Constellium SE, headquartered in Paris, has reported results for its first quarter of 2022 ended March 31 that include shipments of 401,000 metric tons, 4 percent more than in the first quarter of 2021, and revenue of 2 billion euros, or $2.1 billion. Its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) totaled 167 million euros, or $176 million, for the quarter, a 38 percent increase year over year.

Constellium Chief Executive Officer Jean-Marc Germain says, “Our team delivered very strong first-quarter results on strong demand across most end markets and solid execution despite significant inflationary pressures. Adjusted EBITDA of 167 million euros was a first-quarter record and a 38 percent improvement over last year’s first quarter. P&ARP (Packaging and Automotive Rolled Products) reported record first-quarter adjusted EBITDA as continued strength in packaging demand more than offset lower shipments in automotive caused by the semiconductor shortage. A&T (Auto and Transportation) also reported strong first-quarter adjusted EBITDA supported by a greater than 20 percent increase in aerospace shipments compared to the same quarter last year and continued strength in transportation, industry and defense (TID). AS&I (Automotive Structures and Industry) also performed very well, falling just short of 2021's record first-quarter performance despite lower automotive shipments. Lastly, we generated solid free cash flow of 26 million euros ($27.4 million) and reduced our leverage to 3.2x.”

He continues, "While there are uncertainties today on the macroeconomic and geopolitical fronts, I am optimistic about our prospects for the remainder of this year and beyond."

Constellium raised its adjusted EBITDA guidance to 640 million euros to 660 million euros, or $675 million to $695.9 million, and free cash flow to more than 170 million euros, or $179.2 million, in 2022.

The company says its overall shipments grew during the quarter because of higher shipments in the P&ARP and A&T segments, while its growth in revenue largely was because of higher metal prices.

Looking at specific segments, Constellium's P&ARP division saw adjusted EBITDA increase 20 percent compared with the first quarter of 2021 primarily because of higher shipments, improved price and mix and favorable metal costs, partially offset by higher operating costs from inflation, the company says. Shipments of 276,000 metric tons increased 3 percent compared with the first quarter of 2021 based on higher shipments of packaging and specialty rolled products, partially offset by lower shipments of automotive rolled products.

In its A&T segment, Constellium saw adjusted EBITDA increase 169 percent compared with the first quarter of 2021 primarily because of higher shipments and improved price and mix, partially offset by higher operating costs in light of inflation and production increases, Constellium says. The first quarter of 2022 included a 10 million euros, or $10.5 million) customer payment related to a contractual volume commitment. Shipments of 55,000 metric tons increased 15 percent compared with the first quarter of the prior year on higher shipments of aerospace and TID rolled products. Revenue of 385 million euros, or $405.9 million, increased 57 percent compared with the first quarter of 2021 primarily because of higher metal prices, higher shipments and improved price and mix.

In its AS&I segment, adjusted EBITDA decreased 3 percent compared with the first quarter of 2021 primarily because of higher operating costs from inflation, largely offset by improved price and mix. Constellium reports shipments of 70,000 metric tons in its AS&I segment were stable compared with the first quarter of the prior year as higher shipments of other extruded products were offset by lower shipments of automotive extruded products. Revenue of 459 million euros, or $515.6 million, increased 31 percent compared with the first quarter of 2021 primarily because of higher metal prices.

Chicago-based automotive recycler LKQ Corp. has reported first quarter 2022 results it says reflect year-over-year improvement in revenue and earnings per share.

“We are extremely pleased with our first quarter results, which built on the momentum from last year and are a validation of the resiliency of our operating model,” says Dominick Zarcone, the company’s president and CEO. “I am pleased with our team's responsiveness to the challenging macroeconomic environment by quickly taking action to mitigate supply chain and inflationary headwinds. Based on our strong start to the year and confidence in our competitive position, we are raising our full year revenue and earnings per share (EPS) outlook.”

LKQ’s revenue for the first quarter of 2022 was $3.3 billion, an increase of 5.6 percent compared with $3.2 billion in the first quarter of last year. The company’s adjusted net income of $287 million compares with $286 million in the first quarter of 2021, an increase of just 0.34 percent. However, LKQ’s adjusted diluted earnings per share figure of $1.00 for the quarter is a 6.4 percent increase compared with EPS of 94 cents in the first quarter of 2021.

On the revenue side, LKQ cites scrap metal sales as a factor in the 2.0 percent rise in its “other revenue” category year-on-year. That includes prices fetched for aluminum, “cores and higher scrap steel prices, partially offset by lower precious metals prices.”

Varun Laroyia, LKQ’s chief financial officer, says, “The business has delivered a solid start to the fiscal year, and we are encouraged by the demand outlook for our segments, as reflected in our increased full-year outlook. We continue to generate strong free cash flow and remain committed to investing in the business to drive long-term sustainable earnings growth, maintaining an investment grade debt rating, and returning excess free cash flow to shareholders via share repurchases and quarterly dividends.”

Baltimore-based recycling and waste sector analyst Michael E. Hoffman of Stifel Financial Corp. says of the latest LKQ results that they “demonstrate the recurring nature of the business and LKQ’s position to excel versus the competition.”

Adds Hoffman, “LKQ appears to be gaining [market] share in North America, Europe and the United Kingdom in [both] the parts and services” sectors.

Reno, Nevada-based Aqua Metals Inc. says it is producing plates of high-purity nickel “one atom at a time, from ‘black mass’ created from a variety of lithium-ion batteries.”

The company’s refinery technology, initially directed at the lead-acid battery market, is now being modified and tested to extract and purify metals from lithium-ion batteries and the black mass created when such batteries are shredded and partially sorted.

“This achievement supports the expectation that Aqua Metals’ Li AquaRefining potentially has strong economic and environmental advantages over other lithium-ion recycling processes in use or under development,” states the company.

Aqua Metals says its early test production of nickel sulfate, a compound often used in battery precursor material, has shown “promising results.”

“The only Li-battery recycling method commercially in use today is smelting, which produces an alloy of the metals that needs multiple pyrometallurgical steps of processing to achieve the product we produce right out of our system,” says David Regan, a vice president of with Aqua Metals. “These additional steps add emissions and cost, which is why we believe our process may be more cost-effective and sustainable than smelting or other recycling methods, and even mining.”

Aqua Metals cites a study by Australia-based Stockhead forecasting that nickel demand for lithium-ion batteries could grow by 567 percent by 2025, compared with 2019 levels. “The exponential growth in demand for nickel due to the global expansion of electric vehicles has resulted in a correlating and unprecedented surge in nickel prices,” states Aqua Metals.

Tightness in the nickel market has been “greatly exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, as Russia is one of the world’s largest suppliers of the metal,” says the company.

“It is an environmental and geopolitical reality that the United States needs to transition to electrified transportation supported with renewable energy while also building a strong domestic battery supply chain through environmentally responsible recycling,” says Steve Cotton, Aqua Metals’ president and CEO. “Our sustainable recycling process has already proven its ability to extract high-quality lithium, copper, and now nickel from lithium-ion black mass, and we intend to build on these early successes to help deliver on the president’s vision of a robust and environmentally responsible domestic industrial base to meet the requirements of the clean energy economy.”

To date, Aqua Metals says it also has produced high-purity lithium hydroxide and copper from lithium-ion battery black mass at its Innovation Center in the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center in Nevada. Through the development of AquaRefining for lead batteries, Aqua Metals calls itself “the only company that has experience building a commercial clean metals recycling technology.”

Norway-based Norsk Hydro has announced a tender offer for the acquisition of 100 percent of the shares of Poland-based Alumetal S.A. Hydro describes that company as the second-largest producer of aluminum casting alloys in Europe.

According to Hydro, Alumetal has annual production capacity of 275,000 metric tons at its three plants in Poland and one in Hungary. Hydro describes the company as experienced in the sorting of postconsumer scrap and says Alumetal currently is “constructing a new, state-of-the-art sorting line” for the scrap it melts. Alumetal sells its products primarily within Europe and to the automotive sector, Hydro adds.

“An acquisition of Alumetal is an exciting step toward delivering on our recycling strategy,” says Eivind Kallevik, an executive vice president with Hydro. “We have been impressed by the development of the company over time, and by the quality of production, modern assets and of the competence of management and employees. We look forward to bringing Alumetal into the Hydro family and join forces to develop an even better offering of low-carbon recycled aluminum to our customers in the years to come.”

Hydro will pay an estimated $305 million for Alumetal. “With the transaction, Hydro will strengthen its recycling position in Europe and widen its product offering in the low-carbon and scrap-based foundry alloy market,” states the Norwegian company.

Completion of the purchase is subject to terms and conditions, including obtaining anti-trust-related clearance and “gaining control of a minimum of 66 percent of total shares outstanding,” Hydro says. The company says it “has concluded an agreement with two members of the Alumetal Supervisory Board and all members of the Alumetal Management Board, in total holding approximately 39 percent of the company’s shares, who have undertaken to submit subscriptions in the tender offer for all their shares at the offer price.”

Hydro says its 2025 strategy has been designed to strengthen its position in low-carbon aluminum by investing in recycling. Hydro has set a 2025 strategic ambition to double its recycling of what it calls post-consumer scrap and to increase annual recycling earnings by a range of about $75 million to $117 million by 2025. The use of post-consumer scrap “significantly reduces the CO₂ footprint” compared to pre-consumer or process scrap or primary aluminum, states the firm.