Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.  

São Paulo, October 27, 2017

1Q16 Earnings Release

Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN) (BM&FBOVESPA: CSNA3) (NYSE: SID) announces today its consolidated results for the first quarter of 2016 (1Q16), which are presented in Brazilian Reais and in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), and with Brazilian accounting practices, which are fully convergent with international accounting norms, issued by the Accounting Pronouncements Committee (CPC) and approved by the Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission (CVM), pursuant to CVM Instruction 485 of September 1, 2010. All comments presented herein refer to the Company’s 1Q16 consolidated results and comparisons refer to the fourth quarter of 2015 (4Q15) and the first quarter of 2015 (1Q15), unless otherwise stated. The Real/U.S. Dollar exchange rate was R$3.5583 on March 31, 2016 and R$3.9048 on December 31, 2015

¹ Iron ore sales volumes include 100% of the stake in NAMISA until November 2015 and 100% of the stake in Congonhas Minérios as of December 2015.

² Adjusted EBITDA is calculated based on net income/loss, before depreciation and amortization, income taxes, the net financial result, results from investees, and other operating income (expenses) and includes the proportional share of the EBITDA of the jointly-owned investees MRS Logística and CBSI, as well as the Company’s 60% in Namisa, 33.27% in MRS and 50% in CBSI until November 2015 and stakes of 100% in Congonhas Minérios, 37.27% in MRS and 50% in CBSI as of December 2015.

³ Adjusted Net Debt and Adjusted Cash and Cash Equivalents included 33.27% of the stake in MRS, 60% of the interest in Namisa and 50% of the stake in CBSI until November 2015. As of December 2015, they included 100% of Congonhas Minérios, 32.27% of MRS and 50% of CBSI, excluding Forfaiting and drawee risk operations.

         Source: FOCUS BACEN                                                                                                                                                                                                    Base: 05/06/2016

CSN’s Consolidated Results

·         Net revenue totaled R$4,008 million in 1Q16, 9% up on 4Q15 and 1% down on the same period last year. Regarding 4Q15, the increase was due to the higher sales volume in the steel and mining segments, offsetting the decrease in the average steel and mining prices, which suffered the additional impact of BRL appreciation. Compared with 1Q15, the reduction was a result of lower sales volume in the steel segment.

·         COGS amounted to R$3,082 million, 6% down the previous quarter and 2% less than in 1Q15. The year-on-year reduction was mainly due to lower steel and mining segments unit costs.

·         First-quarter gross profit came to R$926 million, 21% more than in 4Q15, while the gross margin widened by 2p.p. to 23%. In comparison with 1Q15, gross profit fell by 6% and the gross margin narrowed by 2p.p., from 25% to 23%.

·         Selling, general and administrative expenses totaled R$611 million in 1Q16, 12% and 49% up on 4Q15 and 1Q15, respectively, chiefly due to higher freight (related to distribution costs), due to the increase in iron sales and the higher CIF sales model, and personnel expenses.

·         Other operating income (expenses) was a net expense of R$127 million in 1Q16, versus expense of R$214 million in 1Q15. Most of the amount in question referred to expenses with labor provisions and judicial deposits. The positive result registered in 4Q15 was due to the Business Combination effect in the mining segment.

·         The proportional net financial result was negative by R$922 million in 1Q16, due to: i) financial expenses (excluding the exchange variation) of R$844 million; ii) the negative exchange variation result of R$329 million; and iii) financial revenue of R$252 million.  

¹ The proportional financial result considered stakes of 60% in Namisa, 33.27% in MRS and 50% in CBSI until November 2015 and stakes of

100% in Congonhas Minérios, 37.27% in MRS and 50% in CBSI as of December 2015.

·         CSN’s equity result was a positive R$45 million in 1Q16, versus a negative R$55 million in 4Q15 and a positive R$398 million in 1Q15, chiefly due to MRS’s equity result in the 1Q16 and 4Q15, and Namisa’s equity result in the 1Q15. Namisa ceases to exist from this quarter onwards due to the business combination of its mining assets. The table below presents a breakdown of this item:

·         CSN recorded a first-quarter net loss of R$777 million, versus quarter loss of R$461 million in 4Q15 and net income of R$392 million in 1Q15. The worsening in this result, compared with 4Q15, is explained by the gains registered with the conclusion of the mining segment Business Combination last quarter.

·         Adjusted EBITDA amounted to R$733 million in 1Q16, 7% up on the previous quarter, but 20% down on 1Q15, accompanied by an adjusted EBITDA margin of 17.3%, 1.1 p.p. more than in 4Q15, but 4.3% less than in 1Q15.

¹ The adjusted EBITDA margin is calculated as the ratio between Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Net Income, which considers stakes of 60% in Namisa, 33.27% in MRS and 50% in CBSI until November 2015 and stakes of 100% in Congonhas Minérios, 37.27% in MRS and 50% in CBSI as of December 2015.

Debt   

The adjusted amounts of EBITDA, Debt and Cash included the stakes of 60% in Namisa, 33.27% in MRS and 50% in CBSI until November 2015 and the stakes of 100% in Congonhas Minérios, 37.27% in MRS and 50% in CBSI, as of December 2015. On March 31, 2016, consolidated net debt totaled R$26,654 million, while the net debt/EBITDA ratio, was 8.67x based on LTM adjusted EBITDA.

Foreign Exchange Exposure  

Net foreign exchange exposure generated by the difference in dollar-denominated assets and liabilities, contracted derivatives and hedge accounting booked by CSN totaled US$114 million on March 31, 2016. The derivatives contracted form a long USD position achieved through the purchase of NDFs (Non-Deliverable Forwards). The hedge accounting adopted by CSN correlates the projected export flows in dollars with part of the future debt maturities in the same currency. As a result, the exchange variation of part of dollar-denominated debt is temporarily recorded under shareholder’s equity, being transferred to the income statement when the dollar revenue from these exports is received.

¹As of the conclusion of the Business Combination, through asset transfers to Congonhas Minérios, CSN has been consolidating 100% of the new Company’s cash. As a result, a proportional view of foreign exchange exposure is no longer necessary.

²IFRS foreign exchange exposure on March 31, 2015 includes the 100% stake in Congonhas Minérios and excludes the stake in MRS.

Capex

CSN invested R$330 million in 1Q16 in the following projects:

·         Investments in the new clinker kiln in Arcos/MG, which will permit the Cement segment to reach competitive margins and scale gains in the Southeast region as a result of the clinker production self-sufficiency.

·         Revamp of the coke batteries, reducing imported coke needs and improving the fuel rate.

·         Other projects designed to improve the environmental performance of the Presidente Vargas Plant and current investments in other operations.

Working Capital

In order to calculate working capital, CSN adjusts its assets and liabilities as shown below:

·         Accounts Receivable: Excludes Dividends Receivable, Advances to Employees and Other Credits.

·         Inventories: Includes Estimated Losses and excludes Spare Parts which is not part of the cash conversion cycle, and will be subsequently booked under Fixed Assets when consumed;

·         Recoverable Taxes: Composed only of Income (IRPJ) and Social Contribution (CSLL);

·         Taxes Payable: Composed of Taxes Payable under Current Liabilities plus Taxes in Installments;

·         Advances from Clients: Subaccount of Other Liabilities recorded under Current Liabilities;

·         Suppliers: Includes Forfaiting and Drawee Risk.

As a result, working capital applied to the Company’s business totaled R$3,392 million in 1Q16, stable compared to 4Q15, chiefly due to the R$450 million reduction in inventories, while accounts receivable increased by R$244 million. On a same comparison basis, the average receivable period increased by 4 days, while payment periods and inventory turnover fell by 6 and 9 days, respectively. The cash conversion cycle presented 9 days reduction.

Results by Segment

The Company maintains integrated operations in five business segments: steel, mining, logistics, cement and energy. The main assets and/or companies comprising each segment are presented below:

Notes: As of 2013, the Company ceased the proportional consolidation of its jointly-owned subsidiaries Namisa, MRS and CBSI. For the purpose of preparing and presenting the information by business segment, Management opted to maintain the proportional consolidation of its jointly-owned subsidiaries, as historically presented. For the reconciliation of CSN’s consolidated results, these companies’ results are eliminated in the "corporate/elimination expenses" column.

In order to report the Company’s 2015 results, after the combination of CSN’s mining assets (Casa de Pedra, Namisa and Tecar), the consolidated result includes all this new company’s information.

Net Revenue by Segment – 1Q16 (R$ million)

Adjusted EBITDA by Segment – 1Q16 (R$ million)

Steel

According to preliminary figures from the World Steel Association (WSA), global crude steel production totaled 386 million tonnes in 1Q16, 3.5% down on the same period last year, while the Brazilian Steel Institute (IABr) estimates a  12.3% reduction in domestic output to 7.4 million tonnes (also preliminary figures). Domestic production of rolled products came to 5.1 million tonnes, 17.5% less than in 1Q15, while apparent consumption fell by 29.3% to 4.3 million tonnes, with domestic sales of 4.0 million tonnes and imports of 368,000 tonnes. On the other hand, exports increased by 17.1% in the same period, reaching 3.3 million tonnes.

In 2016, the IABr estimates an 8.8% decline in apparent consumption to 19.4 million tonnes, with domestic sales of 17.4 million tonnes and imports of 1.1 million tonnes. 

According to INDA (the Brazilian Steel Distributors’ Association), 1Q16 steel purchases and sales by distributors fell by 18.3% and 13.0% over 1Q15 to 761,000 and 776,000 tonnes, respectively. Inventories closed the quarter at 906,800 tonnes, in line with the previous month, representing 3.1 months of sales.

Automotive

According to ANFAVEA (the Auto Manufacturers’ Association), vehicle production totaled 482,000 units in 1Q16, 28% down on 1Q15. In the same period, new car, light commercial vehicle, truck and bus licensing fell by 29% to 481,000 units. The association estimates a reduction in vehicle sales of up to 7.5% in 2016 over 2015, to 2.37 million units, while FENABRAVE (the Vehicle Distributors’ Association) expects a 6% reduction in vehicle sales.

Construction

According to SECOVI-SP (the São Paulo Residential Builders’ Association), during 1Q16 the residential real estate launches in the city of São Paulo totaled 2,856 units, 30% up on the 1,418 units launched in the 1Q15.

According to ABRAMAT (the Construction Material Manufacturers’ Association), sales of building materials in 1Q16 fell by 17.3% over the same period last year. The association revised its 2016 estimate to a real decline of 4.5%.

Home Appliances

According to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), home appliance production accumulated until march 2016 fell by 22% over the same period in 2015, while output in the last 12 months dropped by 20% over the same period a year before, reflecting the low level of business and consumer confidence.

Results from CSN’s Steel Operations

·         Total steel product sales volume came to 1,246 thousand tonnes in 1Q16, 9% up on 4Q15. Of this total, 52% went to the domestic market, 42% were sold by our subsidiaries abroad and 6% went to exports.

·         First-quarter domestic steel sales totaled 649,000 tonnes, 1% up on 4Q15, 611,000 tonnes of which flat steel and 38,000 tonnes long steel.

·         First-quarter foreign sales amounted to 597,000 tonnes, 23% up on 4Q15. Of this total, direct exports came to 78,000 tonnes and the overseas subsidiaries sold 520,000 tonnes, while 204,000 were sold by LLC, 216,000 by SWT and 100,000 by Lusosider.     ·         In the first quarter, CSN increased its share of coated products as a percentage of total sales volume, following the strategy of adding more value to its product mix. Domestic sales of coated products such as galvanized items and tin plate accounted for 58% of flat steel sales, versus 54% in 4Q15. In the foreign market, the share of coated products moved up from 69% of flat steel sales to 77% in 1Q16.   ·         Net revenue totaled R$2,809 million in 1Q16, 9% up on 4Q15, chiefly due to the increase in domestic sales volume and sales by subsidiaries abroad. In 1Q16, average net revenue per tonne remained in line with 1Q15, totaling R$2,196.   ·         COGS came to R$2,300 million in 1Q16, a slight 1% increase over 4Q15.   ·         The parent company’s production cost reached R$1,343 million in 1Q16, 19% down on 4Q15, chiefly due to the decrease in the consumption of imported raw material as a result of the extinguishing of blast furnace 2 and the startup of coke batteries, thus reducing the fuel rate, in addition to the lower electricity consumption and a downturn in maintenance expenses.

Mining

In 1Q16, the seaborne iron ore market was positively impacted by the greater availability of credit and the recovery of construction activities in China, led by investments in new real estate projects. The improvement in demand led to higher prices and healthier margins for the local steel producers, as well as encouraging the build-up of inventories. In addition, seasonal factors, such as higher rainfall in Australia and Brazil, as well as the rigorous Chinese winter, played an important role in reducing the iron ore supply base. As a result, iron ore prices moved up by 3.5% over the previous quarter, averaging US$48.30/dmt (Platts, 62% Fe, N. China).

Results from CSN’s Mining Operations

·         In 1Q16, iron ore production totaled 7,326 thousand tonnes, 2% and 23% up on 4Q15 and 1Q15, respectively.

·         First-quarter iron ore purchases came to 617,000 tonnes, 58% down on 4Q15, but 7% up on 1Q15, chiefly due to the reduced availability of iron ore from small and medium-sized producers in this quarter.

·         Iron ore sales came to 8,295,000 tonnes¹ in 1Q16, 11% and 21% up on 4Q15 and 1Q15, respectively, thanks to an improved sales performance in the domestic market. Almost 1,047,000 tonnes from Congonhas Minérios were sold to UPV.

·           Net revenue from mining operations totaled R$941 million in 1Q16, 4% down on 4Q15, but 43% more than in 1Q15. The quarter-on-quarter decline was due to the reduction in the FOB price, which did not occur in 1Q15. FOB unit revenue came to US$28/t in 1Q16, 23% less than in 4Q15.

·           In the first quarter, mining segment COGS came to R$749 million, 25% higher than in 4Q15 and 32% more than in 1Q15, due to the higher volume of iron ore sold in the quarter. The increase in COGS is mainly related to higher iron ore sold in the quarter. In 1Q16, Casa de Pedra recorded a Chinese delivery cash cost excluding depreciation of US$31.2/wmt, 6% down on 4Q15.

·          Adjusted EBITDA stood at R$283 million in 1Q16, 28% down on the R$392 million recorded in 4Q15, while the adjusted EBITDA margin narrowed by 13 p.p., from 43%, in 4Q15, to 30%.

¹ Production and sales volumes include the 100% stake in NAMISA until November 2015 and the 100% interest in Congonhas in December 2015.

Casa de Pedra Iron Ore Cost Excluding Depreciation

(US$/wmt delivered to China)

Logistics

According to the ANTT (National Ground Transport Agency), the Brazilian rail container transport concessionaires transported 897,000 tonnes in 2016, 1.3% down on 1Q15.

Results from CSN’s Logistic Operations

Railway Logistics: In 1Q16, net revenue came to R$303 million, generating EBITDA of R$121 million and an EBITDA margin of 40%

Port Logistics: In the first quarter, Sepetiba Tecon handled 143,000 tonnes of steel products, in addition to 13,000 tonnes of general cargo and approximately 39,000 containers handled. First-quarter net revenue stood at R$50 million, generating EBITDA of R$9 million, accompanied by an EBITDA margin of 19%.

Cement

According to the IBGE’s Monthly Industrial Survey (PIM-PF), Brazil’s cement production fell by 17.0% in 1Q16 over 1Q15, handling with the construction industry performance.

Preliminary figures from SNIC (the Cement Industry Association) indicate domestic cement sales of 13.9 million tonnes in 1Q16, 14.7% less than in the same quarter the year before. For 2016 as a whole SNIC estimates respective annual declines of 12% to 15% in sales and 9% to 11% in apparent consumption.

Results of CSN’s Cement Operations

In 1Q16, cement sales amounted to 571,000 tonnes, 15% up on 4Q15, while net revenue came to R$114 million. EBITDA totaled R$8 million, accompanied by an EBITDA margin of 7%, due to the ramp-up of the new operations in Arcos, Minas Gerais.

Energy

According to the Energy Research Company (EPE), Brazilian electricity consumption totaled 121 TWh until March 2016, 4.2% less than the same period in 2015. Consumption in the industrial and residential segments fell by 7.5% and 2.5%, respectively, when the commercial segment decline 3.2%.

Results from CSN’s Energy Operations

In 1Q16, net revenue from energy operations totaled R$68 million, EBITDA stood at R$15 million and the EBITDA margin came to 23%.

Capital Market

CSN’s shares appreciated by 78.8% in 1Q16, while the Ibovespa increased by 15.5% in the same period. Daily traded volume on the BM&FBovespa averaged R$41.1 million. On the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), CSN’s American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) moved up by 101.9%, versus the Dow Jones’ 1.5% appreciation. On the NYSE, daily traded volume of CSN’s ADRs averaged US$2.7 million.

Source: Bloomberg