After weeks of ascending prices, the hot rolled coil (HRC) futures market has taken a breather in the last couple of days. Prices have retreated by about $5-10/ton down the curve as a weaker than expected Wednesday brought in several new sellers to the market. November and December periods remain well bid around $660 but, […]
TSI Iron Ore: Market Soften As Rebar Slides Iron ore prices have been fairly volatile over the past week as conflicting data and information coming out of China as moved the needle in opposite directions. The upshot to all of this intraday volatility is that prices remain fairly unchanged on a week-on-week basis. With rebar […]
The recent strength in the physical market has sent futures prices up over the past month. This week, however, prices have begun to soften as most market participants feel the market has reached a top. Talk of revived imports coming in as well as some domestic mills offering deals a bit below published prices has […]
After weeks and months of a sideways market, the recent mill price hike announcements have been the spark the futures market needed to ignite trading activity. Over 8,000 tons have traded the past few days as the potential for the physical market to move higher has squeezed shorts causing them to cover and for speculators […]
TSI Iron Ore: Market Quiet During Chinese Golden Week… Iron ore prices have remained steady over the past week as the Chinese have been off for their Golden Week holiday. Demand while steady appears to be seen as fragile by many. The market remains in backwardation with prices down the curve continuing to trade at a […]
TSI Iron Ore: Prices Wobble in Signs Market is Cooling… Iron ore prices have softened over the past couple of weeks, but are still holding the recent range above $130 per ton. Mixed news out of China regarding steel demand has cooled off buying for the time being as the market has failed to break […]
The Futures market has continued to be characterized by limit trading and a touch softer pricing. The lack of volatility in the physical market over the past few months has not given futures traders an impetus to put on (or close out) positions. Overall, the market has been quite boring with the expectations that better […]
TSI Iron Ore: Prices Stay Firm, Future Is Uncertain… After breaking through the psychological ceiling of $140/ ton a couple of weeks ago, the iron ore spot market has retreated ever so slightly to $137. While this is not necessarily an indication of a reversal in the pricing trend, it may shed light on […]
The summer lull continued the past couple of weeks over the holiday weekend. Activity in the futures market has been limited with few trades going through. It seems that a confluence of factors has caused many traders to sit on the sidelines, the summer holiday season, directionless physical market and uncertainty in demand going into […]
It seems that the August month has brought with it a true summer lull. Trading volumes have been very low in the HRC futures market the past couple of weeks as many traders seem happy to sit on the sideline and await what the Autumn has to bring. The forward curve has risen ever so […]
U.S. Midwest #1 Busheling Ferrous Scrap (AMM) Typically Quiet Mid-Month Market While the HRC futures market is experiencing a summer lull, the AMM Busheling contract has been virtually non-existent the past few weeks. After the physical market for busheling priced sideways this month the futures market has not reacted. It seems that the usual pattern […]
Written by: Bradley Clark, Director of Steel Trading, Kataman Metals TSI Iron Ore: Prices Up, Up and Away… Iron Ore over the past few weeks remains a true bright spot in the commodities complex as stronger than expected summer steel demand in China has driven prices to highs not seen in months and monthly shipments […]
U.S. Midwest #1 Busheling Ferrous Scrap (AMM) Prices Drop as an April Pullback Looks Likely After prices for March settled up $40+ the market for April already is starting to shape up significantly weaker. Dealers succeeded in pushing up prices last month but currently it looks like April will be down at least $20 t […]
Written by: Bradley Clark, Director of Steel Trading, Kataman Metals U.S. Midwest #1 Busheling Ferrous Scrap (AMM) Firm on Weather Concerns As the beginning of the month progresses the physical scrap market has begun to price higher lending impetus to the futures market to begin trading. After months of stagnant and softer busheling markets, March […]
Written by: Bradley Clark, Director of Steel Trading, Kataman Metals Well it certainly is beginning to feel like déjà vu all over again. Last week’s price hike announcements come during the same last week of the month as they did the previous month. They came after the spot price was trending down and after deals […]
Written by: Bradley Clark, Director of Steel Trading, Kataman Metals U.S. Midwest #1 Busheling Ferrous Scrap (AMM) Firm on Weather Concerns As the month has progressed sentiment is starting to fall solidify around the idea that busheling prices may rebound $10-20 in March. Worsening weather conditions in the Midwest and dealers trying to recoup last […]
Written by: Bradley Clark, Director of Steel Trading, Kataman Metals The physical HRC market continues to soften as mills offer steel at lower levels this week from a week before. The futures market has experienced a divergence in movements over the past week with the front of the curve weakening while the second half of […]
Written by: Brad Clark, Director of Steel Trading, Kataman Metals U.S. Midwest #1 Busheling Ferrous Scrap (AMM) Softens as Prices Drop 13.73 in February The physical market came in this week down $13.73 to $375.24 in line with expectations. Mill order book’s remain weak for the most part outside of auto industry demand (the major […]
Written by: Brad Clark, Director of Steel Trading, Kataman Metals It appears that the market finally capitulated this week with the physical market taking a turn south as recent price hikes seem to have failed. After a couple of weeks with consumers, distributors, producers of coils eyeing each other up to see who will blink […]
Written by: Brad Clark, Director of Steel Trading, Kataman Metals U.S. Midwest #1 Busheling Ferrous Scrap (AMM) Uneventful Before Next Month Pricing Begins The physical busheling market has been characteristically quiet this week as both dealers and mills jockey for position ahead of next week when price negotiations will begin in full swing. All signs […]
Written by: Brad Clark, Director of Steel Trading, Kataman Metals Settlement prices have barely moved this week as the recent price hikes have done little to inspire the futures market. After a couple of month of sideways movements in the physical market the last couple of weeks have seen the market take a steep turn […]
Written by Brad Clark, Director of Steel Trading, Kataman Metals U.S. Midwest #1 Busheling Ferrous Scrap (AMM) Heads South on Warmer Winter Weather Historically January is the strongest month for busheling prices as cold weather constrains supply. This year however an unseasonably warm winter has kept a lid on any price spikes this past month […]
Written by Brad Clark, Director of Steel Trading, Kataman Metals Settlement prices retreated this week on the CME U.S. Midwest Hot Rolled futures contract as the expected New Year’s jubilation never materialized. Volumes the past week surged as traders placed their bets for a breakout of the recent sideways trading range the market has experienced […]