Raw steel output by U.S. mills declined slightly in the week ending Nov. 9, taking the average mill utilization down to 80.5 percent from 81.7 percent the week before. Production totaled 1,862,000 net tons last week, down 1.4 percent from the previous week and down 2.2 percent compared with the same week last year, reported the […]
Although too early to be called a trend, the latest readings in Steel Market Update’s Steel Buyer’s Sentiment Index show a slight uptick in optimism following recent price increase announcements by the mills. The goal of the index is to measure how buyers and sellers of steel feel about their company’s ability to be successful […]
Although too early to be called a trend, the latest readings in Steel Market Update’s Steel Buyer’s Sentiment Index show a slight uptick in optimism following recent price increase announcements by the mills. The goal of the index is to measure how buyers and sellers of steel feel about their company’s ability to be successful […]
Not surprisingly following the mills’ $40 price increase announcements Oct. 24-25, negotiations between steelmakers and steel buyers have tightened somewhat. What is surprising is that roughly two out of three buyers still report mills actively negotiating spot prices on hot rolled, cold rolled and galvanized, as well as plate. In the hot rolled segment, 62 […]
Mill lead times for spot orders of flat rolled showed early signs of lengthening in the first week of November following the $40 per ton price increase announcements Oct. 24-25. Lead times for steel delivery are a measure of demand at the mill level. Thus, this data suggests the mills are getting busier as buyers […]
Will the market accept the recent price increases—a total of $80 on flat rolled and $40 on plate? Obviously much depends on steel demand. Judging by the responses from steel buyers polled this past week by Steel Market Update, demand remains a question mark. More than half of those responding to SMU’s market trends questionnaire […]
Needle coke and graphite electrode availability has been under pressure since 2017 following substantial financially and environmentally driven capacity closures, particularly in China. With prices under pressure in 2019, and margins rapidly falling, the graphite electrode and needle coke markets appear to be at a crossroads with many questions about the future for these markets. […]
Needle coke and graphite electrode availability has been under pressure since 2017 following substantial financially and environmentally driven capacity closures, particularly in China. With prices under pressure in 2019, and margins rapidly falling, the graphite electrode and needle coke markets appear to be at a crossroads with many questions about the future for these markets. […]
Ferrous scrap prices traded $15-25/GT higher in November, with some variation by region, report Steel Market Update sources. Scrap prices were widely expected to rise in November due to slowing scrap flows, mills returning from seasonal outages, rising import demand and the onset of winter weather in some parts of the country. “Mills’ appetite for […]
All three of Russel Metals’ business segments experienced challenging market conditions in the third quarter, notably energy products, as the Canadian distributor reported lower revenues and income. Russel’s Q3 sales of $900 million (Canadian) were comparable to the prior quarter, but net income declined to $18 million, down from $31 million in Q2. In third-quarter […]
United States Steel Corp. reported a net loss of $84 million in the third quarter due to declining steel prices and weaker market conditions—down sharply compared with third-quarter 2018 yet better than analysts’ expectations. The steelmaker earned $291 million in last year’s third-quarter. “The team delivered better than expected results from solid cost performance and […]
Raw steel output by U.S. mills increased by nearly a full percentage point in the week ending Nov. 2, the third increase in as many weeks, taking the average mill utilization up to 81.7 percent of capacity. Production totaled 1,888,000 net tons, up 1.2 percent from the previous week and up 0.1 percent compared with […]
John Packard is traveling… Eddie Lehner, Ryerson president and CEO, is optimistic that carbon steel prices will bottom in the fourth quarter. “Given where prices are now, the recent price increases have a better chance of sticking than the ones that were announced in Q2 and Q3,” he commented during the company’s third-quarter conference call […]
Results for Ryerson Holding Corp., the Chicago-based processor and distributor of industrial metals, suffered from declines in steel prices and demand during the third quarter, but company executives are hopeful for improved margins in the coming quarters. Ryerson reported third-quarter revenues of $1.10 billion, a decrease of 11.6 percent compared to $1.25 billion in third-quarter […]
Ferrous scrap prices are expected to rise by about $20/GT in November, lending support to the increase in flat rolled prices announced by the mills last week. “With mills seeking the price hike, they are unlikely to push scrap lower. It would make their negotiating position more difficult,” said Ryan McKinley, CRU North America analyst. […]
Raw steel output by U.S. mills saw another small increase in the week ending Oct. 26 taking the average mill utilization rate back up over 80 percent of capacity. Production totaled 1,866,000 net tons at a utilization rate of 80.7 percent, up 1.4 percent from the previous week but down 0.6 percent compared with the […]
Steel imports are down significantly this year, the result of trade actions and economic forces, but the import market share is relatively unchanged. Through the first nine months of 2019, the U.S. imported at total of 22.6 million tons of steel, a 13.7 percent decline from the same period in 2018, reports the American Iron […]
The international debate over the world’s oversupply of steel will go on, but without China’s participation in the G20’s Global Forum on Excess Steel Capacity. Ministers meeting in Tokyo over the weekend declined to extend the mandate for the forum, which is scheduled to lapse in December, primarily due to opposition from China. Other nations […]
John Packard is traveling… While it’s too early to tell how the market will fully react to last week’s price increase announcements by the flat rolled mills, change is clearly afoot, based on the findings from SMU’s canvass of the market over the past two days. How high will prices go, and for how long? […]
Steel Market Update’s Current and Future Buyers Sentiment Indexes inched up a few points this week, but remain near their lowest levels in six years. The goal of SMU’s Buyers Sentiment Index is to measure how buyers and sellers of steel feel about their company’s ability to be successful today (Current Sentiment Index), as well […]
Steel Market Update’s negotiations data showed just a hint of tightening in price talks between the mills and their customers this past week, perhaps in anticipation of the $40 price increase on flat rolled steel announced by the mills on Thursday and Friday. The data, gathered by SMU prior to the price increase announcements, shows […]
Mill lead times for flat rolled products continued to shorten slightly over the past few weeks. The average lead time for hot rolled is now down to three and a half weeks, cold rolled is less than five and a half weeks and coated steels are just six weeks. Plate lead times remain around four […]
Four more mills–Nucor, U.S. Steel, USS-Posco and Algoma Steel–raised prices on their flat rolled products by $40 per ton ($2/cwt) Friday, following on similar announcements by ArcelorMittal and NLMK USA the day before. The mills are hoping to reverse the slide that has taken the benchmark price of hot rolled steel from more than $700 […]
Nucor and U.S. Steel raised prices on their flat rolled products by $40 per ton ($2/cwt) today, following on similar announcements by ArcelorMittal and NLMK USA yesterday. The mills are hoping to reverse the slide that has taken the benchmark price of hot rolled steel from more than $700 per ton to less than $500 […]
Finding skilled workers is the top concern among respondents to The Fabricator’s 2019 “What Keeps You Up at Night?” survey. Published by the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, the survey asked fabrication company executives to rank their concerns from a list that included availability of credit, availability of skilled workers, consolidation of competition and customers, cost […]
John Packard is traveling… To almost no one’s surprise, the mills raised flat rolled prices by $40 a ton on Thursday and Friday in the hope of reversing the slide that has taken hot rolled as low as $470 a ton. Seven out of 10 steel buyers responding to SMU’s questionnaire last week said they […]
Speculation that steel prices were near the bottom and the mills were contemplating a price increase has proven out as ArcelorMittal and NLMK USA both announced flat rolled price increases today of $40 per ton. Other mills are expected to follow. ArcelorMittal informed its commercial team today that it is raising base prices on light […]
Speculation that steel prices were near the bottom and the mills were contemplating a price increase has proven out as ArcelorMittal became the first to hike flat rolled prices today by $40 per ton. Other mills are expected to follow. ArcelorMittal informed its commercial team today that it is raising base prices on light flat […]
Raw steel output by U.S. mills saw a small increase in the week ending Oct. 19. Production totaled 1,841,000 net tons at a mill utilization rate of 79.6 percent, up 1.1 percent from the previous week but down 1.9 percent compared with the same week last year, reported the American Iron and Steel Institute. Adjusted year-to-date […]
Except for a brief uptick this summer, steel prices have been on the decline since March and breached the $500 per ton level in mid-October—a psychological line in the sand that leaves steel buyers wondering: Have prices hit bottom? Is it time to replenish inventories? Flat rolled steel prices took a steep dive last month, […]