Steel Prices
SMU Price Ranges: Sheet Onward and Upward (Again)
Written by David Schollaert & Michael Cowden
November 14, 2023
Spot prices for steel sheet shot upward again this week on the heels of steep price increases announced by domestic mills last week.
SMU’s hot-rolled coil price rose to $940 per ton ($47 per cwt) on average, up $75 per ton from last week and up nearly $300 per ton from a 2023 low of $645 per ton in late September.
Our range was wider than usual this week because last-minute deals for larger orders slightly below $900 per ton coincided with some producers achieving as much as $1,000 per ton for smaller orders.
Cold-rolled and coated products followed that trend, with cold rolled, coated and galvanized up $85 per ton week over week to $1,150 per ton on average.
Plate prices, in contrast, continued to slip – falling $35 per ton to $1,355 per ton on average.
SMU’s sheet price momentum indicators continue to point upward. Our plate momentum indicator remains pointed lower.
Hot-Rolled Coil
The SMU price range is $880–1,000 per net ton ($44.00–50.00 per cwt), with an average of $940 per ton ($47.00 per cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The bottom end of our range increased $50 per ton vs. one week ago, while the top end of the range moved up $100 per ton compared to the prior week. Our overall average is up $75 per ton WoW. Our price momentum indicator for HRC continues to point higher, meaning SMU expects prices will increase over the next 30 days.
Hot Rolled Lead Times: 6–8 weeks
Cold-Rolled Coil
The SMU price range is $1,100–1,200 per net ton ($55.00–60.00 per cwt), with an average of $1,150 per ton ($57.50 per cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range was up $70 per ton WoW, while the top end was $100 per ton higher compared to a week ago. Our overall average is up $85 per ton WoW. Our price momentum indicator for CRC continues to point higher, meaning SMU expects prices will increase over the next 30 days.
Cold Rolled Lead Times: 6–12 weeks
Galvanized Coil
The SMU price range is $1,100–1,200 per net ton ($55.00–60.00 per cwt), with an average of $1,150 per ton ($57.50 per cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range was up $70 per ton vs. last week, while the top end of our range was also up $100 per ton WoW. Thus, our overall average is up $85 per ton vs. the prior week. Our price momentum indicator on galvanized steel continues to point higher, meaning SMU expects prices will increase over the next 30 days.
Galvanized .060” G90 Benchmark: SMU price range is $1,197–1,297 per ton with an average of $1,247 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.
Galvanized Lead Times: 6-11 weeks
Galvalume Coil
The SMU price range is $1,100–1,200 per net ton ($55.00–60.00 per cwt), with an average of $1,150 per ton ($57.50 per cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range was up $70 per ton vs. last week, while the top end of our range was also up $100 per ton WoW. Our overall average is up $85 per ton vs. the prior week. Our price momentum indicator on Galvalume steel continues to point higher, meaning SMU expects prices will increase over the next 30 days.
Galvalume .0142” AZ50, Grade 80 Benchmark: SMU price range is $1,394–1,494 per ton with an average of $1,444 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.
Galvalume Lead Times: 6-15 weeks
Plate
The SMU price range is $1,320–1,390 per net ton ($66.00–69.50 per cwt), with an average of $1,355 per ton ($67.75 per cwt) FOB mill. The lower end of our range was down $40 per ton WoW, while the top end of our range was down $30 per ton compared to the week prior. Our overall average is down $35 per ton vs. one week ago. Our price momentum indicator on steel plate shifted from neutral to lower, meaning SMU expects prices will decrease over the next 30 days.
Plate Lead Times: 4-7 weeks
SMU Note: Above 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. If you need help navigating the website or need to know your login information, contact us at info@steelmarketupdate.com.
David Schollaert
Read more from David SchollaertMichael Cowden
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