Olympic Steel (ZEUS) Expands in Mid-South with CTB Acquisition

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Olympic Steel Inc. ZEUS, a prominent national metals service center, announced its acquisition of Central Tube & Bar (CTB) in an all-cash deal. The purchase is expected to yield immediate positive financial results, although specific transaction terms have not been disclosed.

CTB, established in 1996, operates across the Mid-South region with three facilities in Conway, AR, and Tulsa, OK. These facilities collectively encompass 162,000 square feet of warehouse and production space. CTB offers value-added fabrication services, including tube laser cutting, tube bending, robotic welding, flat laser burning, and brake press forming. In the trailing 12-month period ending Aug 31, 2023, CTB reported approximately $40 million in revenues.

The core customer base of CTB includes large OEMs and fabricators in industries such as transportation, agriculture, commercial furniture, and data center construction. Its product range encompasses round, square, rectangular, and custom-shaped tubes. It will continue to operate independently as Central Tube & Bar, now under the umbrella of Olympic Steel, with Dustin Ward remaining as President, along with the existing management team.

Olympic Steel’s shares have gained 114% in a year against a 44.2% rise of the industry.

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The acquisition of CTB marks the company's most recent strategic endeavor to invest in consistently high-performing enterprises. Historically, Olympic Steel's tubular and pipe products segment has consistently boasted the highest EBITDA-to-sales margin. CTB's financial track record has consistently outperformed returns from tubular and pipe products.

This acquisition expands the company's footprint into the burgeoning markets of the Mid-South and enhances its capabilities in value-added contract manufacturing. The integration of CTB into the tubular and pipe products segment, in conjunction with the existing success of the Chicago Tube & Iron business, opens up substantial opportunities for growth and synergies.

Central Tube & Bar will be integrated into Olympic Steel’s tubular and pipe products segment, led by William Zielinski, President of Chicago Tube & Iron.

Following the acquisition of CTB, Olympic Steel's total debt under its revolving credit facility stands at nearly $234 million, with available funds of around $359 million. This substantial available capital will allow Olympic Steel to continue its diversification strategy, including investments in additional acquisitions, new capacity and increased efficiency through automation, all aimed at delivering shareholder value.

Olympic Steel, Inc. Price and Consensus

 

Olympic Steel, Inc. Price and Consensus
Olympic Steel, Inc. Price and Consensus

Olympic Steel, Inc. price-consensus-chart | Olympic Steel, Inc. Quote

 

Other Key Picks

Olympic Steel currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Some other top-ranked stocks in the basic materials space are WestRock Company WRK and Hawkins, Inc. HWKN, both sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), and The Andersons Inc. ANDE, carrying a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The earnings estimate for Westrock’s current year is pegged at $3.02. In the past 60 days, WRK’s current-year earnings estimate has been revised upward by 29%. WRK beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the last four quarters, with the average earnings surprise being 30.7%. The company’s shares have rallied 8.7% in the past year.

The consensus estimate for Hawkins’ current-year earnings is pegged at $3.40, indicating year-over-year growth of 18.9%. In the past 60 days, HWKN’s current-year earnings estimate has been revised upward by 32.3%. HWKN beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in all the last four quarters, with the average earnings surprise being 25.6%. The company’s shares have rallied 51.7% in the past year.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ANDE's current-year earnings has been revised 3.3% upward over the past 60 days. Andersons beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the last four quarters. It delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 64.4%, on average. ANDE shares have rallied around 53% in a year.

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Olympic Steel, Inc. (ZEUS) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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Hawkins, Inc. (HWKN) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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