Century Aluminum Company CENX has commenced expanded production at its Mt. Holly smelter in South Carolina as part of a $50 million initiative to restore the facility to full operational capacity. The project includes restarting more than 50,000 metric tons of idled aluminum capacity, lifting utilization from roughly 75% to its full annual capacity of 229,000 metric tons for the first time in nearly a decade.
The ramp-up is expected to increase U.S. domestic aluminum output by 10% by June 2026 and has created 125 jobs.
The expansion is projected to generate significant economic value for the region. Century is also pursuing a transformative growth strategy. The company announced a partnership with Emirates Global Aluminum in January to develop the first new primary aluminum smelter in the United States in nearly 50 years.
The proposed Oklahoma facility is expected to add approximately 750,000 tons of annual primary aluminum capacity, effectively doubling current U.S. output, while representing the largest single investment in a critical metal production project in the country’s history.
The development is anticipated to create more than 1,000 permanent jobs along with around 4,000 construction roles, further reinforcing Century’s role in revitalizing domestic aluminum manufacturing and enhancing supply chain resilience.
Shares of CENX have popped 309.7% in the past year compared with the industry’s 72.6% rise.
CENX’s Zacks Rank & Key Picks
CENX currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
Some better-ranked stocks in the Industrial Products space are Kaiser Aluminum Corporation KALU, ADT Inc. ADT and Enersys ENS. KALU, ADT and ENS carry a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for KALU’s current-year earnings stands at $7.85 per share, implying a 30.2% year-over-year increase. Its earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters and missed once, with the average surprise being 112.3%.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ADT’s current-year earnings is pegged at 89 cents per share. Its earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 11.4%.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ENS’s current-year earnings is pegged at $10.35 per share, indicating a 1.97% year-over-year increase. Its earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 4.6%.
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Kaiser Aluminum Corporation (KALU): Free Stock Analysis Report
ADT Inc. (ADT): Free Stock Analysis Report
Enersys (ENS): Free Stock Analysis Report
Century Aluminum Company (CENX): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).