Steel Prices

SMU price ranges: HR and CR rise, other products flat

Written by Brett Linton & Michael Cowden

August 27, 2024

Flat-rolled steel prices were flat or up moderately this week amid mixed signals from the market.

Supporting the gains are mill price increase announcements for hot-rolled (HR) coil and a wave of upcoming maintenance outages.

At the same time, higher inventories, concerns about demand, and a so-so outlook for the September scrap market are partially offsetting them.

SMU’s HR coil price now stands at $700 per short ton (st) on average, up $25/ton from last week. Steady gains over the past month have led to a reversal from late July, when the low end of our range fell to $600/st.

Prices for cold-rolled (CR) coil came in at $920/st on average, up $5/st from last week. Prices for galvanized and Galvalume were unchanged, and plate prices were also flat.

Our momentum indicators for sheet are pointing higher for a third consecutive week. Our momentum indicator for plate, in contrast, remains at lower.

Hot-rolled coil

The SMU price range is $670-730/st, averaging $700/st FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range is up $20/st w/w and the top end is up $30/st. Our overall average is up $25/st. Our price momentum indicator for HR remains at higher, meaning we expect prices to increase over the next 30 days.

Hot rolled lead times range from 3-6 weeks, averaging 4.9 weeks as of our Aug. 14 market survey.

Cold-rolled coil

The SMU price range is $880–960/st, averaging $920/st FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range is unchanged, while the top end is up $10/st w/w. Our overall average is up $5/st w/w. Our price momentum indicator for CR remains at higher, meaning we expect prices to increase over the next 30 days.

Cold rolled lead times range from 5-8 weeks, averaging 6.6 weeks through our latest survey.

Galvanized coil

The SMU price range is $860–950/st, averaging $905/st FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The range is unchanged from last week. Our price momentum indicator for galvanized remains at higher, meaning we expect prices to increase over the next 30 days.

Galvanized .060” G90 benchmark: SMU price range is $957–1,047/st, averaging $1,002/st FOB mill, east of the Rockies.

Galvanized lead times range from 6-8 weeks, averaging 7.2 weeks through our latest survey.

Galvalume coil

The SMU price range is $870–980/st, averaging $925/st FOB mill, east of the Rockies. This range is also unchanged w/w. Our price momentum indicator for Galvalume remains at higher, meaning we expect prices to increase over the next 30 days.

Galvalume .0142” AZ50, grade 80 benchmark: SMU price range is $1,164–1,274/st, averaging $1,219/st FOB mill, east of the Rockies.

Galvalume lead times range from 6-8 weeks, averaging 7.0 weeks through our latest survey.

Plate

The SMU price range is $920–1,040/st, averaging $980/st FOB mill. This range is flat from last week. Our price momentum indicator for plate remains at lower, meaning we expect prices to decline over the next 30 days.

Plate lead times range from 2-6 weeks, averaging 4.2 weeks through our latest survey.

SMU note: Above is a graphic showing our hot rolled, cold rolled, galvanized, Galvalume, and plate price history. This data is also 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.

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.

Michael Cowden

Michael Cowden is editor-in-chief for Steel Market Update. Cowden has covered the steel industry since 2007. He specializes in flat-rolled steel but has also reported on steel long products, steel pipe and tube, and aluminum. Before joining SMU, Cowden held reporting jobs at Fastmarkets AMM in Chicago, the Associated Press in Pittsburgh, and the Cambodia Daily in Phnom Penh. He has also worked as a copy editor and in marketing at the University of Chicago Press. Cowden has a BA in English from the University of Chicago and an MSJ journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Contact him at michael@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7872.