The Institute for Supply Management Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) registered 55.4 percent in July which was an increase of 4.5 percentage points above the June reading of 50.9. The 3 month moving average (3MMA) rose from 50.2 to 51.43. Any reading above 50.0 percent means manufacturing is expanding. JP Morgan Global Manufacturing & Services PMI […]
On the first working day of each month the Commerce Department releases construction expenditure data for the month before last. For example, on September 3rd the July data was released. This data known as CPIP, (Construction put in place) differs from commercially available data which to the best of our knowledge always measures construction starts. […]
Completed existing home sales rose 6.5 percent in July to their highest level since November 2009 said the National Association of Realtors. Home sales rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.39 million for the month and were 17.2 percent above sales in July 2012. The median home price shot up 14 percent […]
Indicators Suggest No Significant Growth in Steel for the Balance of 2013 The Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) and steel consumption. The following is an abridged version of the Chicago Federal Reserve statement plus graphical analysis by Steel Market Update. The index is a weighted average of 85 indicators of national economic activity drawn […]
As reported by Sandy Williams here in the Steel Market Update on Friday, the National Association of Home Builders index reached its highest level in almost eight years in July but the Census Bureau construction starts data is not so encouraging. On a year over year basis the 3-month moving average (3MMA) of both permits […]
Canadian housing starts in July fell slightly to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 192,853 units from 193,797 units in June. The decrease was 0.5 percent from June levels and 9.5 percent below housing starts in July 2012. Urban starts for single units decreased by 5.5 percent to 58,732 units in July while urban multi-unit […]
Builders are feeling more confident about the housing market according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index. The August Index shows an increase of three points to 59, bringing the index to its highest level in almost eight years. Of the three components used in the monthly survey to compile the […]
The Institute of Supply Management Purchasing Managers Index, (PMI) registered 50.9 percent in June, a decrease of 1.9 percentage points from May’s reading of 49.0 percent, but the three month moving average (3MMA) declined for the third straight month to 50.2 percent. The JPMorgan Global Manufacturing PMI indicated a sixth consecutive month of expansion in June […]
Written by Sandy Williams Canadian building permit values were down 10.3 percent from May at a value of $6.6 billion (CAD), dropping for the first time in six months. Canadian building permit values for residential housing dropped in June following three consecutive months of increases. Both multi and single family dwelling permits experienced declines, […]
Written by: Peter Wright Once a quarter the Federal Reserve surveys the senior loan officers of 73 domestic banks and 22 U.S. branches and agencies of foreign banks – questions cover changes in the standards and terms of the banks’ lending and the state of business and household demand for loans. The following is an […]
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 […]
Existing home sales in February are at their highest level since November 2009 according to data released by The National Association of Realtors. Existing home sales increased 0.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted rate of 4.98 million in last month, a 10.2 percent increase over the level seen in February 2012. Prices have also shown […]
Industrial Production and Manufacturing Capacity Utilization – February 2013 Federal Reserve statistics for February 2013 indicate that manufacturing is in a “Warm” growth mode which confirms the Institute of Supply Management’s manufacturing index, orders for durable goods and the rate of growth of manufacturing employment. In three months through February IP grew 2.6% year over […]
Written by: Peter Wright The housing market is important to steel producers and processors for a number of reasons, some of which are not obvious. Not a lot of steel is consumed in wood framed houses but housing starts also lead sales of appliances and other steel items. Starts also positively affect ancillary non-residential construction […]
Written by: Sandy Williams Iron Ore slid this week to its lowest level since mid-December. As of March 15, ore price at Tianjin Port reported by The Steel Index was $134.6 /dry tonne (Fe62%)—a drop of 8 percent in one week. Coking coal fell as well, dropping to $161 a tonne on March 14 from […]
Written by: Sophia Fain Pending home sales remain in healthy territory after its 4.5 percent rise in January. Pending home sales have continually been above year-ago levels for the past 21 months, according to the National Association of Realtors. January’s sales are 9.6 percent above year-ago levels and the highest reading since April 2010 when […]
Written by: Sandy Williams Home prices showed strong gains at the end of 2012 according to the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices. The national composite increased 7.3 percent in 2012 after surging in the second and third quarter and dipping slightly in the fourth period. The yearly indices for the 10- and 20-City Composites posted annual […]
Written by: Peter Wright Chicago Fed national Activity Index, (CFNAI) is a widely respected measure of both overall and detailed economic activity in the US. The index’s three-month moving average, increased to +0.30 in January from +0.23 in December. Given the substantial upward revisions for November and December, January’s result marked the third consecutive reading […]
Written by: Sandy Williams A sellers market is beginning to develop, says the National Association of Realtors, as inventory drops and prices begin to rise. Existing home sales rose a slight 0.4 percent in January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.92 million from a downwardly revised 4.90 million in December. The annual sales […]
Written by: Sandy Williams >New residential housing starts slowed in January as winter gripped the U.S. Housing starts were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 890,000 in January, according data released by the Department of Commerce. The January figure was 8.5 percent below the December revised annual rate of 973,000, although 23.6 percent above […]
Written by: Peter Wright The Economic Outlook for 2013 CBO expects that economic activity will expand slowly this year, with real GDP growing by just 1.4 percent. That slow growth reflects a combination of ongoing improvement in underlying economic factors and fiscal tightening that has already begun or is scheduled to occur—including the expiration of […]
Written by: Sandy Williams Steel Dynamics doubled its fourth quarter earnings from last year. Net income was $60.57 in fourth quarter 2012 compared to $30.20 million in 2011, and $13 million in third quarter 2012. Results included a positive tax adjustment of $16 million. Steel shipments for the quarter dropped slightly from 1.464 million tons […]
Written by: Sandy Williams New construction starts leapt 23 percent in December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $530 billion according to data released by McGraw-Hill Construction. Total constructions starts for 2012 grew 6 percent to $463.6 billion for a moderate gain at a faster rate from the previous two years. Construction growth overall […]
Existing home sales slowed slightly in December but limited inventory is fueling price increases, according to the National Association of Realtors. December sales declined 1.0 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.94 million in December from a downwardly revised 4.99 million in November, but are 12.8 percent above the 4.38 million-unit level in […]
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 […]
Written by: Sandy Williams 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 […]
Written by: Sandy Williams Housing starts rose at the fastest pace since 2008, showing continued recovery in the housing market. The Commerce Department said housing starts were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 954,000, up 12.1 percent from the revised November estimate and up 36.9 percent from the December rate in 2011. Starts of […]
Written by: Sandy Williams Metal forming companies are expecting a spike in business conditions in the next three months according to survey data released Wednesday by the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA). Survey data shows 32 percent of participants are expecting conditions to get better in the next three months (up from 22 percent in December) […]
Written by: Andre Marshall, Crunchrisk LLC Financial Markets On the equities markets we hit a new 5 year high reaching 1485 on SP 500 today. In this current rally you might recall our target point for this move is 1488 and so we may be near a point for a little retracement. If this current move […]