Tag: Manufacturing

Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. has agreed to purchase Canada’s Stelco Holdings Inc. in a deal valued at $2.5 billion (CA$3.4 billion).

Steel is, mostly for historical reasons, a bellwether of international policy. No longer an industry of primary importance, its advocates still proclaim that it is. And steel still continues to punch above its weight in Washington, DC. Below are a few recent examples.

Two veteran investment bankers joined SMU's Community Chat on Wednesday, July 10, to talk consolidation and M&A in the metals industry.

Renewable energy infrastructure, including wind turbines, solar farms, and electric-vehicle charging stations, requires substantial amounts of steel. The domestic steel industry, with its capacity to produce world-class steel with the world’s smallest carbon footprint, should be at the forefront of this supply chain. Yet the United States is increasingly importing steel from abroad to meet its renewable energy needs.

Earlier this week, SMU polled steel buyers on an array of topics, ranging from market prices, demand, and inventories to imports and evolving market events.

Data on US industrial production, capacity utilization, new orders and inventories all held steady through the latest figures, indicating a stable and healthy manufacturing sector. The strength of the manufacturing economy has a direct bearing on the health of the steel industry.

Steel mill lead times remain near some of the lowest levels witnessed in months, according to our latest market canvass to steel service centers and manufacturers.

Radius Recycling continued to bleed red in its most recent quarterly report as it negotiated persistently challenging conditions in the recycled metals market.

Cornerstone Building Brands agreed to buy Mueller Supply Co. for $475 million, according to a Form 8-K filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on July 1.

Most longs prices in the US were unchanged this month, except for rebar, which declined by $1.50/cwt ($30/short ton) m/m. While end-use demand is stable, inventories are well-stocked, keeping purchases limited. Domestic availability is sufficient to meet current demand, hindering the appetite for imported material. Meanwhile, prices for scrap remained under pressure in June, with […]

Cornerstone Building Brands is set to buy Mueller Supply Co., a manufacturer of residential metal roofing and components and steel buildings in Texas and the Southwest.

US manufacturing activity contracted again in June, as reported in the latest release from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM).

Veteran investment bankers Vince Pappalardo and Andy Pappas will be the featured guests on the next SMU Community Chat on Wednesday, July 10, at 11 am ET (10 am CT). The live webinar is free to attend for all who register. A recording will be available only to SMU members. You can register here.

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.

The Congressional Steel Caucus have expressed concern regarding the US government’s potential trade status change for Vietnam.

A roundup of aluminum news from CRU.

It was great to have Gary Stein, CEO of Triple-S Steel, join SMU for a Community Chat earlier this week. (Btw, you can find a record of the webinar here.) We covered a lot of ground. From Andrew Carnegie and the Johnstown Flood to the current steel market and the state of domestic manufacturing broadly speaking. One thing that stuck with me was how unevenly construction spending appears to be on “green” initiatives and other key items funded by infrastructure spending, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS Act.

Earlier this week, SMU polled steel buyers on an array of topics, ranging from market prices, demand, and inventories to imports and evolving market events.

Uncertainty surrounding demand, the US presidential election, tariffs, and taxes is weighing on North American metalforming companies.

The chairman of a large American steel company called for Mexico to be dropped from USMCA at a steel industry conference last week. This follows earlier calls from members of Congress to reinstate Section 232 duties on Mexico. How did we get to this point?

Demand has remained persistently weak across the globe for sheet steel, weighing on prices. US HR coil prices fell the furthest this week as high-volume, low-priced deals were transacted as mills looked to fill order books and competed with one another amid relative demand weakness. Meanwhile, European prices were also down due to low demand […]

For the first time in weeks, activity in the futures market broke out of the recent “front grinds lower” pattern to provide new insight into the dynamics of the steel industry.

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.

CMC reported solid demand and a healthy start to the construction season in its latest quarterly earnings statement.

Mill Steel Co. announced several executive appointments as it works to transform the organization.

Flack Global Metals (FGM) is set to take majority ownership of Pacesetter Steel Service.

Galvanized prices have tumbled from a month ago, and many market participants expect that trend to continue in July.

New York state manufacturers reported dismal business conditions in June. This is the seventh consecutive month of negative readings, according to the latest Empire State Manufacturing Survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Steel Dynamics Inc. guided to significantly reduced second-quarter earnings as its steel operations have taken a hit from lower prices.

Former President Trump’s visit to Capitol Hill last week made a lot of news. One proposal directly involves international trade and tariffs. While the specifics are hazy, President Trump allegedly talked about replacing the federal income tax on individuals with tariff increases. Let’s check that out.