COMMERCIAL METALS Co
For the period ended Aug 31, 2026. Filed Oct 16, 2026.
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FY2026 · Filed Oct 16, 2026
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Item 3. : Legal Proceedings
The Company is involved in legal and regulatory proceedings, lawsuits, claims and investigations (including those related to environmental laws and regulations) associated with the normal conduct of its businesses and operations. It is not possible to predict the outcome of the pending actions, and, as with any litigation, it is possible that these actions could be decided unfavorably to the Company.
Legal Proceedings
On October 30, 2020, plaintiff PSG filed a suit in the Northern District Court alleging that CMC, CMC Steel Fabricators, Inc. and CMC Steel US, LLC violated the federal and California state antitrust laws and California common law by entering into an exclusivity agreement for certain steel mill equipment manufactured by one of our equipment suppliers. On November 5, 2024, a jury returned a verdict in favor of PSG in the amount of $110.0 million, which the Northern District Court, in entering its judgment on the verdict, subsequently trebled as a matter of law. PSG is also entitled to petition for and recover its attorneys' fees, costs and post-judgment interest. On December 20, 2024, CMC, CMC Steel Fabricators, Inc. and CMC Steel US, LLC filed a motion with the Northern District Court challenging the jury’s verdict and requesting a new trial. On September 29, 2025, the Northern District Court denied this post-trial motion, upholding the jury’s verdict. We are confident we conducted our business appropriately and intend to vigorously pursue all reasonably available avenues to have the verdict and judgment overturned, including by filing an appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit within the statutory period. In the meantime, as a trial judgment in favor of PSG was rendered, it was determined that there was a probable and reasonably estimable loss, which was recorded as an expense within the consolidated financial statements. In the year ended August 31, 2025, we reported $362.3 million of litigation expense in the consolidated statement of earnings, which represents the Company's estimate based on its understanding of the PSG judgment, PSG's attorneys' fees and other related costs, including post-judgment interest for the period. In the year ended August 31, 2026, we reported $15.4 million of litigation expense in the consolidated statement of earnings, which amount primarily represents the Company's estimate of post-judgment interest on the PSG judgment for the period. These amounts were classified as current liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets as of August 31, 2026 because the timing of the potential payment is uncertain. All other legal expenses for the year ended August 31, 2026 and August 31, 2025 are reported within SG&A expenses. If the verdict and judgment are overturned through the appeals process, the expenses and related liability will be reversed in the same period the verdict and judgment are overturned. Our litigation defense costs are expensed as incurred. Although we are vigorously pursuing a reversal of the jury’s verdict and the judgment, the ultimate resolution is uncertain. Unless the verdict and judgment are overturned or the judgment is significantly reduced, the cash payments incurred in connection with this litigation could have a significant impact on our liquidity and financial condition.
On March 13, 2022, PSG filed a second suit in the San Diego County Superior Court of California alleging that CMC Steel Fabricators, Inc., CMC Steel US, LLC, and CMC Rebar West (which later merged into CMC Steel Fabricators, Inc.) violated
California state antitrust and unfair competition laws by bidding below their costs for rebar furnish-and-install projects in California to hamper PSG's ability to win jobs and reduce PSG’s profitability. These allegations were initially brought in PSG's lawsuit in the Northern District Court, but were dismissed without prejudice by the Northern District Court for lack of jurisdiction. This second lawsuit was later removed to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California (the "Southern District Court"). There, PSG seeks, among other things, a jury trial on its claims in addition to injunctive relief, compensatory damages of approximately $29 million for alleged lost profits, pre-judgment interest, fees and costs. Fact and expert discovery are substantially complete. On November 12, 2024, CMC Steel Fabricators, Inc., CMC Steel US, LLC and CMC Rebar West filed a motion for summary judgment, which was subsequently denied on September 29, 2025. This ruling does not represent a determination on the merits of the case. As of the date of this Annual Report, no trial has been scheduled. We are confident we conducted our business appropriately, believe we have substantial defenses and intend to vigorously defend against PSG's claims. We have not recorded any liability for this matter as we do not believe a loss is probable, and cannot estimate any reasonably possible loss or range of possible loss. It is possible that an unfavorable resolution of this matter could have an adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position or cash flows.
Environmental Matters
With respect to administrative or judicial proceedings arising under any federal, state or local provisions that have been enacted or adopted regulating the discharge of materials into the environment or primarily for the purpose of protecting the environment, we have determined that we will disclose any such proceeding to which a governmental authority is a party if we reasonably believe such proceeding could result in monetary sanctions, exclusive of interest and costs, of at least $1.0 million. We believe that this threshold is reasonably designed to result in disclosure of environmental proceedings that are material to our business or financial condition. Applying this threshold, there were no environmental matters to disclose for this period.
We are the subject of civil actions regarding compliance with environmental law, or have received notices from the EPA or state agencies with similar responsibility, that we and numerous other parties are considered a PRP and may be obligated under CERCLA, or similar state statutes, to pay for the cost of remedial investigation, feasibility studies, natural resource damages and ultimately remediation to correct alleged releases of hazardous substances at ten locations. The actions and notices refer to the following locations, none of which involve real estate we ever owned or upon which we ever conducted operations: the Sapp Battery site in Cottondale, Florida, the Interstate Lead Company site in Leeds, Alabama, the Peak Oil site in Tampa, Florida, the R&H Oil site in San Antonio, Texas, the SoGreen/Parramore site in Tifton, Georgia, the Jensen Drive site in Houston, Texas, the Chemetco site in Hartford, Illinois, the Ward Transformer site in Raleigh, North Carolina, the Bailey Metal Processors, Inc. site in Brady, Texas and the Poly-Cycle Industries, Inc. site in Tecula, Texas. We may contest our designation as a PRP with regard to certain sites, while at other sites we are participating with other named PRPs in agreements or negotiations that have resulted or that we expect will result in agreements to remediate the sites. During 2010, we acquired a 70% interest in the real property at Jensen Drive as part of the remediation of that site. We have periodically received information requests from government environmental agencies with regard to other sites that are apparently under consideration for designation as listed sites under CERCLA or similar state statutes. Often, we do not receive any further communication with regard to these sites, and as of the date of this Annual Report, we do not know if any of these inquiries will ultimately result in a demand for payment from us.
We believe that adequate provisions have been made in the financial statements for the potential impact of any loss in connection with the above-described environmental matters and other miscellaneous litigation and legal proceedings not referenced above. We believe that there are substantial defenses to these actions and, where appropriate, these actions are being vigorously contested. Management believes that the outcome of the above-described environmental matters and other miscellaneous litigation and proceedings not referenced above now pending will not have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition.
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