The construction industry added just 1,000 employees in October as firms competed to hire from a small labor pool, the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) reported after analysis of new government data. The dynamic has continued to drive hourly wages higher, illustrating the struggle construction firms face in their search for qualified workers, the […]
ArcelorMittal reported sharply lower revenue and profits in the third quarter on falling prices, customer destocking, and weaker demand – notably in Europe. “The strong market conditions enjoyed for much of the past two years deteriorated in the third quarter,” company CEO Aditya Mittal said. “The short-term outlook for the industry remains uncertain and caution […]
US construction spending in September totaled $1.811 trillion at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR), just 0.2% above August after August’s 0.6% decline. The unexpected rebound in September came amid a surge in nonresidential investment that offset declining outlays on single-family homebuilding, according to data from the US Commerce Department. The month-on-month (MoM) increase was […]
The US labor market added 261,000 jobs in October, down from an upwardly revised total of 315,000 payroll gains the month prior. Last month’s total, though better than expected, still marked the slowest pace of job gains since December 2020, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The decline in payroll gains […]
The US economy added 261,000 new jobs in October, outperforming consensus expectations but still decelerating to the slowest pace since December 2020, according to data from the US Department of Labor. In contrast, the unemployment rate moved higher last month to 3.7%, after estimates expected the October measure to remain sideways and match the five-decade […]
After posting reduced profits in the second quarter (ended Sept. 30) of its fiscal 2023 year, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario-based Algoma Steel expects to continue to be impacted in the current quarter by operational challenges and overall softness in the steel market. Company executives commented on these challenges and provided an update on operations during […]
The Dodge Momentum Index registered 199.7 in October, up 9.6% from 182.2 September, according to data and analytics from the Dodge Construction Network. Dodge is the leading index for commercial real estate, using the data of planned nonresidential building projects to track spending in the sector for the next 12 months. For October, the index’s subcomponents also […]
Sticking with a business model that’s proven successful over the past three decades, David Stickler and his team at Global Principal Partners (GPP) hope to make their next endeavor with Hybar’s two new rebar minimills another prosperous one. Steel Market Update sat down with the industry veteran this week in an exclusive interview to discuss […]
The Hard Work Starts Now, Executing on the Announced New Aluminum Capacity After the flurry of announcements in May and July of this year, the three new greenfield aluminum rolling mills are in various stages of execution. Novelis Breaks Ground Official ground breaking took place on Novelis’ Bay Minette, Ala., mill on Oct. 7. The […]
Spending on nonresidential construction now outpaces residential construction projects, the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) reported. Construction spending hit $1.811 trillion at a seasonally adjusted annual rate in September, a 0.2% increase versus August and up nearly 11% year-on-year (YoY). “Demand remains strong for a range of nonresidential construction segments despite supply chain challenges […]
Editor’s note: SMU Contributor Michael D’Angelo is a researcher and trader at Marex. In his role, Mike performs fundamental and quantitative analysis, which directly leads to actionable trading/risk management strategies across the base, precious, and ferrous metals derivative spaces. Prior to joining Marex, Mike received a BA in economics with a minor in finance from Princeton […]
Editor’s note: SMU Contributor Michael D’Angelo is a researcher and trader at Marex. In his role, Mike performs fundamental and quantitative analysis, which directly leads to actionable trading/risk management strategies across the base, precious, and ferrous metals derivative spaces. Prior to joining Marex, Mike received a BA in economics with a minor in finance from Princeton […]
Marubeni-Itochu Steel America Inc. (MISA) has acquired Worthington Specialty Processing (WSP), a joint venture between Worthington Industries and United States Steel Corp. The New York-based value-added steel and aluminum processor and North American subsidiary of Japan’s Marubeni-Itochu Steel Inc. acquired WSP’s only remaining facility in Jackson, Mich. in an all-cash deal for an undisclosed sum. […]
Sticking with a business model that’s proven successful over the past three decades, David Stickler and his team at Global Principal Partners (GPP) hope to make their next endeavor with Hybar’s two new rebar minimills another prosperous one. Steel Market Update sat down with the industry veteran this week in an exclusive interview to discuss […]
By CRU Principal Economist Alex Tuckett, from CRU’s Global Economic Outlook Despite some slightly better-than-expected data for Q3, we have further revised down our forecast for 2023. We continue to believe that stubbornly high inflation, the energy crisis, and China’s domestic problems will lead to a sharp slowdown in world growth, with outright recessions in […]
Steel prices declined each week in October, with all sheet products now back in line with late-2020 levels. Hot rolled prices averaged $736 per net ton ($36.80 per cwt) in October, falling from $765 in the beginning of the month to $710 as of last Tuesday. The SMU Price Momentum Indicator for sheet products was […]
Arkansas has become a hub for steel production in the southern US, and it will soon be home to another steel mill. Hybar, a newly formed company led by steel industry veteran David Stickler, announced it will build a $500 million greenfield minimill to produce rebar in northeast Arkansas just outside of Osceola. The new […]
The Brazilian ambassador to the US said it’s time for the removal of Section 232 tariffs and quotas in an editorial sent to the Wall Street Journal. The 232 tariffs and quotas have been in effect for more than four years – since 2018, when then-President Donald Trump imposed a 25% tariff on steel and a […]
The reshoring of US manufacturing, nonresidential construction, and semiconductor manufacturing are key areas where Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. remains incredibly bullish. Speaking on the company’s third quarter earnings conference call with analysts on Thurs., Oct. 27, executives expressed their optimism for these markets. Reshoring/nearshoring is “legit,” and the company is “pumped up about it,” […]
US Steel does not currently have any plans to bring back recently idled blast furnaces as it awaits an improvement in market conditions. The Pittsburgh-based steelmaker in September indefinitely idled the No. 3 Edgar Thomson blast furnace at its Mon Valley Works in western Pennsylvania and also the No. 8 BF at its Gary Works […]
Somewhat better-than-expected demand helped service center behemoth Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. achieve strong third-quarter sales. And despite macroeconomic uncertainty, inflation, continuing supply chain disruptions, and geopolitical issues, the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based company anticipates healthy demand trends to continue in the current quarter, according to its Q3 earnings report released on Thursday, Oct. 27. The company […]
Engineered shapes producer McDonald Steel Corp. is adding plate processing capabilities to its portfolio via the acquisition of General Steel Corp. Mac Steel GSC Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of McDonald Steel, recently acquired the assets of General Steel, a Cleveland-based plate service center and processor, for an undisclosed sum. The addition of plate processing capabilities naturally […]
Galvanized prices continue to drop, as discussed during this month’s call of the Sheet Metal/Air Handling Council of the Heating, Air-conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI). Prices have been steadily dropping for the past six months despite stable demand. A few highlights from the call include the differential between hot-rollled and cold-rolled coil being in […]
The strong performance of SSAB Americas was a bright spot in Swedish parent company SSAB’s third quarter earnings report as the company’s European segment was impacted by weaker demand and low shipments. SSAB Americas posted Q3 operating profit of SEK 3,036 million (US$276.65 million) — a 61% improvement from the same quarter of 2021. The […]
Demand for design services from US architecture firms continued to grow in September, though the pace of growth declined month-on-month (MoM). The September AIA Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score slipped last month after rising for the first time in five months in August. Despite the MoM decline, the development also marked the 20th consecutive month of […]
The Biden administration is pushing its Federal Buy Clean Initiative to reduce carbon emissions from American industry and to support the purchase of low-carbon, made-in-America construction materials. The administration last week lauded two domestic steelmakers for their commitments to lower emissions and for participating in the initiative. Cleveland-Cliffs is the first domestic steel producer to […]
Nearly two-thirds of US states added construction jobs month-on-month (MoM) in September. Most also boosted construction employment during the past twelve months, according to Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) figures. AGC said the job gains were welcome news even if significant labor shortages probably prevented an even bigger upswing in employment. “While it is encouraging […]
Nucor Corp.’s $650 million expansion project at Nucor Steel Gallatin in Ghent, Ky., will not reach its nameplate capacity of 3 million tons per year by the end of the year, Leon Topalian, Nucor’s chair, president, and CEO, said on an earnings conference call with analysts on Thursday, Oct. 20. “The ramp-up at Nucor Steel […]
Nucor Corp.’s new $1.35 billion plate mill in Brandenburg, Ky., remains on track to start up late in the fourth quarter of this year, with “meaningful production” to occur in the first quarter of 2023, Leon Topalian, Nucor’s chair, president, and CEO said on an earnings conference call with analysts on Thursday, Oct. 20. The […]
A strong performance from its steel fabrication operations offset lower earnings within its flat rolled steel business, resulting in another strong quarter for Steel Dynamics Inc. The Fort Wayne, Ind.-based steelmaker and recycler reported net income of $914 million on sales of $5.65 billion in the third quarter ended Sept. 30. While sales were 11% […]