Steel Products Prices North America

SMU Price Ranges & Indices: Mixed Results as Bottom Firms

Written by Brett Linton

February 19, 2019

We found mixed results in flat rolled steel prices this week. Steel buyers are telling Steel Market Update that the bottom has been “firming” and that prices are moving sideways to slightly higher on most products. SMU talks more about price momentum and pricing in a separate article in tonight’s issue.

Here is how we see prices this week:

Hot Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $660-$700 per ton ($33.00/cwt-$35.00/cwt) with an average of $680 per ton ($34.00/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. Both the lower and upper ends of our range remained unchanged compared to one week ago. Our overall average is unchanged compared to last week. Our price momentum on hot rolled steel is Neutral meaning we expect prices to remain steady over the next 30 to 60 days.

Hot Rolled Lead Times: 3-5 weeks

Cold Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $780-$830 per ton ($39.00/cwt-$41.50/cwt) with an average of $805 per ton ($40.25/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range remained the same compared to last week, while the upper end decreased $10 per ton. Our overall average is down $5 compared to one week ago. Our price momentum on cold rolled steel is Neutral meaning we expect prices to remain steady over the next 30 to 60 days.

Cold Rolled Lead Times: 5-7 weeks

Galvanized Coil: SMU base price range is $39.00/cwt-$42.00/cwt ($780-$840 per ton) with an average of $40.50/cwt ($810 per ton) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. Both the lower and upper ends of our range remained unchanged compared to one week ago. Our overall average is unchanged compared to last week. Our price momentum on galvanized steel is Neutral meaning we expect prices to remain steady over the next 30 to 60 days.

Galvanized .060” G90 Benchmark: SMU price range is $858-$918 per net ton with an average of $888 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.

Galvanized Lead Times: 4-8 weeks

Galvalume Coil: SMU base price range is $39.00/cwt-$42.50/cwt ($780-$850 per ton) with an average of $40.75/cwt ($815 per ton) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range remained the same compared to last week, while the upper end rose $10 per ton. Our overall average is up $5 compared to one week ago. Our price momentum on Galvalume steel is Neutral meaning we expect prices to remain steady over the next 30 to 60 days.

Galvalume .0142” AZ50, Grade 80 Benchmark: SMU price range is $1,071-$1,141 per net ton with an average of $1,106 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.

Galvalume Lead Times: 5-7 weeks

Plate: SMU price range is $970-$1,020 per ton ($48.50/cwt-$51.00/cwt) with an average of $995 per ton ($49.75/cwt) FOB delivered to the customer’s facility. Both the lower and upper ends of our range declined $10 per ton compared to one week ago. Our overall average is down $10 compared to last week. Our price momentum on plate steel is Lower meaning we expect mild erosion over next 30 to 60 days.

Plate Lead Times: 6-8 weeks, allocation/controlled order entry

SMU Note: Below is a graphic showing our hot rolled, cold rolled, galvanized, Galvalume and plate price history. This data is available here on our website with our interactive pricing tool. Note that plate prices are not yet available on our website, but we are in the process of adding that dataset. If you need help navigating the website or need to know your login information, contact us at info@SteelMarketUpdate.com or 800-432-3475.

Brett Linton

Brett Linton is a senior analyst for Steel Market Update, where he began his career. Linton has been in the steel industry since 2010. He has held roles as a category manager and strategic insights director at Reibus before returning to SMU in 2024. He is a graduate of The University of North Georgia with a degree in Finance and Accounting. Brett can be reached at brett@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-314-0179.

Read more from Brett Linton

Latest in Steel Products Prices North America