U.S. Steel sees ‘stronger’ quarter ahead on improved steel market

Shares of U.S. Steel Corp. rose 2% in the extended session Thursday after the steel producer topped expectations for its first quarter, saying that it sees an “improved market” and believes that the current quarter will be “stronger.” U.S. Steel earned $199 million, or 78 cents a share, in the first quarter, compared with $882 million, or $3.02 a share, in the year-ago period. Adjusted for one-time items, the company earned 77 cents a share. Revenue dropped to $4.5 billion, from $5.2 billion a year ago. Analysts polled by FactSet expected adjusted EPS of 45 cents a share on sales of $4.3 billion. “Our focus on being…