KeyCorp Initiates Coverage on Worthington Steel (NYSE:WS)

Analysts at KeyCorp initiated coverage on shares of Worthington Steel (NYSE:WS) in a report released on Wednesday, Marketbeat reports. The firm set an “overweight” rating and a $46.00 price target on the stock. KeyCorp’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 53.98% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other research analysts have also issued reports on WS. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Worthington Steel from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 28th. Zacks Research raised shares of Worthington Steel from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 16th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Worthington Steel in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $46.00.

Worthington Steel Trading Down 14.7%

Shares of WS stock opened at $29.87 on Wednesday. Worthington Steel has a fifty-two week low of $21.30 and a fifty-two week high of $49.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.80. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $40.01 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $35.58. The company has a market cap of $1.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.78 and a beta of 1.62.

Worthington Steel (NYSE:WS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 25th. The company reported $0.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.47 by ($0.20). The business had revenue of $769.80 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $882.95 million. Worthington Steel had a return on equity of 10.19% and a net margin of 3.64%.Worthington Steel’s quarterly revenue was up 12.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.35 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Worthington Steel will post 2.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Worthington Steel

In other Worthington Steel news, Director Jon J. Bowsher purchased 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 30th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $40.15 per share, for a total transaction of $100,375.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 17,893 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $718,403.95. This trade represents a 16.24% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Scott J. Kelly acquired 7,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 27th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $39.11 per share, for a total transaction of $273,770.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 16,157 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $631,900.27. The trade was a 76.44% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 2.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Worthington Steel

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Worthington Steel by 5.3% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,287,641 shares of the company’s stock valued at $148,438,000 after purchasing an additional 217,090 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of Worthington Steel by 1.3% in the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,462,097 shares of the company’s stock worth $74,823,000 after purchasing an additional 32,717 shares during the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its stake in shares of Worthington Steel by 695.6% in the third quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 969,887 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,475,000 after purchasing an additional 847,981 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Worthington Steel by 14.4% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 811,832 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,106,000 after purchasing an additional 102,188 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Worthington Steel by 0.9% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 802,320 shares of the company’s stock valued at $23,936,000 after buying an additional 7,060 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 45.41% of the company’s stock.

More Worthington Steel News

Here are the key news stories impacting Worthington Steel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp started coverage with an “overweight” rating and a $46 price target, signaling bullish analyst conviction and ~54% upside from recent levels. KeyCorp Coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.16/share (annualized yield ~2.1%), a modest support for income-focused holders and a signal of capital return discipline. Worthington Steel Declares Quarterly Dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market futures were lower amid geopolitical headlines, creating a cautious context for cyclical names like steelmakers; this broader weakness may have amplified WS’s move today. Stock Market Today: Dow Jones, S&P 500 Futures Fall…
• Neutral Sentiment: Company filed its formal Q3 fiscal 2026 results and supporting slide deck/press release — useful for investors reviewing management commentary and segment detail but not materially changing the miss-driven reaction. Worthington Steel Reports Third-Quarter Fiscal 2026 Results
• Negative Sentiment: Q3 EPS was $0.27, well below the consensus of $0.47 (miss of $0.20). Revenue was $769.8M vs. estimates near $883M. The earnings miss is the primary driver of today’s selloff. Worthington Steel Q3 Results and Conference Call
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst and news outlets highlighted the miss and weak results, noting EPS decline year-over-year (from $0.35) despite 12% YoY revenue growth — investors are focused on margin and profitability pressures. WS Q3 Earnings and Revenues Lag Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Market coverage summed up the reaction as a tumble on the earnings miss and weak results — higher intraday volume suggests forced or accelerated selling. Worthington Steel tumbles on earnings miss and weak results
• Negative Sentiment: Full earnings call transcript is available for detail on demand guidance, order trends, input-cost dynamics and management tone — items investors will parse for whether the miss reflects temporary items or a more structural slowdown. Worthington Steel Q3 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

Worthington Steel Company Profile

Worthington Steel (NYSE: WS) is a leading North American steel processor specializing in the production of flat-rolled, coated and painted sheet and coil products. Operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Worthington Industries, the company serves a broad range of industries, including construction, automotive, appliance, energy and agricultural equipment. Its core business activities encompass the processing, finishing and distribution of carbon and advanced high-strength steels, aluminum and stainless products to manufacturers across the continent.

The company’s product portfolio includes hot-dip galvanizing, galvannealed, aluminized and pre-painted steel products, as well as cold-rolled and hot-rolled coil.