Russel gains from steel

Article Excerpt

RUSSEL METALS $22.11 (Toronto symbol RUS; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative) (905- 819-7777; www.russelmetals.com; Shares outstanding: 61.7 million; Market cap: $1.4 billion; Dividend yield: 6.9%) is one of North America’s largest metal distributors, serving 39,000 clients at 53 locations in Canada and 12 in the U.S. The company reported 18.1% lower revenue in the three months ended June 30, 2016. The drop was mainly because sales at its energy products business fell 35%. It supplies pipes for oil and gas drillers. Despite the decline, earnings for the quarter were unchanged at $16.4 million, or $0.27 a share. Russel benefited from rising steel prices, which increased the value of its inventory and its profit margins. Russel Metals is a buy. buy…