SMU’s hot-rolled coil price fell to $640 per short ton (st) on average on Tuesday. That’s down $10/st from last week and marks the lowest point for HR prices since December 2022, according to our pricing archives. SMU’s HR price is now $5/ton below 2023’s low of $645/st, which occurred against the backdrop of a United Auto Workers (UAW) union strike.
Flat Rolled = 60.9 Shipping Days of Supply Plate = 59 Shipping Days of Supply Flat Rolled US service center flat-rolled steel supply remained high at the end of June at 60.9 shipping days of supply, according to adjusted SMU data. This translates to 3.05 months of supply in June. At the end of May, […]
Nucor dropped its consumer spot price (CSP) for hot-rolled coil to $650 per short ton, down $20/st from last week. The Charlotte, N.C.-based steelmaker also said base prices for HR from CSI, its subsidiary in California, would be $720/st. That’s a $30/st decrease from $750/st a week ago.
Flat-rolled steel prices have been largely falling since the beginning of the year. Even after a slight bump in early April when mills tried to halt the downtrend, the decrease resumed.
US sheet prices saw a similar pattern this week, customary for much of the year – new week, lower prices. Domestic tags moved lower this week, aligning with the typically slower summer period – but maybe a further indication of dwindling demand.
Nucor has kept its consumer spot price (CSP) for hot-rolled (HR) coil flat this week.
After celebrating the July 4th holiday, let’s have a look back at the first half of 2024.
Sheet steel buyers found mills more willing to negotiate spot pricing this week, according to our most recent survey data.
US sheet prices moved lower again this week, continuing a trend seen since early April. The slowdown aligns with the typical summer doldrums, when lax demand and shorter lead times often take center stage. The current market is also characterized by ample supply and concerns about restocking – especially with few signs of a bottom […]
Nucor Corp. announced that its plate mill group would cut prices for as-rolled, discrete, and normalized plate with the opening of its August order book.
Nucor lowered its consumer spot price (CSP) for hot-rolled (HR) coil by another $10 per short ton (st) for the first week of July. The steelmaker said in a letter to customers on Monday that its CSP base price for the week will be $670/st for all of its sheet mills with the exception of California Steel Industries (CSI).
This chart of the rolling second-month CME hot-rolled coil (HRC) future dating back to the start of 2022 has been as volatile as a herd of “Wild Horses.”
US sheet prices continued to drift lower this week on lackluster demand, short lead times, and ample supply. SMU’s hot-rolled (HR) coil price now stands at $670 per short ton (st) on average, down $15/st from last week. Hot band is down $175/st from a recent high of $845/st in early April. It is also […]
ArcelorMittal Mexico said it's on the brink of severing labor relations with striking members of the local mining union. This serious move comes as an illegal strike and the resulting mill outage persist into their second month, posing a significant threat to the continuation of the mill’s operations.
Nucor's weekly hot-rolled (HR) coil price registered a notable decline this week.
Steel mill lead times remain short for all steel products tracked by SMU, according to our latest market survey. Service center and manufacturers continue to report short to normal lead times for sheet and plate products.
US sheet prices edged lower this week as discounting continues. Major factors remain ample supply, shorter lead times, and lower input costs. Meanwhile, demand had remained steady to soft, depending on the end market. SMU’s hot-rolled (HR) coil price now stands at $685 per short ton (st) on average, down $25/st from last week. Hot […]
ArcelorMittal Mexico is suffering a significant production loss as the labor strike at its mill in Lazaro Cardenas is now in its fourth week.
Flat Rolled = 60.6 Shipping days of supply Plate = 61.1 Shipping days of supply Flat Rolled US service center flat-rolled steel supply rose in May with a drop-off in shipments. At the end of May, service centers carried 60.6 shipping days of supply on an adjusted basis, up from 57.8 shipping days of supply […]
The conventional wisdom is that sheet prices will trend down for the next few weeks (maybe the next two months) before rising again in August – around when lead times stretch into the busier fall months. We see that reflected in our survey results and in market chatter. And there are plenty of data points to choose from if you want to support of that position.
Nucor Corp. has guided to much lower second-quarter earnings, as profitability in its steel mills segment suffers due to lower prices and volumes.
The spread between hot-rolled coil (HRC) and prime scrap prices has narrowed for the second consecutive month, according to SMU’s most recent pricing data.
US sheet prices continued to tick down this week as supply seems to outweigh demand, and deep discounts are not only for large-ton buys.
Movements in steel mill lead times were mixed this week, according to our latest steel buyers survey results. Service centers and manufacturers reported short to average production times, little changed from our last report.
US hot-rolled (HR) coil prices ticked down again this past week, nearly reaching parity with offshore hot band prices on a landed basis. This week, domestic HR coil tags were $730 per short ton (st) on average based on SMU’s latest check of the market on Tuesday, June 4. Domestic HR coil prices are now […]
Steel buyers found mills more willing to negotiate spot pricing this week on all products SMU tracks with the exception of Galvalume, according to our most recent survey data.
ArcelorMittal plans to continue to invest and expand its operations in North America, a senior company executive said in an exclusive interview with SMU. “People were talking about our demise in North America or maybe our exit. And I want to emphasize that nothing could be further from the truth,” said Brad Davey, executive vice president and head of corporate development at the company.
US sheet prices remained on a downward course again this week amid chatter in some corners about a potential broader slowdown in demand. SMU’s hot-rolled (HR) coil price now stands at $730 per short ton (st) on average, down $20/st from last week and down $115/st from a recent high of $845/st in early April. […]
Hot-rolled coil prices are known for their volatility. There are a variety of hedging strategies industry players have used to manage it, one of them being the use of HRC futures. However, some have been hesitant to dip in their toe, and their money, in futures and have preferred other approaches.
Earlier this week, SMU polled steel buyers on an array of topics, ranging from market prices, demand, and inventories to imports and evolving market chatter.