Carpenter Technology Corporation CRS achieved a record adjusted operating income of $186.5 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2026, marking its most profitable third quarter on record. The upside was driven by strong demand in the aerospace and defense end-markets, as well as ongoing improvements in the product mix.
Carpenter Technology has been demonstrating its recovery growth trajectory through fiscal 2023, with increased productivity across the company’s facilities. In fiscal 2023, the company stated that it aims to double its fiscal 2019 operating income by fiscal 2027. By the end of the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024, it revised this timeline forward, expecting to reach its objective by fiscal 2025. The company surpassed its goal of achieving $460-$500 million in fiscal 2025, delivering operating income of $521.8 million.
With record operating performance and strengthening demand signals, CRS raised its fiscal 2026 outlook again. CRS expects full-year operating income of $700-$705 million, up from the prior stated $680-$700 million. The mid-point of the updated range indicates a 34% increase from that reported in fiscal 2025.
For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, the company anticipates operating income of $205-$210 million, indicating a year-over-year increase of 37% at the midpoint. The upside can be attributed to higher prices, improved product mix and increased volumes. The company expects expansion beyond fiscal 2027, supported by strengthening market dynamics and additional capacity.
An upbeat outlook and a consistent performance have set an optimistic tone for the fiscal fourth quarter for Carpenter Technology.
Operating Performance & Outlook of Other Steel Stocks
Nucor Corporation NUE is gaining from healthy demand in the key markets, actions to expand its production capabilities and higher steel prices. Nucor recorded net sales of $9.5 billion in the first quarter of 2026, up 21.3% year over year, driven by higher volumes. Increased shipment volumes and higher average selling prices drove first-quarter earnings in its steel mill segment.
The steel mills segment reported operating income of $1.13 billion, while the steel products segment and raw materials segment reported operating income of $285 million and $45 million, respectively. All three segments reported a sequential increase in operating income.
Nucor expects higher earnings across all three operating segments for the second quarter of 2026 than those reported in the prior quarter, specifically in the steel mills segment. The steel products segment is also anticipated to deliver stronger performance, driven by higher volumes on steady pricing. The raw materials segment is expected to benefit from higher realized pricing, further contributing to overall earnings growth.
Commercial Metals Company CMC is gaining from a healthy demand across Commercial Metals’ major North American product lines. In the third quarter of fiscal 2026, Commercial Metals’ North America Steel Group segment reported adjusted EBITDA of around $253 million. The Europe Steel Group segment reported adjusted EBITDA of $34.7 million, while the Construction Solutions Group segment generated $97 million.
Commercial Metals expects core EBITDA to increase sequentially in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026. The outlook reflects healthy domestic demand, strong backlogs and ongoing benefits from strategic initiatives.
North America Steel Group’s adjusted EBITDA is expected to improve, helped by the absence of a $20-million fiscal third-quarter mill outage headwind, and the benefits of volume growth and margin expansion. Construction Solutions Group’s adjusted EBITDA is projected to grow in the mid-teens, while Europe Steel Group’s performance is expected to be modestly higher, excluding CO2 credits.
CRS’s Price Performance, Valuations & Estimates
Carpenter Technology’s shares have surged 114.8% over the past year compared with the industry’s growth of 104.8%. In comparison, the Zacks Basic Materials sector and the S&P 500 have returned 28.3% and 26.5%, respectively.
CRS is currently trading at a forward price/sales ratio of 8.69 compared with the industry's 2.96.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 sales is pegged at $3.12 billion, indicating a 8.7% year-over-year jump. The consensus mark for the year’s earnings is pegged at $10.56 per share, indicating a year-over-year rise of 41.2%.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2027 sales implies 8.2% year-over-year growth and the same for earnings suggests a rise of 17.2%.
EPS estimates for fiscal 2026 and 2027 have moved north over the past 60 days.
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CRS currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).