Steel Market Update (SMU) Steel Buyers Sentiment Index continued its long slide as buyers and sellers of flat rolled steel are less optimistic this week regarding their company’s ability to be successful both in the existing (Current) market as well as three to six months into the future (Future). Respondents to our queries regarding Sentiment […]
US Steel Corp is realigning its flat-rolled operations and management as part of its Carnegie Way transformation. The flat-rolled facilities will report through three consolidated commercial entities: Automotive Solutions, Consumer Solutions, and Industrial, Service Center and Mining Solutions. “The commercial entities have worked to position our company to be best-in-class in innovation, customer service and […]
The Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) released its November 2015 Business Conditions Report this week. The survey of 111 PMA members in the U.S. and Canada indicates that manufacturers are expecting steady economic conditions during the next three months. Incoming orders are expected to remain at the current rate with 32 percent forecasting an increase in […]
Consumer confidence declined markedly in November continuing this year’s highly erratic trend and, in fact, the view of the present situation and expectations exhibited the sharpest reversal since November 2011 when they went the other way. As we have reported in earlier write-ups on this subject, 2015 has been tremendously more variable month to month […]
We learned late this afternoon that two domestic steel mills are offering to pay higher prices for shredded scrap from east coast dealers. Shredded scrap buy offers have been made at $180-$185 per gross ton up $10 to $15 per gross ton higher than November numbers (and higher than October numbers since November prices moved […]
On Monday of this week, Steel Market Update conducted an interview with Michael McQuade, CEO for US Steel Canada. The purpose of our interview was to see if USSC will be a viable supplier for 2016 automotive contracts. Many times articles begin by our customers asking what might be construed as a simple question that […]
In October, vehicle sales had another small gain from September’s post-recession high of almost 18.2 million units at a seasonally adjusted annual rate. This followed the August rate of 17.8 million units. Both at the time were the best pace since July 2005, when incentives caused sales to surge. Sales in October were 10 percent […]
It used to be that labor unions fought to keep automobile production in the United States. Soon, the biggest “domestic” auto makers will be companies like Honda and Toyota as two of the Big 3 head to Mexico. The UAW labor negotiations concluded Friday with the ratification of agreements with Ford and GM. Part of […]
New Star Metals is changing its name to Material Sciences Corporation. New Star acquired MSC in March 2014 which remained in operation under the MSC brand. “We have an aggressive growth plan and believe we should go to market as one team – Material Sciences Corporation,” said CEO Patrick Murley, CEO of New Star Metals […]
Flat rolled steel prices moved sideways to slightly lower this week, an improvement from the almost straight-line dive we have been reporting for the last couple of months. Our benchmark hot rolled index remained the same as the week prior at $380 per ton ($19.00/cwt) but we did pick up some minor movement at the […]
Monthly steel imports dropped from 4.4 million tons at the beginning of 2015 to 2.83 million tons as of September 1. SMU asked ports around the country to comment on what they are seeing in relation to import levels and warehoused inventory. The Port of Los Angeles reports steel imports (breakbulk and slab) of 1.3 […]
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) analysis of non-farm employment reported on Friday that 271,000 jobs were added in October, which was well above economist’s consensus expectations. August’s gains were revised up by 17,000, but September’s were revised down by 5,000. This followed September’s result of 137,000 which was well below consensus expectations of about […]
The Steel Market Update (SMU) Steel Buyers Sentiment Index is continuing its downward trend, even though the Current Index is 4 points higher and the Future segment of the Index is 9 points higher than what we reported during the middle of October. The numbers we follow closely are our 3 month moving averages (3MMA) […]
The USW is taking a brief break from talks with US Steel. In an Oct. 27 update, the USW said US Steel continues to demand “major changes to health care benefits that would amount to thousands of dollars per year in added costs” for active works and retirees. The parties also wrangling over contract provisions […]
US Steel has filed court documents seeking a process trial date of November 20 to request approval of repayment of $2.2 billion in debt that it claims is owed by US Steel Canada. The court date was delayed by other restructuring issues and has been hotly contested by the USW, former Stelco president Bob Milbourne, […]
“Cost is the enemy of profitability,” said AK Steel CEO James Wainscott in the company’s third quarter earnings call. AK Steel proved it can cut costs, trimming $58 million at Dearborn Works and $60 million for the company as a whole for 2015, and delivering a positive net income of $6.7 million in third quarter. […]
Consumer confidence continued this year’s highly erratic trend in the October data. As we have reported in earlier write-ups on this subject, 2015 has been tremendously more variable month to month this year than last. In all of 2014 the monthly change ranged from +5.1 to -4.4, this year the range has been +10.7 to […]
The Precision Metalforming Association expects continuing weaker business conditions for the next three months. The PMA’s October Business Conditions Report showed a “minor, but continuing,” downturn in economic activity along with anticipation that orders will soften in the coming months. Current daily shipping levels dipped in October with 33 percent of survey participants reporting a […]
Swedish steel company SSAB posted a loss of SEK 191 million ($22.4 million*) in third quarter. Earnings were down by SEK 600 million ($70.4 million) due to lower margins on heavy plate in North America, the costs of relining the blast furnace in Lulea, and negative currency effects. The company plans to cut approximately 500 […]
In September, vehicle sales reached a new post-recession high of almost 18.2 million units at a seasonally adjusted annual rate. This followed the August rate of 17.8 million units. Both at the time were the best pace since July 2005, when incentives caused sales to surge. Sales in September were 10 percent higher than the […]
The difference between auto industry and steel industry: the UAW has issue a notice to GM that they could walk out at midnight tonight (Sunday) if they don’t have a contract. The USW is content to work under the old contract for as long as they can get away with it since both US Steel […]
Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. posted net income of $54.4 million in third quarter despite falling prices, decreased sales, and a restructuring charge of $55.5 million related to businesses serving the energy industry. End market demand was relatively steady in third quarter, except in the energy market where shipments dropped approximately 40 percent year over […]
Nucor third quarter earnings exceeded analyst expectations with earnings per share of $0.71 compared to estimates of $0.49. Nucor posted net income of $227.1 million, up from $124.8 million in second quarter due to a larger than forecasted LIFO credit and improved performance in the steel segment. Consolidated net sales were $4.23 billion on shipments […]
Steel Dynamics reported decreased third quarter profit as a result of high levels of low priced imports and elevated domestic inventory. SDI posted net sales of $2.0 billion for a net income of $61 million in Q3. The three percent drop in sales was due to lower pricing and reduced volume in the recycling and […]
NLMK USA third quarter 2015 sale volume totaled 494,000 tonnes, up 3 percent from Q2 but 7 percent below sales for third quarter 2014. Automotive demand and recovery of the construction sector contributed to the quarterly increase in sales. Hot rolled sales of 271,000 tonnes were up 2 percent from Q2 but 13 percent below […]
AK Steel announced on Friday that it will temporarily idle the blast furnace and related steelmaking operations at the Ashland, Kentucky Works facility as a result of challenging domestic market conditions. AK Steel said it does not intend to idle the hot-dip galvanizing line at Ashland Works that primarily services automotive customers. The company has […]
US Steel Canada and its parent company US Steel Corp. are parting ways but uncertainty about the future of the Canadian steel mill lingers. In a Superior Court decision last week, Justice Herman Wilton-Siegal agreed to sever the connection between the companies and allow US Steel Canada to suspend health care benefits to more than […]
A debate has begun as to when flat rolled steel prices will bottom and begin to reverse course. Part of that dialogue is what will supply look like should US Steel go through with balancing their production by temporarily taking down their Granite City Works. This would be on top of the trade suits which […]
The following article is written by Spencer Johnson of FC Stone LLC. With six years of experience, Spencer provides his customers strategic and tactical advice on protecting themselves against commodity price volatility in the steel markets. Spencer will rotate weekly futures articles with Andre Marshall of Crunch Risk, LLC. Spencer can be reached at spencer.johnson@intlfcstone.com. […]
The Ontario Superior Court has reserved judgment on a plan by US Steel Corporation for the company and US Steel Canada to “go their separate ways.” Justice Herman J. Wilton Siegal said it is one of the toughest decisions he has had to make from the bench and will issue a summary of his decision […]