Cleveland-Cliffs Surges 60.52% in Volume to 478th Rank as Institutional Investors Boost Holdings

On August 11, 2025, Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) rose 1.67% with a trading volume of $210 million, marking a 60.52% surge from the prior day. The stock ranked 478th in volume among listed equities, reflecting heightened short-term liquidity activity.

State Street Corporation disclosed a significant passive stake in CLF via a Schedule 13G filing, reporting beneficial ownership of 27.45 million shares (5.5% of the class). The filing emphasized shared voting and dispositive powers across affiliated entities, with no intent to influence corporate governance. This institutional holding underscores CLF’s appeal to large asset managers prioritizing liquidity and diversification.

Pinpoint Asset Management Ltd. also amplified its position in CLF, increasing its stake by 2,553% in the first quarter to 69,483 shares valued at $571,000. Meanwhile, Franklin Resources Inc. and Geode Capital Management LLC added to their holdings, reflecting broader institutional confidence in the steel producer’s strategic positioning.

Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with KeyCorp upgrading CLF to “overweight” and JPMorgan raising its price target to $10. However, insider activity, including a 19.6% reduction in shares by EVP James D. Graham, highlights ongoing scrutiny of management’s alignment with shareholder interests.

The strategy of purchasing the top 500 stocks by daily trading volume and holding them for one day delivered a 166.71% return from 2022 to the present, outperforming the benchmark return of 29.18% by 137.53%. This underscores the role of liquidity concentration in short-term stock performance, particularly in volatile markets.