Steel Market Update (SMU) asked those distributors participating in our twice monthly steel market survey to advise us how many months of flat rolled steel they have on hand. We do not pretend to possess the data base of the MSCI and we defer to their data base – especially in the case of the […]
Based on the SMU steel market survey which was concluded this past week, less than 50 percent of 2014 flat rolled steel contracts have been settled. When asked if negotiations with the domestic steel mills had resulted in at least having contract pricing in place for the 1st Quarter 2014, 34 percent of manufacturing companies […]
In the last issue of SMU, the Final Thoughts article had information from the financial community with a Bloomberg graphic pointing out the difference between U.S. benchmark hot rolled coil prices and those from the rest of the world. The premise being the $190 spread recognized by the financial community was unsustainable. The net result […]
What a week we have in store for us (and you) this week. John Temples and I will be traveling to a domestic steel mill where we will meet two of our instructors we use for Steel 101 and we will conduct two one-day workshops for approximately 50 people. This is a custom program specifically […]
Scrap prices settled higher as the first full week of November came to conclusion. Our sources pegged the Upper Midwest/Chicago area prices up approximately $30 per ton compared to the beginning of October. #1 Heavy Melt (HMS) was referenced at $375 per gross ton ($370-$380 range). Our previous price level for the area averaged $348 […]
AK Steel announced a $30 per ton price increase on spot flat rolled steel products earlier today. The full announcement published on the company website is as follows: West Chester, OH, November 07, 2013—AK Steel (NYSE: AKS) said today that it will increase current spot market base prices for all carbon flat-rolled steel products by […]
Released short after the AK Steel announcement, in a letter to their customers Severstal North America (SNA) increase minimum spot flat rolled steel base prices by $20 per ton. The $20 per ton assessment is based on the difference between the company’s October 1, 2013 announcement and what was announced today. The letter begins as […]
Buyers and sellers of flat rolled steel who participated in our latest review of the steel industry continued to be optimistic regarding their company’s ability to be successful in the current market environment. The latest Steel Market Update (SMU) Steel Buyers Sentiment Index was measured at +40 during the first full week of November. The […]
As expected a couple of mills have announced hot rolled coil price increases today, with more expected to follow in the coming days. These hikes have been anticipated by most in the physical market but appear to have caught a few in the paper market off guard as bids quickly entered the market at extremely […]
TSI Iron Ore: Market Remains Firm Iron ore prices have continued to be strong as Rebar futures have bounced off recent months lows last week and spot steel in China continues to go higher. Over the past couple of weeks iron ore prices have pushed up around $5/ton down the curve with Q1 trading around […]
Steel Market Update (SMU) concluded our early November research on the flat rolled steel market earlier today. One of the areas we queried was if those responding to our questionnaire believe that the domestic mills will raise flat rolled steel prices within the first two weeks of November. With 72 percent of the respondents responding […]
According to our latest steel market survey results, lead times have begun to move out on all of the flat rolled products scrutinized by Steel Market Update. Hot rolled lead times extended from 4.07 weeks to 4.36 weeks, cold rolled moved from 6.10 weeks to 6.38 weeks, galvanized moved from 6.26 weeks to 6.39 weeks […]
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CHICAGO, IL – November 6, 2013 SMS Mill Services Michigan, LLC (SMS) is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a steel slab conditioning services agreement with Severstal North America (SNA) at its Dearborn, Michigan operation. With engineering already in process, SMS will provide infrastructure, equipment and personnel to fully scarf (skin), cut to […]
Spot flat rolled steel prices remained relatively stable compared to where they were at this point in time last week. Hot rolled was down $5 per ton however, we do not consider this to be a significant change. We caught a few more numbers this week at the lower portion of our range. However, the […]
California Steel Industries (CSI) and U.S. Steel Posco (UPI) became the first domestic mills to raise flat rolled steel prices as they opened their order books for the month of January 2014. CSI was the first to release their letter informing their customers that “due to changing market conditions” the mill was increasing their transaction […]
According to Steel Market Update (SMU) sources scrap prices are headed higher for the month of November delivery into the domestic steel mills. Early reports have Detroit settling up $30 per gross ton on all grades. We have also heard shred prices are up $30 per gross ton in the Cleveland and Pittsburgh markets and […]
We continue to slave away on the combination of our new website as well as the work needed to conclude a special steel training workshop we are doing with a domestic steel mill next week. Our next Steel 101 workshop is available for registration on our existing (and soon new) website or you can contact […]
Goldman Sachs steel analysts, in a letter to their clients seen by Steel Market Update, upgraded the steel sector as they feel, “…we see the sector heading to a sustainable recovery over the coming years…” They went on to tell their clients, “The supply-demand fundamentals for steel are starting to look more appealing, particularly for […]
As we entered the month of October, flat rolled prices had been trending sideways for a number of weeks. On October 1st Steel Market Update measured benchmark hot rolled coil with an average of $635 per ton which was actually down slightly from the $640 recorded at the end of September. However, the mills had […]
For the past couple of months Steel Market Update (SMU) has been writing about how supply constraints have helped keep flat rolled steel prices level to slightly rising. With the round of price increase announcements made at the beginning of the month of October, we have seen a new found resolve by almost all of […]
The month of September ended with a bang as NLMK USA became the first mill to announce new flat rolled price increases. As we moved into the first few days of October the other domestic mills followed the NLMK lead – although none of the mills followed the base price levels suggested in the NLMK […]
On Thursday, October 31st Steel Market Update adjusted our Price Momentum Indicator from Neutral to Higher. We now believe domestic flat rolled steel prices will rise over the next 30 to 60 days. We have already begun reporting prices as rising over the past three weeks. Prices on benchmark hot rolled coil had been bouncing […]
The increased uncertainty over future hot rolled coil pricing has elevated interest in HRC futures. Based on CME Group data there were 8,033 hot rolled futures contracts during the month of October for a total of 160,660 net tons. This represents a 51 percent increase over the 5,301 contracts (106,020 tons) during October 2012. During […]
The combination of higher spot prices for flat rolled steel and adjustments to contract negotiations has caused some steel buyers to seek alternatives to their normal domestic source of supply. Steel Market Update is beginning to get confirmations from both manufacturing companies and service centers of larger foreign tonnage purchases being made for 1st and […]
A certain level of frustration appears to be hitting the service centers in both the spot and contract markets. In the spot market we have heard from a number of service centers that their attempts to raise spot steel prices are being met with a certain level of disbelief as end users evaluate how to […]
The flow of higher pricing slowed this past week as a number of indices – including Platts – did not move their flat rolled steel price assessments compared to the previous week. The range between high and low on benchmark hot rolled coils shrunk to $6 per ton with Steel Market Update being in the […]
The U.S. Department of Commerce is trying to catch up on the steel import licensing data after being affected by the government shutdown orchestrated by our representatives in Washington, D.C. The US DOC released Preliminary Census Data for September imports late last week. Imports continue to be at a high level although slightly lower than […]
CHICAGO — The Association of Steel Distributors (ASD) recently honored James L. Wainscott, chairman, president and CEO of AK Steel, with the 2013 Captain of Industry award. The award, which was presented at the ASD Annual Fall Conference and is one of the highest honors in the steel industry, is presented to individuals who have […]
Last evening (Thursday, October 31st) Steel Market Update adjusted our Price Momentum Indicator from Neutral to Higher. We now believe domestic flat rolled steel prices will rise over the next 30 to 60 days. We have already begun reporting prices as rising over the past three weeks. Prices on benchmark hot rolled coil had been […]