel shipments of 21.8Mt in 2Q 2018, +1.8% vs. 1Q 2018; 1H 2018 steel shipments of 43.1Mt, up 1.3% YoY2Q 2018 iron ore shipments of 14.6Mt, of which 10.0Mt shipped at market prices (+5.4% YoY)Gross debt of $13.5 billion as of June 30, 2018. Net debt decreased to $10.5 billion as of June 30, 2018, as compared to $11.1 billion as of March 31, 2018, despite further $1.2 billion working capital investment.
Strategic progress in 1H 2018:
Balance sheet:ArcelorMittal has achieved its financial priority of an investment grade credit rating following upgrades from all 3 credit rating agencies in 2018 (S&P in February, Moody's in June and Fitch in July);Deleveraging remains the Group's priority and, in the absence of further working capital investment, progress towards $6 billion net debt target should accelerateStructural improvement:The Group's strategy to drive structurally higher returns through the delivery of Action 2020 continues; we now operate from a more efficient, resized footprint in Europe utilising enhanced digitalization of operations to drive productivity improvements and support maintenance excellence;Strategic investments continue in line with the continuous shift towards higher added value products including increased ultra-high strength steel capabilities at Gent/Liege (commissioned); investing in high-return opportunities such as the ongoing Mexico hot strip mill project;Votorantim acquisition completed with integration underway to secure our position as the leading long product producer in Brazil; European Commission anti-trust approval received for the acquisition of IlvaIndustry leadership:ArcelorMittal's pioneering new installation at Gent, Belgium, to apply LanzaTech carbon capture and utilisation technology to convert carbon-containing gas from blast furnaces into bioethanol reflecting our position as the industry leader as well as the supplier-awards received from Honda, General Motors and Ford during 1H 2018;The Group's ability to leverage its R&D capabilities is exemplified through the launch of Steligence®, ArcelorMittal's new concept for the use of steel in construction, which will facilitate the next generation of high performance buildings and construction techniques and create a more sustainable life-cycle for buildingsShareholders returns:ArcelorMittal resumed dividends in May 2018 and bought-back $0.2 billion of shares in March 2018;The Company is committed to increase shareholders returns once the Group's net debt target is achieved