CORPORATES ISSUER IN-DEPTH China Baowu Steel Group Corp Ltd 20 July 2020 Leverage will rise in 2020 as EBITDA declines with demand » Leverage will increase in 2020 as EBITDA declines, then improve in 2021 as steel demand recovers. China Baowu Steel Group Corporation Limited's (A3 stable) EBITDA will decline this year as demand from steel-intensive sectors slows. Baowu's leverage Analyst Contacts reduction in recent years provides a buffer against a moderate increase in adjusted Mike Zhu +86.10.6319.6506 debt/EBITDA. We expect its leverage to improve in 2021 as steel demand picks up with AVP-Analyst economic growth.
[email protected] » Weak demand and high supply push down steel price. We expect steel demand to Roy Zhang +852.3758.1515 VP-Senior Analyst decline by a low-single-digit percentage in 2020. An increase in government-backed
[email protected] infrastructure investments will be offset by soft demand from other steel-intensive Kai Hu +86.21.2057.4012 sectors and reduced export demand from manufacturing companies that use steel as an Senior Vice President input. Although demand for steel products has declined with the coronavirus pandemic,
[email protected] steel production has remained high. This combination, along with an already high steel Li Ma +86.21.2057.4015 inventory level, has weakened steel prices. MD-Corporate Finance
[email protected] » Fluctuation in price of iron ore will cause volatility in Baowu's profit margins. Gary Lau +852.3758.1377 The price of iron ore has been volatile this year with fluctuations in iron ore demand and MD-Corporate Finance availability.