CLF vs X Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
CLF and X (U.S. Steel) are the two largest U.S. flat-rolled integrated steel producers, both serving the automotive and construction sectors with blast furnace steelmaking and growing EAF capabilities. CLF's automotive focus and iron ore self-sufficiency contrast with U.S. Steel's broader market mix and the overhang of the Nippon Steel acquisition attempt.
CLF vs X pits two major U.S. integrated flat-rolled steel producers against each other — Cleveland-Cliffs' automotive-focused domestic champion strategy versus U.S. Steel's diversified steel company navigating potential foreign acquisition.
CLF and X are closely matched — they split the tracked metrics evenly.
Human Wall Street analysts' price targets, typically implying a ~12-month view — a separate signal from this site's own AI Prediction Signal further down the page, which is a 5-/30-day machine-learning forecast based on price history alone.
- Want the dominant U.S. automotive steel supplier with vertical integration from iron ore through finished automotive sheet
- Value CLF's scale following its AK Steel and ArcelorMittal USA acquisitions creating a North American flat-rolled leader
- Believe U.S. automotive production recovery and trade protection will support CLF's earnings normalization
- See value in U.S. Steel through the lens of the Nippon Steel acquisition premium or standalone recovery
- Want exposure to flat-rolled steel across automotive, appliance, and construction markets with EAF and blast furnace capacity
- Believe Big River Steel's EAF operations represent a transformational modernization of U.S. Steel's cost structure
| Metric | CLF | X |
|---|---|---|
| AI scorei | 38.3 | N/A |
| AI ranki | #1369 | N/A |
| Latest closei | $14.27 | N/A |
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | CLF | X |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $12.02K (+20.2%) started 2025-11-03 | N/A |
| 5Y ago | $6.3K (-37.0%) started 2021-11-03 | N/A |
| 10Y ago | $25.53K (+155.3%) started 2016-11-03 | N/A |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | CLF | X |
|---|---|---|
| Market capi | $7.93B | N/A |
| Trailing P/Ei | N/A | N/A |
| Forward P/Ei | 9.52 | N/A |
| Price/Salesi | N/A | 0.79 |
| EV/Revenuei | 0.79 | N/A |
| Analyst targeti | $14.05 | N/A |
| Target upsidei | +1.08% | N/A |
| Metric | CLF | X |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growthi | 18.50% | N/A |
| Earnings growthi | N/A | N/A |
| EPS growthi | N/A | N/A |
| FCF margini | +1.10% | N/A |
| Operating margini | 6.70% | N/A |
| Profit margini | -2.36% | N/A |
| ROIC proxyi | -7.27% | N/A |
| Return on equityi | -7.27% | N/A |
| Dividend yieldi | 0.00% | N/A |
| Payout ratioi | 0.00% | N/A |
| Dividend growth streaki | N/A | N/A |
| Betai | 2.09 | 0.88 |
| Debt/equityi | 128.46 | N/A |
| Current ratioi | 1.87 | N/A |
| Quick ratioi | 0.59 | N/A |
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | CLF | X |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growthi | +20.22% | N/A |
| CAGRi | +20.29% | N/A | |
| Volatilityi | 65.15% | N/A | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.54 | N/A | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.80 | N/A | |
| Max drawdowni | 48.18% | N/A | |
| Current drawdowni | 5.43% | N/A | |
| Avg drawdowni | 20.61% | N/A | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 24.58% | N/A | |
| Max daily dropi | 16.43% | N/A | |
| Max wkly dropi | 29.53% | N/A | |
| 5Y | Growthi | -37.00% | N/A |
| CAGRi | -8.83% | N/A | |
| Volatilityi | 60.03% | N/A | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.07 | N/A | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.10 | N/A | |
| Max drawdowni | 82.37% | N/A | |
| Current drawdowni | 56.85% | N/A | |
| Avg drawdowni | 52.36% | N/A | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 55.40% | N/A | |
| Max daily dropi | 17.24% | N/A | |
| Max wkly dropi | 29.53% | N/A | |
| 10Y | Growthi | +155.28% | N/A |
| CAGRi | +9.83% | N/A | |
| Volatilityi | 62.01% | N/A | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.39 | N/A | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.58 | N/A | |
| Max drawdowni | 82.37% | N/A | |
| Current drawdowni | 56.85% | N/A | |
| Avg drawdowni | 41.45% | N/A | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 46.36% | N/A | |
| Max daily dropi | 24.27% | N/A | |
| Max wkly dropi | 34.50% | N/A |
| Category | CLF | X |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. | United States Steel Corporation |
| Sector | Basic Materials | Materials - Steel |
| Industry | Steel | N/A |
| Core business | Cleveland-Cliffs is the largest flat-rolled steel producer in North America, operating integrated steelmaking facilities using iron ore pellets (from its own mines) through blast furnaces and electric arc furnaces, primarily serving the automotive sector. | United States Steel Corporation is a major integrated flat-rolled steel producer operating blast furnace facilities in North America (Big River Steel EAF operations) and Slovakia, with exposure to multiple end markets including automotive, appliance, construction, and energy. |
| Investor focus | Investors track CLF's automotive steel contract pricing, hot-rolled coil steel prices, iron ore pellet self-sufficiency advantage, EBITDA per ton, and the company's leverage reduction trajectory. | Investors track U.S. Steel's hot-rolled coil pricing, capacity utilization, Big River Steel EAF facility performance, and the outcome of Nippon Steel's proposed acquisition (announced 2023). |
- Vertically integrated from iron ore mining through steel production provides a cost and supply security advantage over scrap-dependent EAF competitors
- Dominant automotive steel supplier position with long-term contracts providing volume stability
- AK Steel and ArcelorMittal USA acquisitions created a scaled North American flat-rolled platform
- Big River Steel EAF operations provide lower-cost, newer-generation steelmaking capacity alongside traditional integrated blast furnace operations
- Geographic diversification includes both North American and European (Slovakia) operations
- Nippon Steel acquisition offer provided a premium exit opportunity for shareholders, though subject to regulatory review
- Automotive production cycles directly affect demand for automotive-grade steel, making CLF earnings sensitive to vehicle production rates
- Significant debt from acquisition activity increases financial risk during steel price downturns
- Competition from mini-mills (Nucor, Steel Dynamics) expanding into flat-rolled with lower-cost EAF production
- Nippon Steel's proposed acquisition of U.S. Steel faces significant regulatory and political opposition over domestic steel security
- Legacy blast furnace operations are higher-cost than newer EAF mini-mills and require continued investment
- Flat-rolled steel prices are highly cyclical, creating significant earnings volatility over the steel cycle
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