Each month the Commerce Department issues its construction put in place (CPIP) data, usually on the first working day covering activity two months earlier. December data was released on Monday February 1st. Construction Put in Place is based on spending work as it occurs, estimated for a given month from a sample of projects. In […]
An explanation of the Key Indicators concept is given at the end of this piece for those readers who are unfamiliar with it. The total number of indicators considered in this analysis is currently 36. Please refer to Table 1 for the view of the present situation and the quantitative measure of trends. Readers should […]
The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released the first estimate of Q4 2015 Annual Revision of the National Income and Product Accounts on Monday. The annualized growth rate in the first estimate of the fourth quarter was 0.69 percent, down from 1.99 percent, in the 3rd quarter and down from 3.91 percent in Q2. Normally […]
The states compile their employment numbers independently of the Feds then both are reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The results are close. In the last eight quarters since Q1 2014, the Feds reported total job creation of 5,766,000 and the states reported 5,415,400. Figure 1 and Figure 2 show the history of Federal […]
First, a note to our Premium level members (subscribers) we will produce another Premium supplemental issue of our newsletter for you tomorrow afternoon. The newsletter will contain the most recent CPIP (construction put in place) data. We also will release the results of this week’s flat rolled steel market trends analysis in the form of […]
Caterpillar says it plans to close five plants in the U.S. as part of a cost-cutting strategy it began last year. The closures at the mining and construction equipment company will mean layoffs for about 670 employees. In September 2015, Caterpillar said global restructuring actions would cut as many as 18,000 jobs through 2018. “Cost […]
Impairment charges contributed to a $62 million net loss for Nucor Corp. in fourth quarter 2015. An impairment charge of $153 million was recorded for the Duferdofin Nucor plant in Italy due to low operating performance. The company also took an $84.1 million non-cash write-down after deciding not to proceed with plans for a blast […]
Mexican steelmaker, TYASA, plans to build the first Castrip® mill outside of Nucor at its mini-mill in Ixtaczoquitlan. The new facility will have the capability to produce 500,000 tons of thin-gauge, high-strength. The TYASA steel campus in the state of Veracruz, Mexico is designed to be highly efficiently with environmentally-friendly low emissions. The Simetal EAF […]
Total housing starts in December were at an annual rate of 1,149,000 which was down from 1,179,000 in November. Since April total monthly starts annualized have ranged from 1,062,000 to 1,211,000 with the high month being June. In December the three month moving average (3MMA) was 1,133,000 which was down from 1,153,000 in November. August […]
Steel Market Update is a member of an association connected to the construction industry called HARDI. HARDI stands for Heating, Air-conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International. HARDI and The Institute for Trend Research (ITR), an economic forecasting company, work together to gather economic data to provide a forecast to the HARDI members located in the United […]
The following is the Chicago Federal Reserve statement followed by our own graphical analysis. The CFNAI is an excellent reality check for much of the economic analysis that we routinely provide in The Steel Market Update and is also a reasonably good predictor of the direction of steel demand with a six to nine month […]
Steel Dynamics’ struggling recycling segment widened the company’s net loss to $253 million in fourth quarter 2015. It was determined that the book value of the metals recycling segment recorded $435 million in non-cash goodwill and other related asset impairment charge. Excluding the metals recycling charges, adjusted net income was $22 million on net sales […]
Construction employment increased in the U.S. in December and for 2015 amid strong demand according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America. The press release from AGC follows: Forty-four states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs in 2015 while construction employment increased in 39 states and D.C. between November and […]
Steel Market Update is a member of an association connected to the construction industry called HARDI. HARDI stands for Heating, Air-conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International. HARDI and The Institute for Trend Research (ITR), an economic forecasting company, work together to gather economic data to provide a forecast to the HARDI members located in the United […]
China’s economy, the second largest in the world behind the U.S., grew at 6.9 percent in 2015. That was pretty close to its target of 7 percent for the year but also the slowest rate since 1990. Data released by the Chinese government shows fourth quarter growth at 6.8 percent. As recently as 2007 China’s […]
Housing starts and permit authorizations fell from November to December, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce report, despite unseasonably warm temperatures. The drop surprised economists who expected gains from the mild weather and from the positive report of construction jobs added in December. Housing starts were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,149,000, […]
The American Institute of Architects called 2015 a healthy year for construction. In eight of the twelve months last year the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) posted scores above the 50, indicating an increase in design services. The December ABI was 50.9, up from 49.3 in November. The new projects inquiry index gained 1.6 points to […]
The article below is normally reserved for our Premium members, but we thought our Executive members would appreciate seeing the MSCI data from a different viewpoint with more analysis than what they normally see from us. Based on Steel Market Update (SMU) analysis of the recently released MSCI service center inventory and shipment data, total […]
This article is normally reserved for our Premium members but we felt it would be a good one to share with all of our readers. If you are interested in signing up for a Premium membership or would like a trial, let us know at info@SteelMarketUpdate.com or call (800) 432 3475. Following up on our […]
There are zombie factories in China. No, they are not making zombies but the factories themselves are the equivalent of the walking dead–steel mills hanging on by a thread, not making money, reducing workforces, but clinging to life when they are all but dead. The China Iron and Steel Association (CISA) is painting a grim […]
Mill Steel, a distributor of flat rolled carbon steel, has announced the acquisition of certain assets of S&S Steel Services for an undisclosed amount. S&S Steel Services, located in Anderson, Ind., is a supplier of carbon flat-rolled steel services serving manufacturing customers in the Midwest, Mid-South and Mid-Atlantic United States. S&S will continue steel slitting […]
Media reports indicate that ArcelorMittal Steelton, a producer of rail in Pennsylvania, may be up for sale. Local government officials and the president of USW Local 1688 say they have been informed by the company that the facility is for sale. A spokesperson for ArcelorMittal said the company “does not comment on rumors or market […]
The last couple of days have been hectic as we worked through the articles seen in tonight’s newsletter as well as numerous articles that we are working on various topics. The two headline articles are, of course, the next round of flat rolled price increases. The Nucor $20 hot rolled and $30 cold rolled and […]
Steel Market Update received the following press release from the US Department of Commerce International Trade Administration regarding the release of the preliminary determination for the hot rolled countervailing duty portion of the hot rolled trade case: On January 11, 2016, the Department of Commerce is scheduled to announce its preliminary determinations in the CVD […]
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) analysis of non-farm employment reported on Friday that 292,000 jobs were added in December, which was better than economist’s consensus expectations. October was revised up by 9,000 and November up by 41,000. The three month moving (3MMA) of gains through December was 284,000. The unemployment rate, U3, calculated from […]
The Dodge Momentum Index bounced back in December after a 3.6 percent decline the previous month. The Momentum Index, a measure of the initial report for nonresidential building projects in planning, rose 4.1 percent to post 125.2 in December. The increase was spread between commercial and institutional planning which rose by 3.6 percent and 4.7 […]
Nucor announced it will resume operations at its direct reduced iron (DRI) plant in Louisiana at the end of January. Operations were suspended at the end of last year due to market conditions following a scheduled maintenance outage. The company said in a statement: “Nucor’s raw materials strategy is built on flexibility, with the company […]
The Associated General Contractors of America released the results from their 2016 Construction Hiring and Business Outlook Report. Survey responses from more than 1,500 construction firms indicate that the construction industry is optimistic about business opportunities for 2016. A mix of private and public sector market segments are expected to drive demand for construction in […]
TransCanada says it intends to file a claim for more than $15 billion against the U.S. for what it calls the “arbitrary and unjustified” rejection of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. The claim, filed under Chapter 11 of the North American Free Trade Agreement, seeks to recover “costs and damages that it has suffered as […]
An explanation of the Key Indicators concept is given at the end of this piece for those readers who are unfamiliar with it. The total number of indicators considered in this analysis is currently 36. We have made a change to our analysis this month by removing the capacity utilization of both the flat rolled […]