ST

Steel Dynamics, Inc. stock research

Dec 31, 2024

FY2024 Q4

Steel Dynamics (STLD) Gross Margin — Quarter Ended Dec 31, 2024

Revenue declined and cost of revenue fell more slowly, resulting in a lower gross profit and a weakened gross margin. Compared with both the prior quarter and the same quarter last year, all profitability metrics deteriorated.

Gross margin takeaway

Quarter ended Dec 31, 2024 · FY2024 Q4

Revenue declined and cost of revenue fell more slowly, resulting in a lower gross profit and a weakened gross margin. Compared with both the prior quarter and the same quarter last year, all profitability metrics deteriorated.

  • Gross profit decreased by a larger proportion than revenue, indicating that cost of revenue did not decline proportionally. The gross margin compression was driven entirely by the relationship between revenue and cost of revenue.
  • Compared with the immediately preceding quarter, revenue was lower, cost of revenue was lower, gross profit was lower, and gross margin weakened. Versus the same quarter one year earlier, revenue was lower, cost of revenue was slightly lower, gross profit was sharply lower, and gross margin weakened.

Gross margin snapshot

The selected quarter's reported revenue, gross profit, direct costs, and margin comparisons.

Gross margin

11.4%

Gross profit

$441.7M

Revenue

$3.9B

Cost of revenue

$3.4B

Quarter-over-quarter change

-2.5 pts

Year-over-year change

-5.9 pts

Quarterly gross margin trend

A four-quarter view of the revenue and direct-cost bridge behind gross margin.

PeriodRevenueGross profitCost of revenueGross margin
Mar 31, 2024$4.7B$980.8M$3.7B20.9%
Jun 30, 2024$4.6B$774.8M$3.9B16.7%
Sep 30, 2024$4.3B$605.2M$3.7B13.9%
Dec 31, 2024$3.9B$441.7M$3.4B11.4%

Quarterly comparisons

Compare the selected margin with the preceding quarter and the same fiscal quarter one year earlier.

Previous-quarter change

Sep 30, 2024

-2.5 pts

Year-over-year change

Dec 31, 2023

-5.9 pts

What the margin says

Filing-constrained interpretation of margin direction, comparisons, and what to monitor next.

Gross profit decreased by a larger proportion than revenue, indicating that cost of revenue did not decline proportionally. The gross margin compression was driven entirely by the relationship between revenue and cost of revenue.

Compared with the immediately preceding quarter, revenue was lower, cost of revenue was lower, gross profit was lower, and gross margin weakened. Versus the same quarter one year earlier, revenue was lower, cost of revenue was slightly lower, gross profit was sharply lower, and gross margin weakened.

Monitor the trajectory of cost of revenue relative to revenue, as the lag in cost reduction directly compressed gross margin.