Tata Steel reported that its saleable steel output in the June quarter was down marginally at 1.74 million tonnes (mt) against 1.75 mt in the same period last year.

This was largely due to power outages which impacted downstream production, the company said in a press release on Friday.

Sales during the quarter under review were unchanged at 1.59 mt.

However, it was down 11 per cent compared to 1.79 mt registered in the fourth quarter.

The company recorded its highest-ever hot metal production of 2.05 mt (1.94 mt) while crude steel output was up two per cent at 1.82 mt (1.79 mt).

Last month, Credit Suisse, a global financial company, downgraded Tata Steel to underperformer from neutral, while forecasting that bigger-than-expected fall in steel prices would impact the company’s profitability.

Earlier, JSW Steel said its crude steel production in the first quarter of this fiscal was up 27 per cent at 2.14 million tonnes (mt) despite iron ore supply constraints in Karnataka.

>suresh@thehindu.co.in

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