Some steel stocks fall after report of rising China exports, bearish note

• Steel stocks (NYSEARCA:SLX) finished mostly lower after a WSJ weekend report on increasing Chinese steel exports and an analyst note that lowered price targets on the sector.
• WSJ said China's steel exports rose 63% Y/Y to 9.2M tons in January, and that as China's growth slows it is shipping its excess steel overseas, resulting in lower prices and prompting steel producers all over the world to seek government protection.
• Also, Jefferies cut price targets on several sector names after what it sees as a challenging Q1, noted that most of its contacts expect steel prices to trough sometime in Q2, and said it believes mini-mill producers such as Steel Dynamics and Nucor are best positioned in the group.
• In today's trade, X +0.7%, NUE +1.1%, STLD +0.1%, AKS -1.5%, WOR -2.3%, CMC -3%, SCHN -4.7%.