Metallus Inc. (MTUS)

Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

(dollars in millions, except per share data)

This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) is intended to help investors understand our results of operations, financial condition and current business environment. The MD&A is provided as a supplement to, and should be read in conjunction with, our audited consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024.

The MD&A is organized as follows:

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Overview: From management’s point of view, we discuss the following:

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Summary of our business and the markets in which we operate

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Key trends and events during the current year

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Results of Operations: An analysis of our results of operations as reflected in our consolidated financial statements

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Non GAAP (1) Financial Measures: An analysis of our net sales by end-market, adjusted to exclude surcharges, which management uses to better analyze key market indicators and trends and allows for enhanced comparison between our end markets.

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Liquidity and Capital Resources: An analysis of our cash flows, working capital, debt structure, contractual obligations and other commercial commitments.

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Critical Accounting Policies: An overview of accounting policies identified by the Company as critical that, as a result of the judgments, uncertainties, and the operations involved, could result in material changes to our financial condition or results of operations under different conditions or using different assumptions.

Overview

Business Overview

We manufacture alloy steel, as well as carbon and micro-alloy steel, using electric arc furnace ("EAF") technology. Our portfolio includes special bar quality (“SBQ”) bars, seamless mechanical tubing (“tubes”), manufactured components such as precision steel components, and billets. Our products and solutions are used in a diverse range of demanding applications in the following end-markets: industrial, automotive, aerospace & defense, and energy.

We conduct our business activities and report financial results as one business segment. The presentation of financial results as one reportable segment is consistent with the way we operate our business and is consistent with the manner in which the Chief Operating Decision Maker ("CODM") evaluates performance and makes resource and operating decisions for the business as described above. Furthermore, the Company notes that monitoring financial results as one reportable segment helps the CODM manage costs on a consolidated basis, consistent with the integrated nature of our operations.

2024 Business Highlights

The following items represent key trends and events during the year ended December 31, 2024:

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Aerospace & Defense end market: Shipments to aerospace & defense customers increased significantly in 2024 driven by strong demand, resulting in an increase in net sales by approximately 17% compared with the year ended December 31, 2023.

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Base sales: The Company's products continued to demand solid base sales prices throughout 2024, with average base sales price per ton improving in aerospace & defense, automotive and energy end-markets compared with 2023.

(1) Please see discussion of non-GAAP financial measures in Form 10-K – Net Sales Adjusted to Exclude Surcharges

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Capital investments: The Company continues to invest organically with $64.3 million of capital investments. Investments included targeted spending for improved safety, equipment automation, and continuous improvement to drive best-in-class quality and asset reliability.

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Defense contract: In the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, the Company received $53.5 million from the U.S. government as part of the previously announced $99.75 million funding agreement to support the U.S. Army's mission of increasing munitions production for national security in the upcoming years. The agreement supports the commissioning of two major assets: a continuous bloom reheat furnace and a roller hearth heat treat furnace. The company expects the remaining funding to be provided as mutually agreed upon milestones are achieved throughout the project. The Company is targeting late 2025 for the new bloom reheat furnace to be operational and the first half of 2026 for the new roller furnace to be operational.

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Shareholder returns: The Company repurchased approximately 2.0 million common shares at a cost of $37.6 million, or $18.45 per share. In addition, the Company repurchased $7.8 million of its outstanding convertible notes at a cost of $17.2 million. Combined, the 2024 common share and convertible note repurchase activity reduced diluted shares outstanding by 3.0 million shares on a go-forward basis.

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Liquidity: Our balance sheet has remained strong, with total liquidity of $458.6 million, including cash and cash equivalents of $240.7 million as of December 31, 2024.

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Rebranding: On February 26, 2024, the Company changed its name to Metallus Inc. We believe this change reflects our expertise in high-performance specialty metals and positions us for growth beyond carbon steel.

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Net Sales

The charts below present net sales and shipments for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022.

Net sales for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $1,084.0 million, a decrease of $278.4 million, or 20.4%, compared with the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease in net sales was driven by lower shipments and surcharges, partially offset by favorable price/mix. Lower shipments of 128.3 thousand ship tons resulted in a net sales decrease of $191.5 million. Lower market prices for scrap and alloys and the impact of lower shipments drove the unfavorable surcharges of $120.9 million. Favorable price/mix of $34.0 million was primarily due to higher base prices in the aerospace & defense, automotive and energy end-markets. Excluding surcharges, net sales decreased $157.7 million or 15.4%.

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Gross Profit

The chart below presents the drivers of the gross profit variance from the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2024.

Gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2024 decreased $88.8 million, or 47.6%, compared with the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease was driven by lower shipments, higher manufacturing costs and unfavorable raw material spread, partially offset by favorable price/mix. The industrial, automotive and energy end-market sectors were unfavorably impacted by lower shipments. Lower cost absorption on decreased production resulted in unfavorable manufacturing costs. Raw material spread was unfavorable due to lower shipments and market prices for scrap and alloys.

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Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

The charts below present selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") expense for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022.

SG&A expense for the year ended December 31, 2024 increased by $3.1 million, or 3.7%, compared with the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase was primarily due to higher salary and benefits, stock-based compensation and professional services, primarily driven by the ongoing information technology transformation project, partially offset by lower variable compensation.

Loss (Gain) on Sale or Disposal of Assets, net

For the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company recorded a loss on sale or disposal of assets, net, of $0.6 million primarily related to the write-offs of aged assets removed from service. For the year ended December 31, 2023, the gain on sale or disposal of assets, net, of $2.5 million primarily related to the sale of the small-diameter seamless mechanical tubing machinery and equipment, partially offset by write-offs of aged assets removed from service. For the year ended December 31, 2022, the loss on sale or disposal of assets, net, of $1.9 million primarily related to the loss recognized on the sale of the remaining land and buildings at the Company's former facility in Houston, Texas, as well as write-offs of aged assets removed from service.

Refer to “Note 9 - Property, Plant and Equipment” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

Interest (Income) Expense, net

Net interest income for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $9.6 million, compared with net interest income of $7.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The change was due to interest earned on greater average cash invested in a money market fund and in other accounts which generate interest income at a rate similar to the money market fund during 2024. Refer to “Note 11 - Financing Arrangements” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

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Other (Income) Expense, net

Non-service related pension and other postretirement benefit income, for all years, consists primarily of the interest cost, expected return on plan assets and amortization components of net periodic cost.

The Company's Bargaining Unit Pension Plan ("Bargaining Plan"), the Supplemental Pension Plan ("Supplemental Plan") and the recently terminated Retirement Plan ("Salaried Plan") each have a provision that permits employees to elect to receive their pension benefits in a lump sum upon retirement. In the first quarter of 2024, the cumulative cost of all lump sum payments was expected to exceed the sum of the service cost and interest cost components of net periodic pension cost for the Salaried Plan. As a result, the Company completed a full remeasurement of its pension obligations and plan assets associated with the Salaried Plan during the first quarter of 2024 and recorded a loss of $0.8 million.

In the second quarter of 2024, the Company entered into an agreement to purchase a group annuity contract from The Prudential Insurance Company of America (“Prudential”) in connection with the annuitization of the Salaried Plan. The Company remeasured the Salaried Plan upon annuitization on May 15, 2024. A loss of $1.0 million from the remeasurement of the Salaried Plan was recognized for the three months ended June 30, 2024. The loss was primarily due to investment losses on plan assets of $1.8 million partially offset by a decrease in the liability due to an increase in the discount rate of $0.7 million. In addition, the three months ended June 30, 2024 included a $0.1 million gain as a result of the completion of the Salaried Plan annuitization. As of December 31, 2024, the Company has no remaining liabilities or obligations as it relates to the Salaried Plan.

A net loss of $10.3 million from the remeasurement of all Company pension and postretirement benefit plans was recognized for the year ended December 31, 2024. This loss was driven by investment losses on plan assets of $35.0 million partially offset by a $24.7 million decrease in the pension liability primarily due to an increase in discount rate, updated census data and updates to certain underlying assumptions.

A net loss of $40.6 million from the remeasurement of all Company pension and postretirement benefit plans was recognized for the year ended December 31, 2023. This loss was driven by a $36.6 million increase in the pension liability primarily due to a decrease in discount rate, updated census data and updates to certain underlying assumptions, as well as a loss of $4.0 million due to investment losses on plan assets.

A net gain of $35.4 million from the remeasurement of all Company pension and postretirement benefit plans was recognized for the year ended December 31, 2022. This gain was driven by a $359.9 million decrease in the pension liability primarily due to an

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increase in discount rates and a $2.7 million non-cash settlement related to the partial annuitization of the Bargaining Plan. This was partially offset by a loss of $327.2 million driven primarily by investment losses on plan assets and lump sum basis losses.

In January 2025, the Company contributed an additional $5.3 million to the Bargaining Plan and expects total pension contributions of approximately $65.0 million in 2025.

For more details on the aforementioned remeasurements, refer to “Note 12 - Retirement and Postretirement Plans.”

During the second half of 2022, the Faircrest melt shop experienced unplanned operational downtime. Metallus recognizes an insurance recovery when it is realized or considered realizable, in accordance with the accounting guidance. The 2022 insurance claims were closed in the first quarter of 2024. Insurance recovery activity for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 were as follows:

During the fourth quarter of 2023, the Company received a commitment from the State of Ohio related to the overpayment of sales and use taxes for the period of January 1, 2020 through March 31, 2023. This resulted in a gain recognized of $1.4 million, net of related professional fees, for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Provision for Income Taxes

The provision for incomes taxes for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $3.3 million compared to a provision for income taxes of $27.0 million in 2023. The change from the prior year is primarily related to the impact of permanent items on a lower pre-tax net income for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared to December 31, 2023. The provision for income taxes differs from the statutory rate due to the impact of permanent tax differences and state and local taxes.

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Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Net Sales Adjusted to Exclude Surcharges

The tables below present net sales by end-markets, adjusted to exclude surcharges, which represents a financial measure that has not been determined in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”). We believe presenting net sales by end-markets, both on a gross basis and on a per ton basis, adjusted to exclude raw material and energy surcharges, provides additional insight into key drivers of net sales such as base price and product mix. Due to the fact that the surcharge mechanism can introduce volatility to our net sales, net sales adjusted to exclude surcharges provides management and investors clarity of our core pricing and results. Presenting net sales by end-markets, adjusted to exclude surcharges including on a per ton basis, allows management and investors to better analyze key market indicators and trends and allows for enhanced comparison between our end-markets.

When surcharges are included in a customer agreement and are applicable (i.e., reach the threshold amount), based on the terms outlined in the respective agreement, surcharges are then included as separate line items on a customer’s invoice. These additional surcharge line items adjust base prices to match cost fluctuations due to market conditions. Each month, the Company will post on the surcharges page of its external website, as well as our customer portal, the scrap, alloy, and energy surcharges that will be applied (as a separate line item) to invoices dated in the following month (based upon shipment volumes in the following month). All surcharges invoiced are included in GAAP net sales.

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

Credit Agreement

On September 30, 2022, the Company, as borrower, and certain domestic subsidiaries of the Company, as subsidiary guarantors, entered into a Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the “Amended Credit Agreement”), with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, and the lenders party thereto, which further amended and restated the Company’s secured Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of October 15, 2019.

The Amended Credit Agreement extended the maturity date of the asset-based revolving credit facility (the “Credit Facility”) from October 2024 to September 2027. Following the amendment, Credit Facility capacity remained at $400.0 million. Pursuant to the terms of the Amended Credit Agreement, the interest rate to be paid on any borrowings under the Credit Facility is now based on a two-tiered schedule rather than a three-tiered schedule with applicable rates decreasing by 25 basis points, references to LIBOR rates have been updated with references to SOFR rates, the advance rate on investment-grade eligible accounts receivable has been increased from 85% to 90%, and there has been an improvement in the springing fixed charge coverage ratio from 1.1x to 1.0x. The Credit Facility remains undrawn at this time.

Refer to “Note 11 - Financing Arrangements” in the Notes to the unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

Convertible Notes

In May 2016, the Company issued $75.0 million aggregate principal amount of Convertible Senior Notes due 2021, plus an additional $11.3 million principal amount to cover over-allotments.

In December 2020, the Company entered into separate, privately negotiated exchange agreements with a limited number of holders of the Company’s then outstanding Convertible Senior Notes due 2021. Pursuant to the exchange agreements, the Company exchanged $46.0 million aggregate principal amount of Convertible Senior Notes due 2021 for $46.0 million aggregate principal amount of its new Convertible Senior Notes due 2025. The Company did not receive any cash proceeds from the issuance of the Convertible Senior Notes due 2025.

The Convertible Senior Notes due 2025 bear cash interest at a rate of 6.0% per year, payable semiannually on June 1 and December 1, beginning on June 1, 2021. The Convertible Senior Notes due 2025 will mature on December 1, 2025, unless earlier repurchased or converted. The net amount of this exchange was $44.5 million, after deducting the initial underwriters’ fees and paying other transaction costs.

The Convertible Senior Notes due 2025 are convertible at the option of holders in certain circumstances and during certain periods into the Company’s common shares, cash, or a combination thereof, at the Company’s election. The Indenture for the Convertible Senior Notes due 2025 provides that notes will become convertible during a quarter when the share price for 20 trading days during the final 30 trading days of the immediately preceding quarter was greater than 130% of the conversion price. This criterion was met during the fourth quarter of 2024 (and each preceding quarter of 2024) and as such the notes can be converted at the option of the holders beginning January 1 through March 31, 2025. Whether the notes will be convertible following such period will depend on if this criterion, or another conversion condition, is met in the future. To date, no holders have elected to convert their notes during any optional conversion periods.

In the first half of 2022, the Company repurchased a total of $25.2 million aggregate principal amount of its Convertible Senior Notes Due 2025. There were no repurchases related to the Convertible Notes during the second half of 2022. Total cash paid to noteholders was $67.6 million. A loss on extinguishment of debt was recognized of $43.0 million, including a charge of $0.6 million for unamortized debt issuance costs related to the portion of debt extinguished, as well as the related transaction costs.

In the first quarter of 2023, the Company repurchased a total of $7.5 million aggregate principal amount of its Convertible Senior Notes Due 2025. Total cash paid to noteholders was $18.7 million. A loss on extinguishment of debt was recognized of $11.4 million, including a charge of $0.2 million for unamortized debt issuance costs related to the portion of debt extinguished, as well as the related transaction costs. As of December 31, 2023, the principal balance on the Convertible Senior Notes due 2025 was

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$13.3 million, while the Convertible Senior Notes due 2025, net is $13.2 million after consideration of unamortized debt issuance costs.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, the Company repurchased a total of $7.8 million aggregate principal amount of its Convertible Senior Notes due 2025. Total cash paid to noteholders was $17.2 million. A loss on extinguishment of debt of $9.4 million was recognized, including a charge of $0.1 million for unamortized debt issuance costs related to the portion of debt extinguished, as well as the related transaction costs. As of December 31, 2024, the principal balance of the Convertible Senior Notes due 2025 was $5.5 million, while the Convertible Senior Notes due 2025, net is $5.4 million after consideration of unamortized debt issuance costs.

For additional details regarding the Amended Credit Agreement and the Convertible Notes, please refer to “Note 11 - Financing Arrangements” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, and for our discussion regarding risk factors related to our business and our debt, see Risk Factors in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Additional Liquidity Considerations

The following represents a summary of total liquidity available under the Amended Credit Agreement in effect as of December 31, 2024 and 2023:

(1) As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company had less than $400.0 million in collateral assets to borrow against.

Our principal sources of liquidity are cash and cash equivalents, cash flows from operations and available borrowing capacity under our Amended Credit Agreement. As of December 31, 2024, taking into account our view of industrial, automotive, aerospace & defense and energy market demand for our products, and our 2025 operating and long-range plan, we believe that our cash balance as of December 31, 2024, projected cash generated from operations, borrowings available under the Amended Credit Agreement and committed government funding to support capital investments, will be sufficient to satisfy our working capital needs, capital expenditures and other liquidity requirements associated with our operations, including servicing our debt and pension and postretirement benefit obligations, for at least the next twelve months.

To the extent our liquidity needs prove to be greater than expected or cash generated from operations is less than anticipated, and cash on hand or credit availability is insufficient, we would seek additional financing to provide additional liquidity. We regularly evaluate our potential access to the equity and debt capital markets as sources of liquidity and we believe additional financing would likely be available if necessary, although we can make no assurance as to the form or terms of any such financing.

We continue to evaluate the best use of our liquidity which would allow us to invest in profitable growth, maintain a strong balance sheet, and return capital to shareholders. We expect capital expenditures to be approximately $125 million in 2025, inclusive of approximately $90 million of capital expenditures funded by the U.S. government.

In the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, the Company contributed a total of $42.8 million in pension contributions, most of which related to the Bargaining Plan. In January 2025, the Company contributed an additional $5.3 million to the Bargaining Plan and expects total pension contributions of approximately $65.0 million in 2025.

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During the first half of 2022, we privately negotiated early repurchases of $25.2 million aggregate principal amount of our Convertible Senior Notes Due 2025. In addition to reducing outstanding debt and generating $1.5 million of annual interest savings, the repurchases of convertible notes reduced diluted shares outstanding for the year ended December 31, 2022 by 2.3 million shares and, on a go-forward basis, reduced diluted shares outstanding by 3.2 million shares.

In the first quarter of 2023, we privately negotiated early repurchases of $7.5 million aggregate principal amount of our Convertible Senior Notes Due 2025. In addition to reducing outstanding debt and generating annual interest savings of $0.5 million, the repurchases of convertible notes reduced weighted average diluted shares outstanding for the year ended December 31, 2023 by 0.7 million shares and, on a go-forward basis, reduced diluted shares outstanding by 1.0 million shares.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, we privately negotiated early repurchases of $7.8 million aggregate principal amount of our Convertible Senior Notes Due 2025. In addition to reducing outstanding debt and generating annual interest savings of $0.5 million, the repurchases of convertible notes reduced weighted average diluted shares outstanding for the year ended December 31, 2024 by 0.1 million shares and, on a go-forward basis, reduced diluted shares outstanding by 1.0 million shares.

For additional details regarding the Amended Credit Agreement and the Convertible Notes, please refer to “Note 11 - Financing Arrangements” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, and for our discussion regarding risk factors related to our business and our debt, see Risk Factors in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

On December 20, 2021 Metallus announced that its Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program under which the Company may repurchase up to $50.0 million of its outstanding common shares. On November 2, 2022, the Board of Directors authorized an additional $75.0 million towards its share repurchase program and on May 6, 2024 the Board of Directors authorized an additional $100.0 million. The share repurchase program is intended to return capital to shareholders while also offsetting dilution from annual equity compensation awards. The share repurchase program does not require the Company to acquire any dollar amount or number of shares and may be modified, suspended, extended or terminated by the Company at any time without prior notice. These authorizations reflect the continued confidence of the Board and senior leadership in the Company’s ability to generate sustainable through-cycle profitability while maintaining a strong balance sheet and cash flow.

For the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company repurchased approximately 2.0 million common shares in the open market at an aggregate cost of $37.6 million, which equates to an average repurchase price of $18.45 per share. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had a balance of $102.8 million remaining under its share repurchase program. In total during 2024, 2023 and 2022, the Company repurchased 6.7 million common shares in the open market at an aggregate cost of $122.2 million.

Subsequent to December 31, 2024, the Company repurchased 0.2 million additional common shares in the open market at an aggregate cost of $3.3 million, which equates to an average repurchase price of $14.61 per share. As of February 17, 2025, the Company has $99.5 million remaining under its authorized share repurchase program.

Cash Flows

The following table reflects the major categories of cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022. For additional details, please refer to the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows included in Item 8, "Financial Statements and Supplemental Data" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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Operating activities

Net cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $40.3 million compared to net cash provided of $125.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The change was primarily driven by lower profitability and higher pension contributions, partially offset by a decrease in cash from working capital during 2024 compared to 2023.

Investing activities

Net cash used by investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $10.8 million compared to net cash used of $49.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The change was due to proceeds from government funding in 2024 compared to receiving no government funding in 2023, partially offset by higher capital spending in 2024.

Financing activities

Net cash used by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $68.9 million compared to net cash used of $51.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The change was primarily due to higher shares surrendered for taxes and common share repurchases compared to the same time period in 2023.

Contractual Obligations and Commitments

Our material cash commitments from known contractual and other obligations primarily consist of obligations for long-term debt and related interest, purchase commitments as part of normal operations, retirement benefits, and operating leases for property and equipment.

Refer to “Note 11 - Financing Arrangements” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for more information regarding scheduled maturities of our long-term debt. Interest payments include interest on the Convertible Notes, as well as the unused commitment fee of 25 basis points related to the Amended Credit Agreement. Interest payable associated with our debt will be approximately $1.3 million due in the next twelve months and $1.7 million through maturity.

Purchase commitments are defined as agreements to purchase goods or services that are enforceable and legally binding. As of December 31, 2024, our undiscounted purchase commitments are approximately $117.1 million due in the next twelve months and $77.4 million due thereafter. Included in purchase commitments are certain obligations related to capital asset commitments, service agreements and energy consumed in our production processes. These purchase commitments do not represent our entire anticipated purchases in the future but represent only those items for which we are contractually obligated as of December 31, 2024. The majority of our products and services are purchased as needed, with no advance commitment. We do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements with unconsolidated entities or other persons.

Retirement benefits are paid from plan assets, cash and cash equivalents and borrowings available under the Amended Credit Agreement. These include payments to meet minimum funding requirements of our defined benefit pension plans, estimated benefit payments for our unfunded supplemental executive retirement pension, and estimated benefit payments for our postretirement plans. The retirement benefit funding requirements are estimated required contributions and are significantly affected by asset returns and several other variables. These amounts are subject to change year to year. These amounts are based on Company estimates and current funding laws; actual future payments may be different. Based on the results of the December 31, 2024 pension calculations, the Company estimates required Bargaining Plan contributions of approximately $65.0 million in 2025. Refer to “Note 12 - Retirement and Postretirement Plans” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information related to the total pension and other postretirement benefit plans and expected benefit payments.

Refer to “Note 10 – Leases” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statement for additional information on leases.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the

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financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the periods presented. We review our critical accounting policies throughout the year.

New Accounting Guidance

See “Note 2 - Significant Accounting Policies” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Revenue Recognition

Metallus recognizes revenue from contracts at a point in time when it has satisfied its performance obligations and the customer obtains control of the goods, at the amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to receive for those goods.

Substantially all performance obligations arise from the sale of manufactured steel products. The Company receives and acknowledges purchase orders from its customers, which define the quantity, pricing, payment and other applicable terms and conditions. In some cases, the Company receives a blanket purchase order from its customer, which includes pricing, payment and other terms and conditions, with quantities defined at the time the customer issues periodic releases from the blanket purchase order.

Transfer of control and revenue recognition for substantially all the Company’s sales occur upon shipment or delivery of the product, which is when title, ownership, and risk of loss pass to the customer and is based on the applicable customer shipping terms.

The Company invoices its customers at the time of title transfer. Payment terms are generally 30 days from the invoice date. Invoiced amounts are usually inclusive of shipping and handling activities incurred. Shipping and handling activities billed are included in net sales in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The related costs incurred by the Company for the delivery of goods are classified as cost of products sold in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Certain contracts contain variable consideration, which primarily consists of rebates that are accounted for in net sales and accrued based on the estimated probability of the requirements being met.

Sales returns and allowances are treated as a reduction to net sales and are provided for primarily based on historical experience. These reserves also capture any potential warranty claims, which normally result in returned or replaced product.

The Company’s contracts with certain Manufactured Components customers extend multiple years and generally average five years. While these contracts set the duration of time, they do not cover or guarantee volumes but rather are focused on piece prices, which are established at the inception of the contract. From time to time, subsequent pricing adjustments are agreed to through negotiation. Pricing adjustments are occasionally determined retroactively based on historical shipments. The Company recognizes revenue for these subsequent price adjustments when they are determined to be probable and estimable.

Inventory

Inventories are stated at lower of cost or net realizable value. All inventories, including raw materials, manufacturing supplies inventory as well as international (outside the U.S.) inventories, have been valued using the FIFO or average cost method.

Income Taxes

We are subject to income taxes in the U.S. and non-U.S. jurisdictions, and we account for income taxes in accordance with applicable accounting guidance. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recorded for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases, as well as net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. We record valuation allowances against deferred tax assets by tax jurisdiction when it is more likely than not that such assets will not be realized. In determining the need for a valuation allowance, the historical and projected financial performance of the entity recording the net deferred tax asset is considered along with any other pertinent information. Net deferred tax assets relate

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primarily to net operating losses and pension and other postretirement benefit obligations in the U.S., which we believe are more likely than not to result in future tax benefits.

In the ordinary course of our business, there are many transactions and calculations regarding which the ultimate income tax determination is uncertain. We are regularly under audit by tax authorities. Accruals for uncertain tax positions are provided for in accordance with the requirements of applicable accounting guidance. We record interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions as a component of income tax expense.

Benefit Plans

Metallus recognizes an overfunded status or underfunded status (e.g., the difference between the fair value of plan assets and the benefit obligations) as either an asset or a liability for its defined benefit pension and other postretirement benefit plans on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company recognizes actuarial gains and losses immediately through net periodic benefit cost in the Consolidated Statements of Operations upon the annual remeasurement at December 31, or on an interim basis as triggering events warrant remeasurement. An example of a potential triggering event would be settlements. The Company’s accounting policy is to recognize settlements during the quarter in which it is projected that the costs of all settlements during the year will be greater than the sum of the service cost and interest cost components of net periodic benefit cost. In addition, the Company uses fair value to account for the value of plan assets.

As of December 31, 2024, our projected benefit obligations related to our pension and other postretirement benefit plans were $537.1 million and $80.1 million, respectively, and the underfunded status of our pension and other postretirement benefit obligations were $140.5 million and $30.7 million, respectively. These benefit obligations were valued using a weighted average discount rate of 5.71% for pension benefit plans and 5.73% for other postretirement benefit plans. The determination of the discount rate is generally based on an index created from a hypothetical bond portfolio consisting of high-quality fixed income securities with durations that match the timing of expected benefit payments. Changes in the selected discount rate could have a material impact on our projected benefit obligations and the unfunded status of our pension and other postretirement benefit plans.

For the year ended December 31, 2024, net periodic pension expense was $18.4 million and postretirement benefit income was $4.0 million. In 2024, net periodic pension expense and other postretirement benefit income were calculated using a variety of assumptions, including a weighted average discount rate of 5.33% and 5.43%, respectively, and a weighted average expected return on plan assets of 7.15% and 5.80%, respectively. The expected return on plan assets is determined based on forward-looking current market pricing. The forward-looking analysis is performed using a building block approach incorporating inputs such as current yields, valuations, economic data and broad macroeconomic themes.

The net periodic benefit cost and benefit obligation are affected by applicable year-end assumptions. Sensitivities to these assumptions may be asymmetric and are specific to the time periods noted. The impact of changing multiple factors simultaneously cannot be calculated by combining the individual sensitivities. The sensitivity to changes in discount rate assumptions may not be linear. A sensitivity analysis of the projected incremental effect of a 0.25% increase (decrease), holding all other assumptions constant, is as follows:

In 2025, net periodic pension expense is forecasted to be $7.3 million, while postretirement benefit income is forecasted to be $3.8 million. This estimate is based on a weighted average discount rate of 5.71% for the pension benefit plans and 5.73% for other postretirement benefit plans, as well as a weighted average expected return on assets of 7.62% for the pension benefit

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plans and 5.90% for the other postretirement benefit plans. Actual costs are dependent on various other factors related to participants covered by these plans. Adjustments to our actuarial assumptions could have a material impact on our operating results.

Please refer to “Note 12 - Retirement and Postretirement Plans” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information related to our pension and other postretirement benefit plans.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements set forth in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (including our forecasts, beliefs and expectations) that are not historical in nature are “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In particular, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations contains numerous forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally will be accompanied by words such as “anticipate,” “aspire,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “outlook,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “strategic direction,” “strategy,” “target,” “will,” “would,” or other similar words, phrases or expressions that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this Form 10-K. We caution readers that actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of us due to a variety of factors, such as:

•
the effects of fluctuations in customer demand on sales, product mix and prices in the industries in which we operate. This includes: our ability to respond to rapid changes in customer demand including but not limited to changes in customer operating schedules due to supply chain constraints or unplanned work stoppages; the ability of customers to obtain financing to purchase the Company’s products or equipment that contains its products; the effects of customer bankruptcies or liquidations; the impact of changes in industrial business cycles; and whether conditions of fair trade exist in the U.S. markets;

•
changes in operating costs, including the effect of changes in our manufacturing processes; changes in costs associated with varying levels of operations and manufacturing capacity; availability of raw materials and energy; our ability to mitigate the impact of fluctuations in raw materials and energy costs and the effectiveness of our surcharge mechanism; changes in the expected costs associated with product warranty claims; changes resulting from inventory management, cost reduction initiatives and different levels of customer demands; the effects of unplanned work stoppages; availability of skilled labor; and changes in the cost of labor and benefits;

•
the success of our operating plans, announced programs, initiatives and capital investments; the consistency to meet demand levels following unplanned downtime; and our ability to maintain appropriate relations with the union that represents our associates in certain locations in order to avoid disruptions of business;

•
whether we are able to successfully implement actions designed to improve profitability on anticipated terms and timetables and whether we are able to fully realize the expected benefits of such actions;

•
the Company's pension obligations and investment performance;

•
with respect to the Company's ability to achieve its sustainability goals, including its 2030 environmental goals, the ability to meet such goals within the expected timeframe, changes in laws, regulations, prevailing standards or public policy, the alignment of the scientific community on measurement and reporting approaches, the complexity of commodity supply chains and the evolution of and adoption of new technology, including traceability practices, tools and processes;

•
availability of property insurance coverage at commercially reasonable rates or insufficient insurance coverage to cover claims or damages;

•
the availability of financing and interest rates, which affect the Company's cost of funds and/or ability to raise capital;

•
the effects of the conditional conversion feature of the Convertible Senior Notes due 2025, which, if triggered, entitles holders to convert the notes at any time during specified periods at their option and therefore could result in potential

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dilution if the holder elects to convert and the Company elects to satisfy a portion or all of the conversion obligation by delivering common shares instead of cash;

•
the impacts from any repurchases of our common shares and convertible notes, including the timing and amount of any repurchases;

•
competitive factors, including changes in market penetration; increasing price competition by existing or new foreign and domestic competitors; the introduction of new products by existing and new competitors; and new technology that may impact the way our products are sold or distributed;

•
deterioration in global economic conditions, or in economic conditions in any of the geographic regions in which we conduct business, including additional adverse effects from global economic slowdown, terrorism or hostilities. This includes: political risks associated with the potential instability of governments and legal systems in countries in which we or our customers conduct business, and changes in currency valuations;

•
the impact of global conflicts on the economy, sourcing of raw materials, and commodity prices;

•
climate-related risks, including environmental and severe weather caused by climate changes, and legislative and regulatory initiatives addressing global climate change or other environmental concerns;

•
unanticipated litigation, claims or assessments, including claims or problems related to intellectual property, product liability or warranty, employment matters, regulatory compliance and environmental issues and taxes, among other matters;

•
cyber-related risks, including information technology system failures, interruptions and security breaches;

•
the potential impact of pandemics, epidemics, widespread illness or other health issues;

•
with respect to the equipment investments to support the U.S. Army’s mission of ramping up munitions production in the coming years, whether the funding awarded to support these investments is received on the anticipated timetable, whether the Company is able to successfully complete the installation and commissioning of the new assets on the targeted budget and timetable, and whether the anticipated increase in throughput is achieved; and

•
those items identified under the caption Risk Factors in our Annual Report on Form 10-K.

You are cautioned that it is not possible to predict or identify all of the risks, uncertainties and other factors that may affect future results, and that the above list should not be considered to be a complete list. Except as required by the federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Further, this report includes our current policy and intent and is not intended to create legal rights or obligations. Certain standards of measurement and performance contained in this report are developing and based on assumptions, and no assurance can be given that any plan, objective, initiative, projection, goal, mission, commitment, expectation, or prospect set forth in this report can or will be achieved. Inclusion of information in this report is not an indication that the subject or information is material to our business or operating results.

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Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

(dollars in millions, except per share data)

This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) is intended to help investors understand our results of operations, financial condition and current business environment. The MD&A is provided as a supplement to, and should be read in conjunction with, our audited consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.

The MD&A is organized as follows:

•
Overview: From management’s point of view, we discuss the following:

o
Summary of our business and the markets in which we operate

o
Key trends and events during the current year

•
Results of Operations: An analysis of our results of operations as reflected in our consolidated financial statements

•
Non GAAP (1) Financial Measures: An analysis of our net sales by end-market, adjusted to exclude surcharges, which management uses to better analyze key market indicators and trends and allows for enhanced comparison between our end markets.

•
Liquidity and Capital Resources: An analysis of our cash flows, working capital, debt structure, contractual obligations and other commercial commitments.

•
Critical Accounting Policies: An overview of accounting policies identified by the Company as critical that, as a result of the judgments, uncertainties, and the operations involved, could result in material changes to its financial condition or results of operations under different conditions or using different assumptions.

Overview

Business Overview

We manufacture alloy steel, as well as carbon and micro-alloy steel, using electric arc furnace ("EAF") technology. Our portfolio includes special bar quality (“SBQ”) bars, seamless mechanical tubing (“tubes”), manufactured components such as precision steel components, and billets. Our products and solutions are used in a diverse range of demanding applications in the following end-markets: industrial, automotive, aerospace & defense, and energy.

We conduct our business activities and report financial results as one business segment. The presentation of financial results as one reportable segment is consistent with the way we operate our business and is consistent with the manner in which the Chief Operating Decision Maker ("CODM") evaluates performance and makes resource and operating decisions for the business as described above. Furthermore, the Company notes that monitoring financial results as one reportable segment helps the CODM manage costs on a consolidated basis, consistent with the integrated nature of our operations.

2023 Business Highlights

The following items represent key trends and events during the year ended December 31, 2023:

•
Aerospace & Defense end market: We continue to optimize our product portfolio, increasing aerospace & defense ship tons by approximately 70% compared with the year ended December 31, 2022.

•
Base sales: The Company's products continued to demand strong base sales prices throughout 2023, with average base sales price per ton improving in all end-markets compared with 2022.

(1) Please see discussion of non-GAAP financial measures in Form 10-K – Net Sales Adjusted to Exclude Surcharges

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•
Capital investments: The Company continues to invest organically with $51.6 million of capital investments. Investments included targeted spending for improved safety, equipment automation, and continuous improvement to drive best-in-class quality and asset reliability, as well as additional manufactured component capacity for profitable growth.

•
Shareholder returns: The Company repurchased approximately 1.7 million common shares at a cost of $32.9 million, or $19.03 per share. In addition, the Company repurchased $7.5 million of its outstanding convertible notes at a cost of $18.7 million. Combined, the 2023 common share and convertible note repurchase activity reduced diluted shares outstanding by 2.7 million shares on a go-forward basis.

•
Liquidity: Our balance sheet has remained strong, with total liquidity of $539.4 million, including cash and cash equivalents of $280.6 million as of December 31, 2023. Operating cash flow of $125.3 million in 2023 was primarily driven by profitability, partially offset by higher working capital.

•
Rebranding: On January 10, 2024, we announced our rebranding of the Company under the name Metallus Inc. We believe this change reflects our expertise in high-performance specialty metals and positions us for growth beyond carbon steel.

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Net Sales

The charts below present net sales and shipments for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021.

Net sales for the year ended December 31, 2023 were $1,362.4 million, an increase of $32.5 million, or 2.4%, compared with the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in sales was primarily driven by favorable price/mix, partially offset by a decrease in surcharges and lower volume. Favorable price/mix of $116.9 million was primarily due to higher base prices across all end-markets. Lower market prices for scrap drove the unfavorable surcharges of $75.0 million, partially offset by higher alloy prices. Lower volume of 8.3 thousand ship tons resulted in a net sales decrease of $9.4 million. Excluding surcharges, net sales increased $107.5 million or 11.8%.

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Gross Profit

The chart below presents the drivers of the gross profit variance from the year ended December 31, 2022 to the year ended December 31, 2023.

Gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased $59.8 million, or 47.2%, compared with the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase was driven by favorable price/mix, partially offset by higher manufacturing costs. Favorable price/mix was due to higher base prices across all end-markets. Higher manufacturing costs were primarily due to higher plant spend and inflationary cost increases.

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Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

The charts below present selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") expense for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021.

SG&A expense for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased by $10.8 million, or 14.6%, compared with the year ended December 31, 2022. This increase was primarily due to higher stock-based compensation, variable compensation expense and professional services, primarily driven by the ongoing information technology transformation project.

Impairment Charges & Loss (Gain) on Sale or Disposal of Assets, net

The Company recorded no impairment charges for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company recorded approximately $10.6 million of impairment charges. This was driven by $7.9 million of impairment charges related to the indefinite idling of our Harrison melt and casting assets. Other impairment charges included $2.4 million related to the impairment of certain assets at our St. Clair facility due to the early termination of a customer program and $0.3 million related to the disposition of assets at the Company’s former TimkenSteel Material Services (“TMS”) facility in Houston.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, the gain on sale or disposal of assets, net, of $2.5 million primarily related to the sale of the small-diameter seamless mechanical tubing machinery and equipment, partially offset by write-offs of aged assets removed from service. For the year ended December 31, 2022, the loss on sale or disposal of assets, net, of $1.9 million primarily related to the loss recognized on the sale of the remaining land and buildings at the Company's TMS facility, as well as write-offs of aged assets removed from service.

Refer to “Note 6 - Disposition of Non-Core Assets” and “Note 11 - Property, Plant and Equipment” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

Interest (Income) Expense, net

Net interest income for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $7.1 million, compared with net interest expense of $0.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The change was due to interest earned on cash invested in a money market fund and deposits with financial institutions at a rate similar to the money market fund during 2023, as well as a reduction in average outstanding convertible notes compared to the same period in 2022. Refer to “Note 14 - Financing Arrangements” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

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Other (Income) Expense, net

Non-service related pension and other postretirement benefit income, for all years, consists primarily of the interest cost, expected return on plan assets and amortization components of net periodic cost.

The Company's Bargaining Unit Pension Plan ("Bargaining Plan"), Retirement Plan (“Salaried Plan”), and the Supplemental Pension Plan ("Supplemental Plan") each have a provision that permits employees to elect to receive their pension benefits in a lump sum upon retirement. In the first quarter of 2023, the cumulative cost of all lump sum payments was projected to exceed the sum of the service costs and interest cost components of net periodic pension cost for the Salaried Plan. As a result, the Company completed a full remeasurement of its pension obligations and plan assets associated with the Salaried Plan during each quarter of 2023.

A net loss of $40.6 million from the remeasurement of these benefit plans was recognized for the year ended December 31, 2023. This loss was driven by a $36.6 million increase in the pension liability primarily due to a decrease in discount rate, updated census data and updates to certain underlying assumptions, as well as a loss of $4.0 million due to investment losses on plan assets.

A net gain of $35.4 million from the remeasurement of these benefit plans was recognized for the year ended December 31, 2022. This gain was driven by a $359.9 million decrease in the pension liability primarily due to an increase in discount rates and a $2.7 million non-cash settlement related to the partial annuitization of the Bargaining Plan. This was partially offset by a loss of $327.2 million driven primarily by investment losses on plan assets and lump sum basis losses.

A net gain of $20.1 million from the remeasurement of these benefit plans was recognized for the year ended December 31, 2021. This gain was driven by a $55.7 million decrease in the pension liability primarily due to an increase in discount rates, partially offset by a loss of $35.6 million driven primarily by investment losses on plan assets.

For more details on the aforementioned remeasurements, refer to “Note 15 - Retirement and Postretirement Plans.”

During the second half of 2022, the Faircrest melt shop experienced unplanned operational downtime. During the fourth quarter of 2022, the Company recognized an insurance recovery of $33.0 million related to the 2022 unplanned downtime, of which $13.0 million was received in the fourth quarter of 2022 and $20.0 million was received in the first quarter of 2023. Additionally, during

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the third quarter of 2022, the Company recognized an insurance recovery of $1.5 million related to an unplanned outage at our Faircrest facility in November 2021.

During 2023, the Company recognized insurance recoveries of $31.3 million related to the 2022 Faircrest melt shop unplanned downtime, of which $11.3 million was received during 2023 and $20.0 million was received in the first quarter of 2024. The 2022 insurance claims were closed as of the first quarter of 2024. Metallus recognizes an insurance recovery when it is realized or considered realizable, in accordance with the accounting guidance.

During the fourth quarter of 2023, the Company received a commitment from the State of Ohio related to the overpayment of sales and use taxes for the period of January 1, 2020 through March 31, 2023. This resulted in a gain recognized of $1.4 million, net of related professional fees, for the year ended December 31, 2023. During the second quarter of 2021, the Company received a refund from the State of Ohio related to an overpayment of sales and use taxes for the period of October 1, 2016 through September 30, 2019. This resulted in a gain recognized of $2.5 million, net of related professional fees, for the year ended December 31, 2021.

Provision for Income Taxes

(1) “NM” is data that is not meaningful.

The provision for incomes taxes for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $27.0 million compared to a provision for income taxes of $32.0 million in 2022. The change from the prior year is primarily related to higher permanent items for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared with December 31, 2023. The provision for income taxes for the year ended December 31, 2022 was also impacted by the release of the Company’s income tax valuation allowance on domestic deferred tax assets due to consecutive years of positive net income and the utilization of the majority of loss carryforwards generated in prior years.

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Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Net Sales Adjusted to Exclude Surcharges

The tables below present net sales by end-markets, adjusted to exclude surcharges, which represents a financial measure that has not been determined in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”). We believe presenting net sales by end-markets, both on a gross basis and on a per ton basis, adjusted to exclude raw material and natural gas surcharges, provides additional insight into key drivers of net sales such as base price and product mix. Due to the fact that the surcharge mechanism can introduce volatility to our net sales, net sales adjusted to exclude surcharges provides management and investors clarity of our core pricing and results. Presenting net sales by end-markets, adjusted to exclude surcharges including on a per ton basis, allows management and investors to better analyze key market indicators and trends and allows for enhanced comparison between our end-markets.

When surcharges are included in a customer agreement and are applicable (i.e., reach the threshold amount), based on the terms outlined in the respective agreement, surcharges are then included as separate line items on a customer’s invoice. These additional surcharge line items adjust base prices to match cost fluctuations due to market conditions. Each month, the Company will post on the surcharges page of its external website, as well as our customer portal, the scrap, alloy, and natural gas surcharges that will be applied (as a separate line item) to invoices dated in the following month (based upon shipment volumes in the following month). All surcharges invoiced are included in GAAP net sales.

In the fourth quarter of 2023, the Company split the aerospace & defense end-market out from the industrial end-market for greater visibility into a targeted area of growth for the Company. These changes have been retrospectively applied in the following tables.

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

Amended Credit Agreement

On September 30, 2022, the Company, as borrower, and certain domestic subsidiaries of the Company, as subsidiary guarantors (the “Subsidiary Guarantors”), entered into a Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the “Amended Credit Agreement”), with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent (the “Administrative Agent”), and the lenders party thereto (collectively, the “Lenders”), which further amended and restated the Company’s secured Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of October 15, 2019.

The Amended Credit Agreement extended the maturity date of the asset-based revolving credit facility (the “Credit Facility”) from October 2024 to September 2027. Following the amendment, Credit Facility capacity remained at $400.0 million. Pursuant to the terms of the Amended Credit Agreement, the interest rate to be paid on any borrowings under the Credit Facility is now based on a two-tiered schedule rather than a three-tiered schedule with applicable rates decreasing by 25 basis points, references to LIBOR rates have been updated with references to SOFR rates, the advance rate on investment-grade eligible accounts receivable has been increased from 85% to 90%, and there has been an improvement in the springing fixed charge coverage ratio from 1.1x to 1.0x. The Credit Facility remains undrawn at this time.

Refer to “Note 14 - Financing Arrangements” in the Notes to the unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

Convertible Notes

In May 2016, the Company issued $75.0 million aggregate principal amount of Convertible Senior Notes due 2021, plus an additional $11.3 million principal amount to cover over-allotments.

In December 2020, the Company entered into separate, privately negotiated exchange agreements with a limited number of holders of the Company’s then outstanding Convertible Senior Notes due 2021. Pursuant to the exchange agreements, the Company exchanged $46.0 million aggregate principal amount of Convertible Senior Notes due 2021 for $46.0 million aggregate principal amount of its new Convertible Senior Notes due 2025. The Company did not receive any cash proceeds from the issuance of the Convertible Senior Notes due 2025.

The remaining Convertible Senior Notes due 2021 matured on June 1, 2021 and were settled with a combination of cash of $38.9 million and 0.1 million shares, as most noteholders exercised their conversion option prior to maturity. The final cash payment for interest was also made to noteholders on June 1, 2021 in the amount of $1.2 million.

The Convertible Senior Notes due 2025 bear cash interest at a rate of 6.0% per year, payable semiannually on June 1 and December 1, beginning on June 1, 2021. The Convertible Senior Notes due 2025 will mature on December 1, 2025, unless earlier repurchased or converted. The net amount of this exchange was $44.5 million, after deducting the initial underwriters’ fees and paying other transaction costs.

The Convertible Senior Notes due 2025 are convertible at the option of holders in certain circumstances and during certain periods into the Company’s common shares, cash, or a combination thereof, at the Company’s election. The Indenture for the Convertible Senior Notes due 2025 provides that notes will become convertible during a quarter when the share price for 20 trading days during the final 30 trading days of the immediately preceding quarter was greater than 130% of the conversion price. This criterion was met during the fourth quarter of 2023 (and each preceding quarter of 2023) and as such the notes can be converted at the option of the holders beginning January 1 through March 31, 2024. Whether the notes will be convertible following such period will depend on if this criterion, or another conversion condition, is met in the future. To date, no holders have elected to convert their notes during any optional conversion periods.

In the first quarter of 2023, the Company repurchased a total of $7.5 million aggregate principal amount of its Convertible Senior Notes Due 2025. Total cash paid to noteholders was $18.7 million. A loss on extinguishment of debt was recognized of $11.4 million, including a charge of $0.2 million for unamortized debt issuance costs related to the portion of debt extinguished, as well as the related transaction costs. There were no repurchases related to the Convertible Notes during the remainder of 2023. As of

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December 31, 2023, the principal balance on the Convertible Senior Notes due 2025 is $13.3 million, while the Convertible Senior Notes due 2025, net is $13.2 million after consideration of unamortized debt issuance costs.

In the first half of 2022, the Company repurchased a total of $25.2 million aggregate principal amount of its Convertible Senior Notes Due 2025. There were no repurchases related to the Convertible Notes during the second half of 2022. Total cash paid to noteholders was $67.6 million. A loss on extinguishment of debt was recognized of $43.0 million, including a charge of $0.6 million for unamortized debt issuance costs related to the portion of debt extinguished, as well as the related transaction costs. The principal amount of the Convertible Senior Notes due 2025 as of December 31, 2022 was $20.8 million, while the Convertible Senior Notes due 2025, net was $20.4 million after consideration of unamortized debt issuance costs.

For additional details regarding the Amended Credit Agreement and the Convertible Notes, please refer to “Note 14 - Financing Arrangements” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, and for our discussion regarding risk factors related to our business and our debt, see Risk Factors in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Additional Liquidity Considerations

The following represents a summary of total liquidity available under the Amended Credit Agreement in effect as of December 31, 2023 and 2022:

(1) As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company had less than $400.0 million in collateral assets to borrow against.

Our principal sources of liquidity are cash and cash equivalents, cash flows from operations and available borrowing capacity under our Amended Credit Agreement. As of December 31, 2023, taking into account our view of industrial, automotive, aerospace & defense and energy market demand for our products, and our 2024 operating and long-range plan, we believe that our cash balance as of December 31, 2023, projected cash generated from operations, and borrowings available under the Amended Credit Agreement, will be sufficient to satisfy our working capital needs, capital expenditures and other liquidity requirements associated with our operations, including servicing our debt and pension and postretirement benefit obligations, for at least the next twelve months.

To the extent our liquidity needs prove to be greater than expected or cash generated from operations is less than anticipated, and cash on hand or credit availability is insufficient, we would seek additional financing to provide additional liquidity. We regularly evaluate our potential access to the equity and debt capital markets as sources of liquidity and we believe additional financing would likely be available if necessary, although we can make no assurance as to the form or terms of any such financing.

We continually evaluate the best use of our liquidity which would allow us to invest in profitable growth, maintain a strong balance sheet, and return capital to shareholders. We are currently anticipating capital expenditures to be approximately $60 million in 2024.

In the first quarter of 2023, we privately negotiated early repurchases of $7.5 million aggregate principal amount of our Convertible Senior Notes Due 2025. In addition to reducing outstanding debt and generating annual interest savings of $0.5

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million, the repurchases of convertible notes reduced weighted average diluted shares outstanding for the year ended December 31, 2023 by 0.7 million shares and, on a go-forward basis, reduced diluted shares outstanding by 1.0 million shares.

During the first half of 2022, we privately negotiated early repurchases of $25.2 million aggregate principal amount of our Convertible Senior Notes Due 2025. In addition to reducing outstanding debt and generating $1.5 million of annual interest savings, the repurchases of convertible notes reduced diluted shares outstanding for the year ended December 31, 2022 by 2.3 million shares and, on a go-forward basis, reduced diluted shares outstanding by 3.2 million shares.

On December 20, 2021, the Company announced that its Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program under which the Company may repurchase up to $50.0 million of its outstanding common shares. The share repurchase program was intended to return capital to shareholders while also offsetting dilution from annual equity compensation awards. As of December 31, 2022, we consumed the previously approved $50.0 million repurchase program.

On November 2, 2022, the Board of Directors authorized an additional $75.0 million share repurchase program. This authorization reflects the continued confidence of the Board and senior leadership in the Company’s ability to generate sustainable through-cycle profitability while maintaining a strong balance sheet and cash flow. The share repurchase program does not require the Company to acquire any dollar amount or number of shares and may be modified, suspended, extended or terminated by the Company at any time without prior notice.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company repurchased approximately 1.7 million common shares in the open market at an aggregate cost of $32.6 million, which equates to an average repurchase price of $19.03 per share. As of December 31, 2023, the Company had a balance of $40.4 million remaining under its share repurchase program.

Subsequent to December 31, 2023, the Company repurchased 0.1 million additional common shares in the open market at an aggregate cost of $1.2 million, which equates to an average repurchase price of $21.07 per share. As of February 15, 2024, the Company has $39.2 million remaining under its authorized share repurchase program.

Cash Flows

The following table reflects the major categories of cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021. For additional details, please refer to the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows included in Item 8, "Financial Statements and Supplemental Data" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Operating activities

Net cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $125.3 million compared to net cash provided of $134.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The change was primarily due to a higher use of cash for working capital in 2023, partially offset by improved 2023 profitability.

Investing activities

Net cash used by investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $49.9 million compared to net cash used of $21.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The change was primarily due to higher capital expenditures in 2023.

Financing activities

Net cash used by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $51.9 million compared to net cash used of $114.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The change was primarily due to lower repurchases of common shares and

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Convertible Notes in 2023, partially offset by decreased proceeds from the exercise of stock options during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the same period of 2022.

Contractual Obligations and Commitments

Our material cash commitments from known contractual and other obligations primarily consist of obligations for long-term debt and related interest, purchase commitments as part of normal operations, retirement benefits, and operating leases for property and equipment.

Refer to “Note 14 - Financing Arrangements” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for more information regarding scheduled maturities of our long-term debt. Interest payments include interest on the Convertible Notes, as well as the unused commitment fee of 25 basis points related to the Amended Credit Agreement. Interest payable associated with our debt will be approximately $1.8 million due in the next twelve months and $3.5 million through maturity.

Purchase commitments are defined as agreements to purchase goods or services that are enforceable and legally binding. As of December 31, 2023, our undiscounted purchase commitments are approximately $49.1 million due in the next twelve months and $67.4 million due thereafter. Included in purchase commitments are certain obligations related to capital asset commitments, service agreements and energy consumed in our production processes. These purchase commitments do not represent our entire anticipated purchases in the future but represent only those items for which we are contractually obligated as of December 31, 2023. The majority of our products and services are purchased as needed, with no advance commitment. We do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements with unconsolidated entities or other persons.

Retirement benefits are paid from plan assets and our operating cash flow. These include payments to meet minimum funding requirements of our defined benefit pension plans, estimated benefit payments for our unfunded supplemental executive retirement pension, and estimated benefit payments for our postretirement plans. The retirement benefit funding requirements are estimated required contributions and are significantly affected by asset returns and several other variables. These amounts are subject to change year to year. These amounts are based on Company estimates and current funding laws; actual future payments may be different. Based on the results of the December 31, 2023 pension calculations, the Company estimates required Bargaining Plan contributions of approximately $40 million in 2024, with approximately $25 million of contributions in the first quarter. Refer to “Note 15 - Retirement and Postretirement Plans” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information related to the total pension and other postretirement benefit plans and expected benefit payments.

Refer to “Note 13 – Leases” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statement for additional information on leases.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the periods presented. We review our critical accounting policies throughout the year.

New Accounting Guidance

See “Note 2 - Significant Accounting Policies” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Revenue Recognition

Metallus recognizes revenue from contracts at a point in time when it has satisfied its performance obligations and the customer obtains control of the goods, at the amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to receive for those goods.

Substantially all performance obligations arise from the sale of manufactured steel products. The Company receives and acknowledges purchase orders from its customers, which define the quantity, pricing, payment and other applicable terms and conditions. In some cases, the Company receives a blanket purchase order from its customer, which includes pricing, payment and other terms and conditions, with quantities defined at the time the customer issues periodic releases from the blanket purchase order.

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Transfer of control and revenue recognition for substantially all the Company’s sales occur upon shipment or delivery of the product, which is when title, ownership, and risk of loss pass to the customer and is based on the applicable customer shipping terms.

The Company invoices its customers at the time of title transfer. Payment terms are generally 30 days from the invoice date. Invoiced amounts are usually inclusive of shipping and handling activities incurred. Shipping and handling activities billed are included in net sales in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The related costs incurred by the Company for the delivery of goods are classified as cost of products sold in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Certain contracts contain variable consideration, which primarily consists of rebates that are accounted for in net sales and accrued based on the estimated probability of the requirements being met.

Sales returns and allowances are treated as a reduction to net sales and are provided for primarily based on historical experience. These reserves also capture any potential warranty claims, which normally result in returned or replaced product.

The Company’s contracts with certain Manufactured Components customers extend multiple years and generally average five years. While these contracts set the duration of time, they do not cover or guarantee volumes but rather are focused on piece prices, which are established at the inception of the contract. From time to time, subsequent pricing adjustments are agreed to through negotiation. Pricing adjustments are occasionally determined retroactively based on historical shipments. The Company recognizes revenue for these subsequent price adjustments when they are determined to be probable and estimable. For the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company recognized $16.0 million in subsequent pricing adjustments.

Inventory

Inventories are stated at lower of cost or net realizable value. All inventories, including raw materials, manufacturing supplies inventory as well as international (outside the U.S.) inventories, have been valued using the FIFO or average cost method.

Income Taxes

We are subject to income taxes in the U.S. and non-U.S. jurisdictions, and we account for income taxes in accordance with applicable accounting guidance. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recorded for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases, as well as net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. We record valuation allowances against deferred tax assets by tax jurisdiction when it is more likely than not that such assets will not be realized. In determining the need for a valuation allowance, the historical and projected financial performance of the entity recording the net deferred tax asset is considered along with any other pertinent information. Net deferred tax assets relate primarily to net operating losses and pension and other postretirement benefit obligations in the U.S., which we believe are more likely than not to result in future tax benefits.

In the ordinary course of our business, there are many transactions and calculations regarding which the ultimate income tax determination is uncertain. We are regularly under audit by tax authorities. Accruals for uncertain tax positions are provided for in accordance with the requirements of applicable accounting guidance. We record interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions as a component of income tax expense.

Benefit Plans

Metallus recognizes an overfunded status or underfunded status (e.g., the difference between the fair value of plan assets and the benefit obligations) as either an asset or a liability for its defined benefit pension and other postretirement benefit plans on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company recognizes actuarial gains and losses immediately through net periodic benefit cost in the Consolidated Statements of Operations upon the annual remeasurement at December 31, or on an interim basis as triggering events warrant remeasurement. An example of a potential triggering event would be settlements. The Company’s accounting policy is to recognize settlements during the quarter in which it is projected that the costs of all settlements during the

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year will be greater than the sum of the service cost and interest cost components of net periodic benefit cost. In addition, the Company uses fair value to account for the value of plan assets.

As of December 31, 2023, our projected benefit obligations related to our pension and other postretirement benefit plans were $688.6 million and $84.9 million, respectively, and the underfunded status of our pension and other postretirement benefit obligations were $163.0 million and $31.1 million, respectively. These benefit obligations were valued using a weighted average discount rate of 5.33% for pension benefit plans and 5.43% for other postretirement benefit plans. The determination of the discount rate is generally based on an index created from a hypothetical bond portfolio consisting of high-quality fixed income securities with durations that match the timing of expected benefit payments. Changes in the selected discount rate could have a material impact on our projected benefit obligations and the unfunded status of our pension and other postretirement benefit plans.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, net periodic pension expense was $49.1 million and postretirement benefit income was $2.1 million, respectively. In 2023, net periodic pension expense and other postretirement benefit income was calculated using a variety of assumptions, including a weighted average discount rate of 5.61% and 5.70%, respectively, and a weighted average expected return on plan assets of 7.13% and 6.25%, respectively. The expected return on plan assets is determined based on forward-looking current market pricing. The forward-looking analysis is performed using a building block approach incorporating inputs such as current yields, valuations, economic data and broad macroeconomic themes.

The net periodic benefit income and benefit obligation are affected by applicable year-end assumptions. Sensitivities to these assumptions may be asymmetric and are specific to the time periods noted. The impact of changing multiple factors simultaneously cannot be calculated by combining the individual sensitivities. The sensitivity to changes in discount rate assumptions may not be linear. A sensitivity analysis of the projected incremental effect of a 0.25% increase (decrease), holding all other assumptions constant, is as follows:

In 2024, net periodic pension expense is forecasted to be $8.4 million, while postretirement benefit income is forecasted to be $3.9 million. This estimate is based on a weighted average discount rate of 5.33% for the pension benefit plans and 5.43% for other postretirement benefit plans, as well as a weighted average expected return on assets of 7.15% for the pension benefit plans and 5.80% for the other postretirement benefit plans. Actual cost also is dependent on various other factors related to the employees covered by these plans. Adjustments to our actuarial assumptions could have a material impact on our operating results.

Please refer to “Note 15 - Retirement and Postretirement Plans” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information related to our pension and other postretirement benefit plans.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements set forth in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (including our forecasts, beliefs and expectations) that are not historical in nature are “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In particular, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations contains numerous forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally will be accompanied by words such as “anticipate,” “aspire,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “outlook,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “strategic direction,” “strategy,” “target,” “will,” “would,” or other similar words, phrases or expressions that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes. You

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are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this Form 10-K. We caution readers that actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of us due to a variety of factors, such as:

•
the effects of fluctuations in customer demand on sales, product mix and prices in the industries in which we operate. This includes: our ability to respond to rapid changes in customer demand including but not limited to changes in customer operating schedules due to supply chain constraints or unplanned work stoppages; the ability of customers to obtain financing to purchase the Company’s products or equipment that contains its products; the effects of customer bankruptcies or liquidations; the impact of changes in industrial business cycles; and whether conditions of fair trade exist in the U.S. markets;

•
changes in operating costs, including the effect of changes in our manufacturing processes; changes in costs associated with varying levels of operations and manufacturing capacity; availability of raw materials and energy; our ability to mitigate the impact of fluctuations in raw materials and energy costs and the effectiveness of our surcharge mechanism; changes in the expected costs associated with product warranty claims; changes resulting from inventory management, cost reduction initiatives and different levels of customer demands; the effects of unplanned work stoppages; availability of skilled labor; and changes in the cost of labor and benefits;

•
the success of our operating plans, announced programs, initiatives and capital investments; the consistency to meet demand levels following unplanned downtime; and our ability to maintain appropriate relations with the union that represents our associates in certain locations in order to avoid disruptions of business;

•
whether we are able to successfully implement actions designed to improve profitability on anticipated terms and timetables and whether we are able to fully realize the expected benefits of such actions;

•
the Company's pension obligations and investment performance;

•
with respect to the Company's ability to achieve its sustainability goals, including its 2030 environmental goals, the ability to meet such goals within the expected timeframe, changes in laws, regulations, prevailing standards or public policy, the alignment of the scientific community on measurement and reporting approaches, the complexity of commodity supply chains and the evolution of and adoption of new technology, including traceability practices, tools and processes;

•
availability of property insurance coverage at commercially reasonable rates or insufficient insurance coverage to cover claims or damages;

•
the availability of financing and interest rates, which affect the Company's cost of funds and/or ability to raise capital;

•
the effects of the conditional conversion feature of the Convertible Senior Notes due 2025, which, if triggered, entitles holders to convert the notes at any time during specified periods at their option and therefore could result in potential dilution if the holder elects to convert and the Company elects to satisfy a portion or all of the conversion obligation by delivering common shares instead of cash;

•
the impacts from any repurchases of our common shares and convertible notes, including the timing and amount of any repurchases;

•
competitive factors, including changes in market penetration; increasing price competition by existing or new foreign and domestic competitors; the introduction of new products by existing and new competitors; and new technology that may impact the way our products are sold or distributed;

•
deterioration in global economic conditions, or in economic conditions in any of the geographic regions in which we conduct business, including additional adverse effects from global economic slowdown, terrorism or hostilities. This includes: political risks associated with the potential instability of governments and legal systems in countries in which we or our customers conduct business, and changes in currency valuations;

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•
the impact of global conflicts on the economy, sourcing of raw materials, and commodity prices;

•
climate-related risks, including environmental and severe weather caused by climate changes, and legislative and regulatory initiatives addressing global climate change or other environmental concerns;

•
unanticipated litigation, claims or assessments, including claims or problems related to intellectual property, product liability or warranty, employment matters, regulatory compliance and environmental issues and taxes, among other matters;

•
cyber-related risks, including information technology system failures, interruptions and security breaches;

•
the potential impact of pandemics, epidemics, widespread illness or other health issues;

•
with respect to the continuous bloom reheat furnace investment, whether the funding awarded to support this investment is received on the anticipated timetable, whether the company is able to successfully complete the installation and commissioning of the new assets on the targeted budget and timetable, and whether the anticipated increase in throughput is achieved; and

•
those items identified under the caption Risk Factors in our Annual Report on Form 10-K.

You are cautioned that it is not possible to predict or identify all of the risks, uncertainties and other factors that may affect future results, and that the above list should not be considered to be a complete list. Except as required by the federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Further, this report includes our current policy and intent and is not intended to create legal rights or obligations. Certain standards of measurement and performance contained in this report are developing and based on assumptions, and no assurance can be given that any plan, objective, initiative, projection, goal, mission, commitment, expectation, or prospect set forth in this report can or will be achieved. Inclusion of information in this report is not an indication that the subject or information is material to our business or operating results.

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Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

(dollars in millions, except per share data)

Business Overview

We manufacture alloy steel, as well as carbon and micro-alloy steel using electric arc furnace ("EAF") technology. Our portfolio includes special bar quality (“SBQ”) bars, seamless mechanical tubing (“tubes”), manufactured components such as precision steel components, and billets. Additionally, we manage raw material recycling programs, which are used internally as a feeder system for our melt operations and allow us to sell scrap not used in our operations to third parties. Our products and solutions are used in a diverse range of demanding applications in the following market sectors: automotive; oil and gas; industrial equipment; mining; construction; rail; defense; heavy truck; agriculture; and power generation.

SBQ steel is made to restrictive chemical compositions and high internal purity levels and is used in critical mechanical applications. We make these products from nearly 100% recycled steel, using our expertise in raw materials to create high-quality steel products. We focus on creating tailored products for our respective end-market sectors. Our engineers are experts in both materials and applications, so we can work closely with each customer to deliver flexible solutions related to our products as well as to their applications and supply chains.

The SBQ bar, tube, and billet production processes take place at our Canton, Ohio manufacturing location. This location accounts for all of the SBQ bars, seamless mechanical tubes and billets we produce and includes three manufacturing facilities: the Faircrest, Harrison, and Gambrinus facilities. Our production of manufactured components takes place at two downstream manufacturing facilities: Tryon Peak (Columbus, North Carolina) and St. Clair (Eaton, Ohio). Many of the production processes are integrated, and the manufacturing facilities produce products that are sold in all of our market sectors. As a result, investments in our facilities and resource allocation decisions affecting our operations are designed to benefit the overall business, not any specific aspect of the business.

During the second half of 2022, the Faircrest melt shop experienced unplanned operational downtime. During the fourth quarter of 2022, TimkenSteel recognized an insurance recovery of $33.0 million related to the unplanned downtime. Of the total recovery, $13.0 million was received in the fourth quarter of 2022 and $20.0 million was collected in the first quarter of 2023. The Company anticipates an additional insurance recovery, although the timing and amount of potential recovery are uncertain at this time. Refer to “Note 7 - Other (Income) Expense, net” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

We conduct our business activities and report financial results as one business segment. The presentation of financial results as one reportable segment is consistent with the way we operate our business and is consistent with the manner in which the CODM evaluates performance and makes resource and operating decisions for the business as described above. Furthermore, the Company notes that monitoring financial results as one reportable segment helps the CODM manage costs on a consolidated basis, consistent with the integrated nature of our operations.

Markets We Serve

We sell products and services that are used in a diverse range of demanding applications around the world. No one customer accounted for 10% or more of net sales in 2022.

Key indicators for our market include the U.S. light vehicle production Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate, oil and gas rig count activity and U.S. footage drilled, and industrial production for agriculture and construction markets, distribution, and mining and oil field machinery products. In addition, we closely monitor the Purchasing Managers’ Index, which is a leading indicator for our overall business.

Impact of Raw Material Prices

In the ordinary course of business, we are exposed to the volatility of the costs of our raw materials. For example, the current Russia-Ukraine conflict could exacerbate inflationary pressures throughout the global economy and lead to potential market disruptions, such as significant volatility in commodity prices and supply chain disruptions. Although our business has not been materially impacted by this conflict to date, it is difficult to predict the extent to which our operations, or those of our suppliers, will be impacted in the future.

Whenever possible, we manage our exposure to commodity risks primarily through the use of supplier pricing agreements that enable us to establish the purchase prices for certain inputs that are used in our manufacturing process. We also utilize a raw material and natural gas surcharge mechanism when pricing products to our customers.

There are two components of our raw material surcharge. One component is related to the scrap metal content in our finished product and is based on the published No. 1 busheling scrap index. The other component is related to alloy material content in our finished product and is

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based on published prices for nickel, molybdenum, vanadium, chromium, and manganese. The natural gas surcharge is only applicable when the price of natural gas exceeds a certain dollar amount per MMBtu.

Our surcharge mechanisms are designed to mitigate the impact of increases or decreases in raw material costs, although generally with a lag effect. This timing effect can result in raw material spread whereby costs can be over- or under-recovered in certain periods. While the surcharge generally protects gross profit, it has the effect of diluting gross margin as a percent of sales. We present the raw material spread impact on gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021 in the gross profit charts included within the results of operations section below.

Results of Operations

Net Sales

The charts below present net sales and shipments for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020.

Net sales for the year ended December 31, 2022 were $1,329.9 million, an increase of $47.0 million, or 3.7%, compared with the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in sales was primarily driven by favorable price/mix and an increase in surcharges, partially offset by lower volumes. Favorable price/mix of $174.2 million was primarily due to higher base prices across all end-market sectors, as well as sales mix improvement within all end-market sectors. The increase in surcharges of $7.2 million was due to higher scrap and alloy market prices. Customer demand remained solid throughout 2022; however, shipments in the second half of the year were negatively impacted by the availability of inventory for shipment as a result of unplanned operation downtime. This resulted in lower volumes of 126.5 thousand ship tons, or a net sales decrease of $134.4 million. Excluding surcharges, net sales increased $39.8 million or 4.5%.

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Gross Profit

The chart below presents the drivers of the gross profit variance from the year ended December 31, 2021 to December 31, 2022.

Gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2022 decreased $93.3 million, or 42.4%, compared with the year ended December 31, 2021. The decrease was driven by higher manufacturing costs, unfavorable raw material spread, and decreased volume, partially offset by favorable price/mix. Higher manufacturing costs were primarily due to an unfavorable impact of lower production levels on fixed cost leverage, as well as higher plant spend, inflationary cost increases and repair costs related to unplanned operational downtime. Raw material spread was unfavorable due to lower scrap and alloy spreads. Customer demand remained strong throughout 2022; however, shipments were negatively impacted by the availability of inventory for shipment as a result of the unplanned operational downtime. Favorable price/mix was due to higher base prices across all end-market sectors, as well as an improvement of product mix within all end-market sectors.

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Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

The charts below present selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") expense for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020.

SG&A expense for the year ended December 31, 2022 decreased by $3.4 million, or 4.4%, compared with the year ended December 31, 2021. This decrease is primarily due to lower employee wages and benefits expense as a result of a reduction in employee headcount following the Company’s restructuring actions and lower variable compensation expense. This was partially offset by higher spend on professional services, primarily driven by the ongoing information technology transformation project.

Restructuring Charges

Over the past several years, TimkenSteel has made numerous organizational changes to enhance profitable and sustainable growth. These company-wide actions included the restructuring of its business support functions, the reduction of management layers throughout the organization and other domestic and international actions to further improve the Company’s overall cost structure. For the year ended December 31, 2022, restructuring charges totaled $0.8 million and were related to severance and employee-related benefits as a result of continued organizational changes.

For the year ended December 31, 2021, restructuring charges totaled $6.7 million, of which $6.4 million related to severance and employee-related benefits as a result of continued organizational changes. The remaining $0.3 million of charges related to the transition of customers to other TimkenSteel manufacturing equipment due to the discontinuation of specific small-diameter seamless mechanical tube manufacturing and the indefinite idling of our Harrison melt and casting activities.

Refer to “Note 5 - Restructuring Charges” and "Note 6 – Disposition of Non-Core Assets” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

Impairment Charges & Loss (Gain) on Sale or Disposal of Assets, net

TimkenSteel recorded no impairment charges for the year ended December 31, 2022. During the year ended December 31, 2021, TimkenSteel recorded approximately $10.6 million of impairment charges. This was driven by $7.9 million of impairment charges related to the indefinite idling of our Harrison melt and casting assets. Other impairment charges included $2.4 million related to the impairment of certain assets at our St. Clair facility due to the early termination of a customer program and $0.3 million related to the disposition of assets at the Company’s former TimkenSteel Material Services (“TMS”) facility in Houston.

For the year ended December 31, 2022, TimkenSteel recorded a loss on sale and disposal of assets of $1.9 million primarily related to the loss recognized on the sale of the remaining land and buildings at the Company's former TMS facility. This compares with a net loss on sale of assets of $1.3 million related to the disposition of excess assets for the year ended December 31, 2021.

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Refer to “Note 6 - Disposition of Non-Core Assets” and “Note 11 - Property, Plant and Equipment” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

Interest (Income) Expense, net

Interest (income) expense, net for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $0.6 million, a decrease of $5.3 million, compared with the year ended December 31, 2021. The change in net interest expense was due to a reduction in average outstanding borrowings for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the same period in 2021, as well as interest earned on cash invested in a money market fund and deposits with financial institutions. Refer to “Note 14 - Financing Arrangements” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

Other (Income) Expense, net

Non-service related pension and other postretirement benefit income, for all years, consists primarily of the interest cost, expected return on plan assets and amortization components of net periodic cost.

The remeasurement of benefit plans is due to lump sum payments exceeding the sum of the service cost and interest cost components of the net periodic pension cost for certain plans, as well as the partial annuitization of the TimkenSteel Corporation Bargaining Unit Pension Plan ("Bargaining Plan"). The lump sum payments and partial annuitization constitute partial settlements, which are significant events requiring remeasurement of both plan assets and benefit obligations.

A net gain of $35.4 million from the remeasurement of these benefit plans was recognized for the year ended December 31, 2022. This gain was driven by a $359.9 million decrease in the pension liability primarily due to an increase in discount rates and a $2.7 million non-cash settlement related to the partial annuitization of the Bargaining Plan. This was partially offset by a loss of $327.2 million driven primarily by investment losses on plan assets and lump sum basis losses.

A net gain of $20.1 million from the remeasurement of these benefit plans was recognized for the year ended December 31, 2021. This gain was driven by a $55.7 million decrease in the pension liability primarily due to an increase in discount rates, partially offset by a loss of $35.6 million driven primarily by investment losses on plan assets.

For more details on the aforementioned remeasurements, refer to “Note 15 - Retirement and Postretirement Plans.”

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During the second half of 2022, the Faircrest melt shop experienced unplanned operational downtime. During the fourth quarter of 2022, TimkenSteel recognized an insurance recovery of $33.0 million related to the unplanned downtime. Of the total recovery, $13.0 million was received in the fourth quarter of 2022 and $20.0 million was collected in the first quarter of 2023. The Company anticipates an additional insurance recovery, although the timing and amount of potential recovery are uncertain at this time. Additionally, during the third quarter of 2022, TimkenSteel recognized an insurance recovery of $1.5 million related to an unplanned outage at our Faircrest facility in November 2021. TimkenSteel recognizes an insurance recovery when it is realized or considered realizable, in accordance with the accounting guidance, and records this activity within other (income) expense, net on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

During the second quarter of 2021, TimkenSteel received a refund from the State of Ohio related to an overpayment of sales and use taxes for the period of October 1, 2016 through September 30, 2019. This resulted in a gain recognized of $2.5 million, net of related professional fees, for the year ended December 31, 2021.

During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company recognized a $2.3 million benefit related to the Employee Retention Credit in other (income) expense, net. For more details on this credit refer to "Note 2 - Significant Accounting Policies."

Provision for Income Taxes

(1) “NM” is data that is not meaningful.

The provision for incomes taxes for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $32.0 million compared to a provision for income taxes of $5.7 million in 2021. The change from the prior year is primarily related to state and local taxes, permanent items, and an operating loss in the UK that does not have a consolidated provision benefit due to a full valuation allowance in the UK. These items are partially offset by the release of the Company’s income tax valuation allowance on domestic deferred tax assets due to consecutive years of positive net income and the utilization of the majority of loss carryforwards generated in prior years.

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Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Net Sales Adjusted to Exclude Surcharges

The tables below present net sales by end-market sector, adjusted to exclude surcharges, which represents a financial measure that has not been determined in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”). We believe presenting net sales by end-market sector, both on a gross basis and on a per ton basis, adjusted to exclude raw material and natural gas surcharges, provides additional insight into key drivers of net sales such as base price and product mix. Due to the fact that the surcharge mechanism can introduce volatility to our net sales, net sales adjusted to exclude surcharges provides management and investors clarity of our core pricing and results. Presenting net sales by end-market sector, adjusted to exclude surcharges including on a per ton basis, allows management and investors to better analyze key market indicators and trends and allows for enhanced comparison between our end-market sectors.

When surcharges are included in a customer agreement and are applicable (i.e., reach the threshold amount), based on the terms outlined in the respective agreement, surcharges are then included as separate line items on a customer’s invoice. These additional surcharge line items adjust base prices to match cost fluctuations due to market conditions. Each month, the company will post on the surcharges page of its external website, as well as our customer portal, the scrap, alloy, and natural gas surcharges that will be applied (as a separate line item) to invoices dated in the following month (based upon shipment volumes in the following month). All surcharges invoiced are included in GAAP net sales.

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

Amended Credit Agreement

On September 30, 2022, TimkenSteel Corporation (the “Company”), as borrower, and certain domestic subsidiaries of the Company, as subsidiary guarantors (the “Subsidiary Guarantors”), entered into a Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the “Amended Credit Agreement”), with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent (the “Administrative Agent”), and the lenders party thereto (collectively, the “Lenders”), which further amends and restates the Company’s existing secured Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of October 15, 2019.

The Amended Credit Agreement extended the maturity date of the asset-based revolving credit facility (the “Credit Facility”) from October 2024 to September 2027. Following the amendment, Credit Facility capacity remained at $400.0 million. Pursuant to the terms of the Amended Credit Agreement, the interest rate to be paid on any borrowings under the Credit Facility is now based on a two-tiered schedule rather than a three-tiered schedule with applicable rates decreasing by 25 basis points, references to LIBOR rates have been updated with references to SOFR rates, the advance rate on investment-grade eligible accounts receivable has been increased from 85% to 90%, and there has been an improvement in the springing fixed charge coverage ratio from 1.1x to 1.0x. The Credit Facility remains undrawn at this time.

Refer to “Note 14 - Financing Arrangements” in the Notes to the unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

Convertible Notes

In May 2016, the Company issued $75.0 million aggregate principal amount of Convertible Senior Notes due 2021, plus an additional $11.3 million principal amount to cover over-allotments.

In December 2020, the Company entered into separate, privately negotiated exchange agreements with a limited number of holders of the Company’s then outstanding Convertible Senior Notes due 2021. Pursuant to the exchange agreements, the Company exchanged $46.0 million aggregate principal amount of Convertible Senior Notes due 2021 for $46.0 million aggregate principal amount of its new Convertible Senior Notes due 2025. The Company did not receive any cash proceeds from the issuance of the Convertible Senior Notes due 2025.

The remaining Convertible Senior Notes due 2021 matured on June 1, 2021 and were settled with a combination of cash of $38.9 million and 0.1 million shares, as most noteholders exercised their conversion option prior to maturity. The final cash payment for interest was also made to noteholders on June 1, 2021 in the amount of $1.2 million.

The Convertible Senior Notes due 2025 bear cash interest at a rate of 6.0% per year, payable semiannually on June 1 and December 1, beginning on June 1, 2021. The Convertible Senior Notes due 2025 will mature on December 1, 2025, unless earlier repurchased or converted. The net amount of this exchange was $44.5 million, after deducting the initial underwriters’ fees and paying other transaction costs.

The Convertible Senior Notes due 2025 are convertible at the option of holders in certain circumstances and during certain periods into the Company’s common shares, cash, or a combination thereof, at the Company’s election. The Indenture for the Convertible Senior Notes due 2025 provides that notes will become convertible during a quarter when the share price for 20 trading days during the final 30 trading days of the immediately preceding quarter was greater than 130% of the conversion price. This criterion was met during the fourth quarter of 2022 and as such the notes can be converted at the option of the holders beginning January 1 through March 31, 2023. Whether the notes will be convertible following such period will depend on if this criterion, or another conversion condition, is met in the future. To date, no holders have elected to convert their notes during any optional conversion periods.

In the first half of 2022, TimkenSteel repurchased a total of $25.2 million aggregate principal amount of its Convertible Senior Notes Due 2025. There were no repurchases related to the Convertible Notes during the second half of 2022. Total cash paid to noteholders was $67.6 million. A loss on extinguishment of debt was recognized of $43.0 million, including a charge of $0.6 million for unamortized debt issuance costs related to the portion of debt extinguished, as well as the related transaction costs. The principal amount of the Convertible Senior Notes due 2025 as of December 31, 2022 is $20.8 million, while the Convertible Senior Notes due 2025, net is $20.4 million.

For additional details regarding the Amended Credit Agreement and the Convertible Notes, please refer to “Note 14 - Financing Arrangements” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, and for our discussion regarding risk factors related to our business and our debt, see Risk Factors in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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Additional Liquidity Considerations

The following represents a summary of total liquidity available under the Amended Credit Agreement in effect as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021:

(1) As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, TimkenSteel had less than $400.0 million in collateral assets to borrow against.

Our principal sources of liquidity are cash and cash equivalents, cash flows from operations and available borrowing capacity under our Amended Credit Agreement. As of December 31, 2022, taking into account our view of mobile, industrial, and energy market demand for our products, and our 2023 operating and long-range plan, we believe that our cash balance as of December 31, 2022, projected cash generated from operations, and borrowings available under the Amended Credit Agreement, will be sufficient to satisfy our working capital needs, capital expenditures and other liquidity requirements associated with our operations, including servicing our debt and pension and postretirement benefit obligations, for at least the next twelve months.

To the extent our liquidity needs prove to be greater than expected or cash generated from operations is less than anticipated, and cash on hand or credit availability is insufficient, we would seek additional financing to provide additional liquidity. We regularly evaluate our potential access to the equity and debt capital markets as sources of liquidity and we believe additional financing would likely be available if necessary, although we can make no assurance as to the form or terms of any such financing.

We continue to evaluate the best use of our liquidity which would allow us to invest in profitable growth, maintain a strong balance sheet, and return capital to shareholders. Currently, we are anticipating capital expenditures to be approximately $45 million in 2023, with $10 million allocated to profitability improvement projects.

During the first half of 2022, we privately negotiated early repurchases of $25.2 million aggregate principal amount of our Convertible Senior Notes Due 2025. In addition to reducing outstanding debt and generating $1.5 million of annual interest savings, the repurchases of convertible notes reduced diluted shares outstanding for the year ended December 31, 2022 by 2.3 million shares and, on a go-forward basis, reduced diluted shares outstanding by 3.2 million shares.

On December 20, 2021, TimkenSteel announced that its Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program under which the Company may repurchase up to $50.0 million of its outstanding common shares. The share repurchase program was intended to return capital to shareholders while also offsetting dilution from annual equity compensation awards. As of December 31, 2022, we consumed the previously approved $50.0 million repurchase program.

On November 2, 2022, the Board of Directors authorized an additional $75.0 million share repurchase program. This authorization reflects the continued confidence of the Board and senior leadership in the Company’s ability to generate sustainable through-cycle profitability while maintaining a strong balance sheet and cash flow. The share repurchase program does not require the Company to acquire any dollar amount or number of shares and may be modified, suspended, extended or terminated by the Company at any time without prior notice.

For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company repurchased approximately 3.0 million common shares in the open market at an aggregate cost of $52.0 million, which equates to an average repurchase price of $17.18 per share. As of December 31, 2022, the Company had a balance of $73.0 million remaining under its share repurchase program. The Company did not repurchase shares during the years ended December 31, 2021 or December 31, 2020.

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Subsequent to December 31, 2022, the Company repurchased 0.2 million additional common shares in the open market at an aggregate cost of $4.5 million, which equates to an average repurchase price of $19.19 per share. As of February 24, 2023, the Company has $68.5 million remaining under its authorized share repurchase program.

Legislation related to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Due to a provision in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security ("CARES") Act, the Company was able to defer the employer share of Social Security payroll taxes for a specified time during 2020. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company deferred $6.4 million in cash payments and recorded reserves for such deferred payroll taxes in salaries, wages and benefits on the Consolidated Balance Sheets, to be paid in two equal installments. The first installment in the amount of $3.2 million was paid during the fourth quarter of 2021 and the second installment of $3.2 million was paid during the fourth quarter of 2022.

The CARES Act also provided for an employee retention credit (“Employee Retention Credit”), which is a refundable tax credit against certain employment taxes. The Company qualified for the tax credit in the second and third quarters of 2020 and accrued a benefit of $2.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2020 related to the Employee Retention Credit in other (income) expense, net on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company filed for this credit in the second quarter of 2021 and received a portion of the proceeds from the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") in the amount of $0.5 million during the fourth quarter of 2021. The Company received the remaining $1.8 million of cash proceeds in the first quarter of 2022.

Cash Flows

The following table reflects the major categories of cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020. For additional details, please refer to the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows included in Item 8, "Financial Statements and Supplemental Data" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Operating activities

Net cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $134.5 million compared to net cash provided of $196.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The change was primarily due to lower profitability, partially offset by a reduction in working capital, during the year ended December 31, 2022. Refer to the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for additional information.

Investing activities

Net cash used by investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $21.7 million compared to net cash used of $4.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The change was primarily due to higher capital expenditures.

Financing activities

Net cash used by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $114.6 million compared to net cash used of $35.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The change was primarily due to the purchase of treasury shares and the repurchase of our Convertible Senior Notes due in 2025, partially offset by increased proceeds from the exercise of stock options during the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the same period of 2021.

Contractual Obligations and Commitments

Our material cash commitments from known contractual and other obligations primarily consist of obligations for long-term debt and related interest, purchase commitments as part of normal operations, retirement benefits, and operating leases for property and equipment.

Refer to “Note 14 - Financing Arrangements” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for more information regarding scheduled maturities of our long-term debt. Interest payments include interest on the Convertible Notes, as well as the unused commitment

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fee of 25 basis points related to the Amended Credit Agreement. Interest payable associated with our debt will be approximately $2.3 million due in the next twelve months and $6.2 million thereafter.

Purchase commitments are defined as agreements to purchase goods or services that are enforceable and legally binding. As of December 31, 2022, our undiscounted purchase commitments will be approximately $83.1 million due in the next twelve months and $77.3 million due thereafter. Included in purchase commitments are certain obligations related to capital asset commitments, service agreements and energy consumed in our production processes. These purchase commitments do not represent our entire anticipated purchases in the future but represent only those items for which we are contractually obligated as of December 31, 2022. The majority of our products and services are purchased as needed, with no advance commitment. We do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements with unconsolidated entities or other persons.

Retirement benefits are paid from plan assets and our operating cash flow. These include payments to meet minimum funding requirements of our defined benefit pension plans, estimated benefit payments for our unfunded supplemental executive retirement pension, and estimated benefit payments for our postretirement plans. The retirement benefit funding requirements are estimated required contributions and are significantly affected by asset returns and several other variables. These amounts are subject to change year to year. These amounts are based on Company estimates and current funding laws; actual future payments may be different. Refer to “Note 15 - Retirement and Postretirement Plans” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information related to the total pension and other postretirement benefit plans and expected benefit payments.

Refer to “Note 13 – Leases” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statement for additional information on leases.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the periods presented. We review our critical accounting policies throughout the year.

New Accounting Guidance

See “Note 2 - Significant Accounting Policies” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Revenue Recognition

TimkenSteel recognizes revenue from contracts at a point in time when it has satisfied its performance obligation and the customer obtains control of the goods, at the amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to receive for those goods.

Substantially all performance obligations arise from the sale of manufactured steel products. The Company receives and acknowledges purchase orders from its customers, which define the quantity, pricing, payment and other applicable terms and conditions. In some cases, the Company receives a blanket purchase order from its customer, which includes pricing, payment and other terms and conditions, with quantities defined at the time the customer issues periodic releases from the blanket purchase order.

Transfer of control and revenue recognition for substantially all the Company’s sales occur upon shipment or delivery of the product, which is when title, ownership, and risk of loss pass to the customer and is based on the applicable customer shipping terms.

The Company invoices its customers at the time of title transfer. Payment terms are generally 30 days from the invoice date. Invoiced amounts are usually inclusive of shipping and handling activities incurred. Shipping and handling activities billed are included in net sales in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The related costs incurred by the Company for the delivery of goods are classified as cost of products sold in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Certain contracts contain variable consideration, which primarily consists of rebates that are accounted for in net sales and accrued based on the estimated probability of the requirements being met.

Sales returns and allowances are treated as a reduction to net sales and are provided for primarily based on historical experience. These reserves also capture any potential warranty claims, which normally result in returned or replaced product.

Inventory

Inventories are stated at lower of cost or net realizable value. All inventories, including raw materials, manufacturing supplies inventory as well as international (outside the U.S.) inventories, have been valued using the FIFO or average cost method.

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Long-lived Assets

Long-lived assets (including tangible assets and intangible assets subject to amortization) are reviewed for impairment when events or changes in circumstances have occurred indicating the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable.

We test recoverability of long-lived assets at the lowest level for which there are identifiable cash flows that are independent from the cash flows of other assets. Assets and asset groups held and used are measured for recoverability by comparing the carrying amount of the asset or asset group to the sum of future undiscounted net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset or asset group.

Assumptions and estimates about future values and remaining useful lives of our long-lived assets are complex and subjective. They can be affected by a variety of factors, including external factors such as industry and economic trends and internal factors such as changes in our business strategy and our internal forecasts.

If an asset or asset group is considered to be impaired, the impairment loss that would be recognized is the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets. To determine fair value, we use internal cash flow estimates discounted at an appropriate interest rate, third party appraisals as appropriate, and/or market prices of similar assets, when available.

No impairment charges were recorded in 2022. As a result of the discontinued use of certain assets, we recorded an impairment charge of $10.6 million in 2021. Refer to “Note 6 – Disposition of Non-Core Assets” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.

Income Taxes

We are subject to income taxes in the U.S. and non-U.S. jurisdictions, and we account for income taxes in accordance with applicable accounting guidance. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recorded for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases, as well as net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. We record valuation allowances against deferred tax assets by tax jurisdiction when it is more likely than not that such assets will not be realized. In determining the need for a valuation allowance, the historical and projected financial performance of the entity recording the net deferred tax asset is considered along with any other pertinent information. Net deferred tax assets relate primarily to net operating losses and pension and other postretirement benefit obligations in the U.S., which we believe are more likely than not to result in future tax benefits. As of December 31, 2022, we have recorded a partial valuation allowance on our net deferred tax assets in the U.S., as we do not believe it is more likely than not that a portion of our U.S. deferred tax assets will be realized.

In the ordinary course of our business, there are many transactions and calculations regarding which the ultimate income tax determination is uncertain. We are regularly under audit by tax authorities. Accruals for uncertain tax positions are provided for in accordance with the requirements of applicable accounting guidance. We record interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions as a component of income tax expense.

Benefit Plans

TimkenSteel recognizes an overfunded status or underfunded status (e.g., the difference between the fair value of plan assets and the benefit obligations) as either an asset or a liability for its defined benefit pension and other postretirement benefit plans on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company recognizes actuarial gains and losses immediately through net periodic benefit cost in the Consolidated Statements of Operations upon the annual remeasurement at December 31, or on an interim basis as triggering events warrant remeasurement. An example of a potential triggering event would be settlements. The Company’s accounting policy is to recognize settlements during the quarter in which it is projected that the costs of all settlements during the year will be greater than the sum of the service cost and interest cost components of net periodic benefit cost. In addition, the Company uses fair value to account for the value of plan assets.

As of December 31, 2022, our projected benefit obligations related to our pension and other postretirement benefit plans were $666.6 million and $87.4 million, respectively, and the underfunded status of our pension and other postretirement benefit obligations were $117.2 million and $28.2 million, respectively. These benefit obligations were valued using a weighted average discount rate of 5.61% for pension benefit plans and 5.70% for other postretirement benefit plans. The determination of the discount rate is generally based on an index created from a hypothetical bond portfolio consisting of high-quality fixed income securities with durations that match the timing of expected benefit

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payments. Changes in the selected discount rate could have a material impact on our projected benefit obligations and the unfunded status of our pension and other postretirement benefit plans.

For the year ended December 31, 2022, net periodic pension and postretirement benefit income was $23.3 million and $16.7 million, respectively. In 2022, net periodic pension and other postretirement benefit income was calculated using a variety of assumptions, including a weighted average discount rate of 2.96% and 3.00%, respectively, and a weighted average expected return on plan assets of 5.96% and 4.75%, respectively. The expected return on plan assets is determined based on forward-looking current market pricing. The forward-looking analysis is performed using a building block approach incorporating inputs such as current yields, valuations, economic data and broad macroeconomic themes.

The net periodic benefit income and benefit obligation are affected by applicable year-end assumptions. Sensitivities to these assumptions may be asymmetric and are specific to the time periods noted. The impact of changing multiple factors simultaneously cannot be calculated by combining the individual sensitivities. The sensitivity to changes in discount rate assumptions may not be linear. A sensitivity analysis of the projected incremental effect of a 0.25% increase (decrease), holding all other assumptions constant, is as follows:

In 2023, the aggregate net periodic pension is forecasted to be expense of $10.3 million, while other postretirement is forecasted to be income of $4.0 million. This estimate is based on a weighted average discount rate of 5.61% for the pension benefit plans and 5.70% for other postretirement benefit plans, as well as a weighted average expected return on assets of 7.13% for the pension benefit plans and 6.25% for the other postretirement benefit plans. Actual cost also is dependent on various other factors related to the employees covered by these plans. Adjustments to our actuarial assumptions could have a material impact on our operating results.

Please refer to “Note 15 - Retirement and Postretirement Plans” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information related to our pension and other postretirement benefit plans.

Other Loss Reserves

We have a number of loss exposures that are incurred in the ordinary course of business, such as environmental claims, product warranty claims, employee-related matters, litigation and accounts receivable reserves. Establishing loss reserves for these matters requires management’s estimate and judgment with regard to risk exposure and ultimate liability or realization. These loss reserves are reviewed periodically and adjustments are made to reflect the most recent facts and circumstances. These other loss reserves have an immaterial impact on the Consolidated Financial Statements.

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Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements set forth in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (including our forecasts, beliefs and expectations) that are not historical in nature are “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In particular, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations contains numerous forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally will be accompanied by words such as “anticipate,” ,“aspire,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “outlook,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “strategic direction,” “strategy,” “target,” “will,” “would,” or other similar words, phrases or expressions that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this Form 10-K. We caution readers that actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of us due to a variety of factors, such as:

•
deterioration in world economic conditions, or in economic conditions in any of the geographic regions in which we conduct business, including additional adverse effects from global economic slowdown, terrorism or hostilities. This includes: political risks associated with the potential instability of governments and legal systems in countries in which we or our customers conduct business, and changes in currency valuations;

•
the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on the global economy, sourcing of raw materials, and commodity prices;

•
climate-related risks, including environmental and severe weather caused by climate changes, and legislative and regulatory initiatives addressing global climate change or other environmental concerns;

•
the effects of fluctuations in customer demand on sales, product mix and prices in the industries in which we operate. This includes: our ability to respond to rapid changes in customer demand including but not limited to changes in customer operating schedules due to supply chain constraints; the effects of customer bankruptcies or liquidations; the impact of changes in industrial business cycles; and whether conditions of fair trade exist in the U.S. markets;

•
the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operations and financial results, including cash flows and liquidity;

•
whether we are able to successfully implement actions designed to improve profitability on anticipated terms and timetables and whether we are able to fully realize the expected benefits of such actions;

•
competitive factors, including changes in market penetration; increasing price competition by existing or new foreign and domestic competitors; the introduction of new products by existing and new competitors; and new technology that may impact the way our products are sold or distributed;

•
changes in operating costs, including the effect of changes in our manufacturing processes; changes in costs associated with varying levels of operations and manufacturing capacity; availability of raw materials and energy; our ability to mitigate the impact of fluctuations in raw materials and energy costs and the effectiveness of our surcharge mechanism; changes in the expected costs associated with product warranty claims; changes resulting from inventory management, cost reduction initiatives and different levels of customer demands; the effects of unplanned work stoppages; and changes in the cost of labor and benefits;

•
the success of our operating plans, announced programs, initiatives and capital investments; and our ability to maintain appropriate relations with the union that represents our associates in certain locations in order to avoid disruptions of business;

•
unanticipated litigation, claims or assessments, including claims or problems related to intellectual property, product liability or warranty, employment matters, and environmental issues and taxes, among other matters;

•
cyber-related risks, including information technology system failures, interruptions and security breaches;

•
with respect to the company's ability to achieve its sustainability goals, including its 2030 environmental goals, the ability to meet such goals within the expected timeframe, changes in laws, regulations, prevailing standards or public policy, the alignment of the scientific community on measurement and reporting approaches, the complexity of commodity supply chains and the evolution of and adoption of new technology, including traceability practices, tools and processes;

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•
the availability of financing and interest rates, which affect our cost of funds and/or ability to raise capital, including our ability to refinance and/or repay prior to or at maturity the Convertible Notes due December 1, 2025; our pension obligations and investment performance; and/or customer demand and the ability of customers to obtain financing to purchase our products or equipment that contain our products;

•
the overall impact of the pension and postretirement mark-to-market accounting;

•
the effects of the conditional conversion feature of the Convertible Senior Notes due 2025, which, if triggered, entitles holders to convert the notes at any time during specified periods at their option and therefore could result in potential dilution if the holder elects to convert and the Company elects to satisfy a portion or all of the conversion obligation by delivering common shares instead of cash;

•
the timing required to ramp up melt production to forecasted demand levels, as the Company recovers from unplanned operational downtime in the second half of 2022, as well as the amount that the Company is able to recover from its insurance policies in connection with the related unplanned downtime;

•
the impacts from any repurchases of our common shares and convertible notes, including the timing and amount of any repurchases; and

•
those items identified under the caption Risk Factors in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

You are cautioned that it is not possible to predict or identify all of the risks, uncertainties and other factors that may affect future results, and that the above list should not be considered to be a complete list. Except as required by the federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Further, this report includes our current policy and intent and is not intended to create legal rights or obligations. Certain standards of measurement and performance contained in this report are developing and based on assumptions, and no assurance can be given that any plan, objective, initiative, projection, goal, mission, commitment, expectation, or prospect set forth in this report can or will be achieved. Inclusion of information in this report is not an indication that the subject or information is material to our business or operating results.

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Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

(dollars in millions, except per share data)

Business Overview

We manufacture alloy steel, as well as carbon and micro-alloy steel. Our portfolio includes special bar quality ("SBQ") bars, seamless mechanical tubing ("tubes"), manufactured components (formerly known as the "value-add" product type) such as precision steel components, and billets. In addition, we supply machining and thermal treatment services, and we manage raw material recycling programs, which are also used as a feeder system for our melt operations. Our products and services are used in a diverse range of demanding applications in the following market sectors: automotive; oil and gas; industrial equipment; mining; construction; rail; defense; heavy truck; agriculture; power generation; and oil country tubular goods ("OCTG").

SBQ steel is made to restrictive chemical compositions and high internal purity levels and is used in critical mechanical applications. We make these products from nearly 100% recycled steel, using our expertise in raw materials to create custom steel products. We focus on creating tailored products and services for our customers’ most demanding applications. Our engineers are experts in both materials and applications, so we can work closely with each customer to deliver flexible solutions related to our products as well as to their applications and supply chains.

The SBQ bar, tube, and billet production processes take place at our Canton, Ohio manufacturing location. This location accounts for all of the SBQ bars, seamless mechanical tubes and billets we produce and includes three manufacturing facilities: the Faircrest, Harrison, and Gambrinus facilities. Our production of manufactured components takes place at two downstream manufacturing facilities: Tryon Peak (Columbus, North Carolina) and St. Clair (Eaton, Ohio). Many of the production processes are integrated, and the manufacturing facilities produce products that are sold in all of our market sectors. As a result, investments in our facilities and resource allocation decisions affecting our operations are designed to benefit the overall business, not any specific aspect of the business.

On February 16, 2021, management announced a plan to indefinitely idle our Harrison melt and casting assets, which was completed in the first quarter of 2021. All of our melt and casting activities now take place at the Faircrest location. We worked collaboratively with employees, suppliers and a number of customers to ensure a well-organized and efficient transition. Our rolling and finishing operations at Harrison were not impacted by this action. For additional details regarding this matter please refer to “Note 6 – Disposition of Non-Core Assets.”

Prior to indefinitely idling these assets, we had an annual melt capacity of approximately 2 million tons and shipment capacity of 1.5 million tons. After indefinitely idling these assets, our annual melt capacity is approximately 1.2 million tons and our shipment capacity is approximately 0.9 million tons.

On March 31, 2021, the Company entered into an agreement pursuant to which Daido Steel (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. agreed to acquire all of the Company’s ownership interest in TimkenSteel (Shanghai) Corporation Limited in an all-cash transaction. The sale closed on July 30, 2021. TimkenSteel’s consolidated financial statements include activity for TimkenSteel (Shanghai) Corporation Limited through July 30, 2021.

On October 29, 2021, the United Steelworkers ("USW") Local 1123 voted to ratify a new four-year contract (the “Contract”). The Contract, which is in effect until September 27, 2025, offers TimkenSteel's Canton-based bargaining employees an increase to base wages every year (3% beginning as of September 26, 2021 and thereafter 2.5% until 2024), competitive healthcare and retirement benefits for all members, and a continued focus on employee wellbeing as well as safe and sustainable operations. A contract ratification bonus was paid to bargaining employees during the fourth quarter of 2021 at a cost of approximately $2 million. The Contract covers approximately 1,170 bargaining employees at the Company’s Canton, Ohio operations.

We conduct our business activities and report financial results as one business segment. The presentation of financial results as one reportable segment is consistent with the way we operate our business and is consistent with the manner in which the CODM evaluates performance and makes resource and operating decisions for the business as described above. Furthermore, the Company notes that monitoring financial results as one reportable segment helps the CODM manage costs on a consolidated basis, consistent with the integrated nature of our operations.

Markets We Serve

We sell products and services that are used in a diverse range of demanding applications around the world. No one customer accounted for 10% or more of net sales in 2021.

Key indicators for our market include the U.S. light vehicle production Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate, oil and gas rig count activity and U.S. footage drilled, and industrial production for agriculture and construction markets, distribution, and mining and oil field machinery products. In addition, we closely monitor the Purchasing Managers’ Index, which is a leading indicator for our overall business.

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Impact of Raw Material Prices

In the ordinary course of business, we are exposed to the volatility of the costs of our raw materials. Whenever possible, we manage our exposure to commodity risks primarily through the use of supplier pricing agreements that enable us to establish the purchase prices for certain inputs that are used in our manufacturing process. We utilize a raw material surcharge mechanism when pricing products to our customers, which is designed to mitigate the impact of increases or decreases in raw material costs, although generally with a lag effect. This timing effect can result in raw material spread whereby costs can be over- or under-recovered in certain periods. While the surcharge generally protects gross profit, it has the effect of diluting gross margin as a percent of sales.

Results of Operations

Net Sales

The charts below present net sales and shipments for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019.

Net sales for the year ended December 31, 2021 were $1,282.9 million, an increase of $452.2 million, or 54.4% compared with the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase in sales was driven by an increase in surcharges and higher volumes, partially offset by unfavorable price/mix. The increase in surcharges of $272.1 million was due to higher market prices for scrap and alloy across all end-market sectors. Higher volumes of 178.2 thousand ship tons resulted in a net sales increase of $220.5 million, primarily due to higher customer demand in the industrial, mobile and energy end-market sectors, despite an approximate 45 thousand ton decrease in expected ship tons for the year ended December 31, 2021 due to the semiconductor chip shortage in the mobile end-market sector. This increase in demand was partially offset by no OCTG billet shipments during the year ended December 31, 2021. Unfavorable price/mix of $40.4 million was driven primarily by unfavorable mix within the industrial end-market sector. Excluding surcharges, net sales increased $180.1 million or 25.9%.

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Gross Profit

The chart below presents the drivers of the gross profit variance from the year ended December 31, 2020 to December 31, 2021.

Gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2021 increased $204.4 million compared with the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase was driven by favorable raw material spread, lower manufacturing costs, increased volume, and favorable inventory adjustments, partially offset by unfavorable price/mix. Raw material spread was favorable due to higher scrap and alloy spreads. Lower manufacturing costs were primarily due to the Company’s significant cost reduction actions and a favorable impact of higher production levels on fixed cost leverage, partially offset by higher variable compensation costs. The increase in volume was due to higher customer demand in the industrial, mobile, and energy end-market sectors for the year ended December 31, 2021. Inventory adjustments were also favorable as additional reserves were recorded during the year ended December 31, 2020 due to market conditions at the time, specifically in the energy end-market sector, which were reversed throughout 2021 as the related inventory was sold or scrapped. These increases were partially offset by unfavorable price/mix, driven by unfavorable mix within the industrial end-market sector.

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Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

The charts below present selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") expense for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019.

SG&A expense for the year ended December 31, 2021 increased by $0.5 million, or 0.7%, compared with the year ended December 31, 2020. This increase is primarily due to higher 2021 variable compensation expense given the Company's improved financial performance, partially offset by lower wages and benefits expense as a result of a reduction in employee headcount following the Company’s restructuring actions.

Restructuring Charges

Over the past several years, TimkenSteel has made numerous organizational changes to enhance profitable and sustainable growth. These company-wide actions included the restructuring of its business support functions, the reduction of management layers throughout the organization and other domestic and international actions to further improve the Company’s overall cost structure. Restructuring charges for the year ended December 31, 2021 totaled $6.7 million. Approximately 75 salaried positions were eliminated through restructuring actions in 2021. Over half of these positions and approximately $4 million of the aforementioned 2021 restructuring charges were due to a voluntary exit incentive offered by the Company in the fourth quarter of 2021 to certain U.S.-based salaried non-operative employees who would have been eligible for retirement by December 31, 2023.

During this overall period of organizational changes, the Company has eliminated approximately 290 salaried positions through restructuring actions and recognized restructuring charges of $18.4 million. The Company expects to realize ongoing annual savings of approximately $39 million as a result of these actions.

Refer to “Note 5 - Restructuring Charges” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

Impairment Charges & Loss (Gain) on Sale or Disposal of Assets, net

TimkenSteel recorded approximately $10.6 million of impairment charges for the year ended December 31, 2021. This was driven by $7.9 million of impairment charges related to the indefinite idling of our Harrison melt and casting assets. Other impairment charges included $2.4 million related to the impairment of certain assets at our St. Clair facility due to the early termination of a customer program and $0.3 million related to the disposition of assets at our former TMS facility. No impairment charge was recorded for the year ended December 31, 2020.

Additionally, the Company recorded a net loss on sale of assets for the year ended December 31, 2021 of $1.3 million related to the disposition of excess assets. For the year ended December 31, 2020, TimkenSteel recorded a net gain on the sale and disposal of assets of $2.6 million, primarily related to the sale of certain assets related to our closed TMS facility.

Refer to “Note 6 - Disposition of Non-Core Assets” and “Note 11 - Property, Plant and Equipment” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

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Interest Expense

Interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $5.9 million, a decrease of $6.3 million, compared with the year ended December 31, 2020. The decrease in interest expense was primarily due to the adoption of the Accounting Standard Update 2020-06 on January 1, 2021, which caused the Convertible Notes to no longer have a debt discount that is amortized. The remaining decrease is driven by a reduction in outstanding borrowings. Refer to “Note 14 - Financing Arrangements” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

Other (Income) Expense, net

Non-service related pension and other postretirement benefit income, for all years, consists primarily of the interest cost, expected return on plan assets and amortization components of net periodic cost. The loss from remeasurement of benefit plans is due to the Company performing mark-to-market accounting on its pension and postretirement assets at year-end and upon the occurrence of certain triggering events. For more details on the remeasurement refer to “Note 15 - Retirement and Postretirement Plans.”

During the second quarter of 2021, TimkenSteel received a refund from the State of Ohio related to an overpayment of sales and use taxes for the period of October 1, 2016 through September 30, 2019. This resulted in a gain recognized of $2.5 million, net of related professional fees, for the year ended December 31, 2021.

During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company recognized a $2.3 million benefit related to the Employee Retention Credit in other (income) expense, net. For more details on this credit refer to "Note 2 - Significant Accounting Policies."

Provision for Income Taxes