Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. (CLF) Stock Analysis
Recovery setup
Basic Materials · Steel
Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $10.25: Quality below floor (2.1 < 4.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 5.0/10. Specifically: High short interest: 15%; Elevated put/call ratio: 1.72; Below-average business quality.
Cleveland-Cliffs is a North America-based steel producer employing approximately 25,000 people, vertically integrated from iron ore mining and HBI production through primary steelmaking, finishing, stamping, and tubing. It is a leading supplier of automotive-grade flat-rolled... Read more
Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $10.25: Quality below floor (2.1 < 4.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 5.0/10. Specifically: High short interest: 15%; Elevated put/call ratio: 1.72; Below-average business quality. Chart setup: Death cross but MACD improving, RSI 63. Score 5.0/10, moderate confidence.
Passes 5/6 gates (positive momentum, clean insider activity, no SEC red flags, earnings proximity 80d clear, semi cycle peak clear). Fails on favorable risk/reward ratio. Suitability: aggressive.
Thesis
Key Metrics
Quality Signals
Options Flow
Concentration Risks(10-K Item 1A)
- MEDIUMCustomerautomotive industry10-K Item 1A: 'The largest end user for our steel products is the automotive industry in North America'
Material Events(8-K, last 90d)
- 2026-02-23Item 5.02LOWLead Director Douglas Taylor resigned Feb 22, 2026 due to change in primary occupation per governance guidelines; no disagreement cited. Ralph Michael III appointed Lead Director.SEC filing →
Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Full disclaimer
Rating Breakdown
3 floor-breakers
Cyclical trough — margins compressed or negative. Profitability typically recovers with the cycle, but floor fires on current data.static
Technicals below the gate floor. Component breakdown shows what dragged the score down.static
Volatile — 5.7% daily ATR makes tight stops impractical. Position-size conservatively.static
Price Targets
Position Sizing
Risk Alerts
Earnings
Verdict History
Frequently Asked Questions
Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $10.25: Quality below floor (2.1 < 4.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 5.0/10. Specifically: High short interest: 15%; Elevated put/call ratio: 1.72; Below-average business quality. Chart setup: Death cross but MACD improving, RSI 63. Prior stop was $9.50. Score 5.0/10, moderate confidence.
Take-profit target: $10.71 (+4.8% upside). Prior stop was $9.50. Stop-loss: $9.50.
Target reached (-9.2% upside); Quality below floor (2.1 < 4.0).
Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. trades at a P/E of N/A (forward 23.6). TrendMatrix value score: 7.9/10. Verdict: Sell.
22 analysts cover CLF with a consensus score of 2.7/5. Average price target: $11.
What does Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. do?Cleveland-Cliffs is a North America-based steel producer employing approximately 25,000 people, vertically integrated...
Cleveland-Cliffs is a North America-based steel producer employing approximately 25,000 people, vertically integrated from iron ore mining and HBI production through primary steelmaking, finishing, stamping, and tubing. It is a leading supplier of automotive-grade flat-rolled steel in the U.S., with the automotive sector as its largest end market.