Comparison Price Indices: Pace Slows as Prices Approach Announced Levels

Hot rolled was $570 per ton on SteelBenchmarker while SMU at $590 and Platts at $595. Both indices were up for the week with SMU up $10 and Platts up $5. SteelBenchmarker, which only produces their index twice during each month, was up $78 per ton over the past few weeks. Even so, SteelBenchmarker is $20-$25 per ton below the other two indexes.

Cold rolled saw both SMU and Platts up $10 for the week and, like HRC, closing in on the base price suggested by the mills in the last announcement ($820 per ton). SteelBenchmarker was up $76 per ton and settled in at $772 per ton.

Both Galvanized and Galvalume were up $10 per ton. Galvanized .060” G90 at $869 per ton was only $20 per ton away from the $820 base suggested by the mills in their last announcement.

Plate prices also rose with SteelBenchmarker up $37 and Platts up $40.

SMU Note: Galvanized prices include $69 in extras for a .060″ G90 product. Galvalume prices include $291 in extras for a .0142” AZ50 Grade 80 product.

FOB points for each index:

SMU: Domestic Mill, East of the Rockies.
SteelBenchmarker: Domestic Mill, East of the Mississippi.
Platts: Northern Indiana Domestic Mill.