Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts
Written by John Packard
July 1, 2015
I want to wish everyone in the United States a happy and safe 4th of July holiday weekend.
This evening’s edition of Steel Market Update is what I consider “lite” due to the limited number of articles as I am trying to give the SMU team some time off to enjoy the long weekend.
Steel Market Update’s offices will not be manned tomorrow (Friday, July 3rd) but Diana and I will be monitoring our voice mail and emails and returning calls as needed. If you have a question or an issue do not hesitate to contact our office (800-432-3475) and we will do our best to handle your issue.
Our website operates 24 hours a day no matter what holiday is upon us. Our early bird registration for our 5th Steel Summit Conference will end on July 15th. You can register online or through our office. You are also welcome to send us an email requesting an invoice and we will honor the early bird pricing. Send your emails to: info@SteelMarketUpdate.com
Thank you again for your business as it is truly appreciated by all of us at Steel Market Update.
John Packard, Publisher

John Packard
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Final Thoughts
United Airlines raised eyebrows earlier this month when it provided two forecasts for 2025 – one assuming a relatively stable economy and another assuming a recession. The reason? Uncertainty around the impact of President Trump’s policy shocks on the broader economy. And it sometimes feels like we’re seeing a battle between those two narratives (stable vs recession) play out within in the pages of this newsletter.

Final Thoughts
Despite some scary headlines lately (especially about Trump potentially firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell) this is not October 2008 (financial crisis) or March 2020 (onset of the pandemic). But it sure seems like we’ve taken a relatively strong economy and poured a thick sauce of uncertainty over it.

Final Thoughts
I put some of our survey data through ChatGpt, with interesting results.

Final Thoughts
Nearly 50% of respondents to our latest survey thought hot-rolled coil prices have already peaked. And where will those prices be two months from now? Responses were decidedly split on that question.

Final Thoughts
A modest week-to-week change in HR price understates a huge swing in expectations.