Freight shipment by various transportation modes seems to be moving fairly well as February winds down. Seaborne freight is improving and barge traffic is resuming normal operations after the winter. Trucking saw some seasonal slowdown after the holidays and rail traffic was up year over year in recent weeks. The Association of American Railroads welcomed […]
North Star Bluescope Steel reported underlying EBITDA in the first half of FY 2017 of $180.2 million, an increase of 178 percent from 1H FY 2016 . Sales revenue was US$ 598.7 million. The mill operated at 100 percent capacity in the first half and benefited from lower conversion costs, particularly in utilities. Shipments for […]
Reliance Steel & Aluminum reported sales of $2.06 billion in fourth quarter, up 1.7 percent from fourth quarter 2015 and down 5.7 percent from Q3 2016. Tons sold at 1,365,000 were down 1.1 percent from Q4 2015 and down 5.6 percent from third quarter. Average selling price per ton sold was $1,500, essentially the same […]
ArcelorMittal NAFTA segment results declined in fourth quarter 2016. Steel shipments decreased by 6.6 percent to 5 million tonnes from third quarter driven by an 8.5 percent decrease in flat volumes due to destocking in the United States. NAFTA sales were down 11.1 percent from the prior quarter to $3.8 billion due to lower average […]
ArcelorMittal said it expects global apparent steel consumption to grow between 0.5 and 1.5 percent in 2017, compared to 1.0 percent growth last year. Underlying demand is expected to pick up in Europe supported by the automotive market, but apparent demand growth in the region is forecast at a modest 0.5-1.5 percent compared to 2 […]
The following article was originally published by Daniel Pearson, Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute on January 18, 2017. Mr. Pearson will be one of our speakers at this year’s SMU Steel Summit Conference: Wilbur Ross has accomplished impressive business turnarounds during his career. His efforts in the steel, textile and automotive parts industries demonstrate […]
NLMK USA has restarted its #2 hot-dip galvanizing line at the Sharon Coating facility in Pennsylvania in response to increased domestic demand. The #2 line had been idled since 2002 due to weak demand in the U.S. galvanized steel market. The line has a capacity of approximately 226,000 metric tonnes per year (249,118 tons) and […]
February 1, 2017 (Osceola, Arkansas) – Big River Steel today announced that it has established a new production record in terms of tons of steel produced by a SMS group supplied flat-rolled mini mill during the first full month of operation. With over 63,000 tons of hot rolled steel produced in January, Big River Steel’s […]
U.S. auto sales slipped in January as predicted but still had a strong showing at 1.14 million vehicles when compared to the year ago total of 1.16 million. WardsAuto puts the seasonally adjusted annual rate at 17.46 million, the highest January rate since 2006. Used cars are expected to flood the market this year as […]
The ISM Report on Business indicates expansion of economic activity in the U.S. manufacturing sector and a 92nd month of growth for the overall economy. The Institute for Supply Management report showed the January manufacturing PMI at 56 percent, an increase of 1.5 percentage points from December. Almost all of the components of the PMI […]
US Steel may be about to sell its Kosice plant in Slovakia to Chinese company He Steel, according to rumors in the Slovakian press. The Slovak Spectator reports that economic daily Hospodárske Noviny wrote that US Steel and He Steel signed a memorandum of understanding in Pittsburgh on July 26. US Steel Kosice spokesperson Jan […]
Steel Dynamics announced net income of $20 million for fourth quarter 2016. Company net sales totaled $1.9 billion, down from $2.1 billion in third quarter. Operating income decreased to $239.5 million from $338.7 million in the previous quarter. Steel shipments for the quarter totaled 2.2 million; fabrication shipments totaled 131,186 tons. Average selling price for […]
The following article has been revised as of 1-25-2017. Net income/loss was incorrectly reported. SMU apologizes for the confusion. AK Steel reported a net loss of $62.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2016 compared to net loss of 145.4 million in Q4 2015. Sales totaled $1.42 billion with an average selling price of $998 […]
The Associated Steel Distributors regional meeting in Detroit on January 19 very appropriately focused on the automotive industry. The meeting was held during the last weekend of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit where a vast array of technological innovation was showcased through virtual reality, simulators and presentation of current models and concept […]
Total light vehicle (LV) auto production in NAFTA in December was at an annual rate, of 15.171 million units, down from 17.921 million in November. In cases where seasonality is more than a weather effect, we like to compare the monthly result with the monthly norm over a number of years. On average since 2004, […]
The Environmental Protection Agency announced fuel economy standards for 2025 on Friday, rejecting appeals to roll-back miles per gallon requirements for fleet-wide fuel efficiency. The 2025 target will remain unchanged at an average of 50.8 miles per gallon. “My decision today rests on the technical record created by over eight years of research, hundreds of […]
AK Steel and NLMK USA raised flat rolled steel prices by $40 per ton ($2.00/cwt) on all new spot sales of flat rolled steels (hot rolled, cold rolled, galvanized). At the same time, SMU understands that Steel Dynamics has opened their order books for February and are quoting prices that are approximately $40 per ton […]
Commercial Metals Company announced net sales of $1.1 billion for earnings of $7.2 million for first quarter 2017, ending Nov. 30, 2016. Metal margins in the Americas Mills segment took a hit of 17 percent in Q1 due to lower selling prices resulting from continued import pressure, scrap price volatility and market uncertainty. Average selling price […]
January scrap negotiations have begun between the domestic (USA & Canada) steel mills and their scrap suppliers. As one large scrap company put it, “Things are slow to develop today, but I’m anticipating some movement by day’s end. This market has been sort of like a junior high dance at this point, with the reluctant […]
Global manufacturing reached a three year high in December, finishing out the year with the JPMorgan Global Manufacturing PMI at 52.7, up from 52.1 in November. After a flat first half, the second half of 2016 showed steady growth in the manufacturing sector. The December survey by IHS Markit indicates global manufacturing is growing at […]
It has been a busy (albeit short) week. I mentioned in my last newsletter that we are actively in the process of reviewing and building a new website. Beginning this evening, we have our website designers (K3 Technologies out of Atlanta) here in our Florida offices for the next few days so we can work […]
Vehicle sales fell slightly to 17.87 million units on a seasonally adjusted annualized basis in November, though this still beat expectations. The strengthening job market is supporting vehicle sales and will continue to do so through next year as an average of 170,000 jobs are estimated to be added per month. On the other side […]
Surplus automotive inventory is causing major auto manufacturers to extend holiday shutdowns into January. General Motors announced yesterday that it will idle five US auto assembly plants in January for periods of one to three weeks in an effort to reduce oversupply of sedans. Ford Motor Company said it will shut operations down at the […]
If you are a steel buyer thinking that this rash of price increase announcements has run its course you may want to re-think the market forces again. One of the major scrap exporters booked a cargo of 80/20 mix to Turkey at $296 per metric ton delivered. They also sold shredded scrap at $301 delivered. […]
Worthington Industries announced second quarter 2017 net earnings (ending Nov. 30, 2016) were $46.6 million on $727.8 million in net sales. In comparison Q2 earnings were down from first quarter earnings of $65.6 million but double that of Q2 2016. “We had a good second quarter with overall improving results and solid year-over-year growth,” said […]
General Motors announced it will invest $552 million in key U.S. manufacturing facilities in New York and Ohio. The New York manufacturing facilities Tonawanda Engine, Lockport and Rochester will receive a total of $333.66 million. The Parma Metal Center in Ohio is slated for a $218 million investment. “GM remains committed to investing in its […]
US Steel announced today that it will begin processing slabs on the currently idled hot strip mill at Granite City Works in Granite City, Ill., in mid-February 2017. The slabs for the mill will be sourced from US Steel’s own domestic facilities. US Steel said in a press release that it is making the adjustment […]
As you think about your business and where you think benchmark hot rolled prices will be in 2017 and 2018 one of the areas you need to consider are the energy markets. The energy markets have been in the doldrums for the past few years due to low oil and natural gas prices. The net […]
Automotive manufacturers reported strong sales for November with light-vehicle volumes up 3.5 percent year over year. Wards Auto data indicated the seasonally adjusted annual rate reached 17.75 million, in line with their forecast of 17.68 million. Analysts are unsure if 2016 sales will top last year’s record of 17.47 million but it is likely to […]
Steel Market Update went out to a couple of hundred steel buyers and executives today as we probe for information about flat rolled steel prices. At the same time we asked questions about price direction and demand. Tonight we will cover price direction (prior to AM increase announcement) and on Thursday we will cover their […]