Twisted iron steel wound wires by Tom via PixabayThis stock market is shaky at best. And that has put a bid under commodity stocks, including, ironically, steel stocks. Still, that might not matter to the market when commodity prices are rising more than stock prices are. When global trade friction or broad economic weakness threatens corporate earnings, domestic steelmakers benefit from trade protectionism. Furthermore, global geopolitical friction and domestic grid modernization mandate steady consumption of plate steel and specialized electrical steel, regardless of stock market sentiment.