United States Steel Corporation X swung to a profit of $91 million or 35 cents per share in first-quarter 2021 from a loss of $391 million or $2.30 per share in the year-ago quarter.Barring one-time items, adjusted earnings per share were $1.08 compared with a loss of 73 cents in the prior-year quarter. The figure trounced the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 91 cents.Revenues climbed around 33% year over year to $3,664 million in the reported quarter. However, it missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3,879.2 million.The company benefited from strong customer demand, higher prices and the Big River Steel acquisition in the quarter. United States Steel Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise United States Steel Corporation price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | United States Steel Corporation Quote Segment HighlightsFlat-Rolled: The segment recorded a profit of $146 million in the first quarter compared with a loss of $35 million in the year-ago quarter.Steel shipments in the segment fell roughly 7% year over year to 2,332,000 tons and average realized price per ton in the unit was $888, up around 25% year over year.Mini Mill: The company added the segment after Jan 15, 2021 with the purchase of the remaining stake in Big River Steel. The segment recorded a profit of $132 million in the quarter. Shipments were 447,000 tons while average realized price per ton was $967.U.S. Steel Europe: The segment posted profits of $105 million against a loss of $14 million in the year-ago quarter. Shipments in the segment rose around 30% year over year to 1,043,000 tons. Average realized price per ton for the unit was $748, up around 22% year over year.Tubular: Loss in the segment was $29 million, narrower than a loss of $48 million in the year-ago quarter.Shipments declined roughly 52% year over year to 89,000 tons. Average realized price per ton for the unit was $1,372, up roughly 7% year over year.FinancialsCash and cash equivalents was $753 million at the end of the quarter, down around 44% year over year. Long-term debt rose roughly 25% year over year to $5,787 million.OutlookMoving ahead, the company noted that it is well placed to translate earnings into cash flow on the back of a strong market and its disciplined approach to capital allocation.Price PerformanceThe company’s shares rallied 193% in the past a year, outperforming the industry’s 155.1% rise. Zacks Rank & Key PicksU.S. Steel currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).Better-ranked stocks worth considering in the basic materials space include Nucor Corporation NUE, Dow Inc. DOW and Impala Platinum Holdings Limited IMPUY.Nucor has a projected earnings growth rate of 228.4% for the current year. The company’s shares have rallied around 100% in a year. It currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.Dow has a projected earnings growth rate of 261.5% for the current year. The company’s shares have shot up around 75% in a year. It currently sports a Zacks Rank #1.Impala Platinum has an expected earnings growth rate of 197.6% for the current fiscal. The company’s shares have surged around 238% in the past year. It currently carries a Zacks Rank #1.5 Stocks Set to DoubleEach was hand-picked by a Zacks expert as the #1 favorite stock to gain +100% or more in 2020. Each comes from a different sector and has unique qualities and catalysts that could fuel exceptional growth.Most of the stocks in this report are flying under Wall Street radar, which provides a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor.Today, See These 5 Potential Home Runs >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report United States Steel Corporation (X): Free Stock Analysis Report Nucor Corporation (NUE): Free Stock Analysis Report Dow Inc. (DOW): Free Stock Analysis Report Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd. (IMPUY): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research