Declining steel prices and inventory destocking contributed to a guidance miss for Ryerson Holding Corp. Although shipments increased 0.6 percent to 623,000 tons quarter-to-quarter, net sales fell 2.1 percent to $2.1 billion. Net income was $16.4 million, down from $30 million in the previous quarter and $18 million a year ago. Earnings per diluted share dropped […]
Construction spending declined in June, but most categories made gains in the first six months of 2019 compared to the same period in 2018, says a new analysis of federal data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Construction spending totaled $1.287 trillion at a seasonally adjusted annual rate in June, down 1.3 percent from […]
In June, China’s share of global steel production exceeded 55 percent for the first time. In May and June, the annual rate of global steel production exceeded 1.9 billion metric tons. Capacity is calculated to be 2.4 billion metric tons and capacity utilization in June was 80.0 percent, according to the latest Steel Market Update […]
Zekelman Industries plans to build what it claims will be the world’s largest continuous ERW tube mill in Blytheville, Ark., on property adjacent to its existing Atlas Tube mill. Startup of the new mill is scheduled for September 2021. “Having two mills within close proximity of each other will only increase our organization’s efficiency. We […]
The U.S. active rotary rig count, an indicator of oil country tubular goods demand, declined this week, according to oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The number of active U.S. rigs fell by 8 to 946, with oil rigs down 3, gas rigs down 5, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged. Compared to this time last year, the […]
The price of West Texas Intermediate crude oil briefly exceeded $60 per barrel for one week in July, but the rig count continues to decline, according to Steel Market Update’s analysis of data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA). The spot price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) FOB Cushing, Okla., exceeded $60 per barrel for […]
Brian Harroun, founder and president of Nobilis Pipe Co., sees an opportunity for a new domestic steel mill to bring production of specialty pipe and tube products back to the United States—and to do it in an environmentally responsible and sustainable way. Nobilis Pipe is now working to secure financing for construction of one of […]
EVRAZ NA announced the resignation of president and chief executive officer Conrad Winkler and the appointment of James “Skip” Herald as the new CEO. The change in leadership will be effective Aug. 5, 2019. Winkler, CEO since July 2013, is leaving to pursue other opportunities, said a press release from the company. Winkler led the […]
The U.S. active rotary rig count, an indicator of oil country tubular goods demand, declined this week, according to oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The number of active U.S. rigs fell by 5 to 958, with oil rigs down 4, gas rigs down 2, and miscellaneous rigs up 1. Compared to this time last year, […]
Bellville Tube Company has a new and, as yet, undisclosed owner. The manufacturer of steel tubulars for the commercial construction, industrial, and oil and gas industries will be reopened by a U.S.-based private investment group during the third quarter of 2019. The facility is expected to expand to full annual capacity of 130,000 tons and […]
The U.S. active rotary rig count, an indicator of oil country tubular goods demand, remained steady this week, according to oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The number of active U.S. rigs remained the same at 967, with oil rigs up 4, gas rigs down 4, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged. Compared to this time last year, […]
Global steel production hit an all-time high in April and that record was smashed in May. Global steel production in April achieved a new high annual rate of 1.880 billion metric tons (Mt). Production surged in May to an annual rate of 1.953 billion Mt. Capacity is calculated to be 2.4 billion Mt and capacity […]
Worthington Industries, Inc., reported net earnings of $153.5 million for its 2019 fiscal year ended May 31, down 21 percent from earnings of $194.8 million in the prior year. Earnings were hurt by inventory holding losses from declining steel prices, among other factors. Sales for the year totaled $3.76 billion, up from $3.58 billion last […]
The spot price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) FOB Cushing, Okla., reached $66.24 per barrel on April 20 and had declined to $51.94 on June 17. The total number of operating rigs exploring for oil has declined by 106 since Jan. 4. The prices of oil and natural gas drive the consumption of energy-related steel […]
The U.S. active rotary rig count, an indicator of oil country tubular goods demand, decreased this week, according to oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The number of active U.S. rigs fell by 6 to 969, with oil rigs down 1 and gas rigs down 5. Compared to this time last year, the 969 count is […]
The following article discussing the global ferrous derivatives markets was written by David Feldstein. As an independent steel market analyst, advisor and trader, we believe he provides insightful commentary and trading ideas to our readers. Note that Steel Market Update does not take any positions on HRC or scrap trading, and any recommendations made by […]
Results for First Four Months of 2019 Combined Show Ongoing Strength Aside from Single-Family Market; Association Officials Urge End to Tariffs That Pose Threat to Construction Costs and Demand AGC, June 7, 2019 — Construction spending was unchanged from March to April, with mixed results by project type for the month and for the year […]
China’s crude steel production in April exceeded an annualized rate of one billion tons for the first time as the Asian giant continues to grow its global market share, according to Steel Market Update’s analysis of the latest World Steel Association data. On March 27, the OECD Steel Committee reported: “Low growth prospects for the […]
The U.S. active rotary rig count, an indicator of oil country tubular goods demand, increased this week, according to oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The number of active U.S. rigs rose by 1 to 984, with oil rigs up 3 and gas rigs down 2. Compared to this time last year, the 984 count is […]
The chairman of Mexican steel producer Altos Hornos de Mexico SAB was arrested on Tuesday in an anti-corruption probe, resulting in the freezing of AHMSA accounts and a possible disruption to steel production in Mexico. The investigation involves the sale by AHMSA of an idled fertilizer plant in 2014, allegedly worth $50 million, to oil […]
Monthly oil production in the U.S. declined sharply in February as inventories increased. The price of West Texas Intermediate crude oil has declined in the last month. The spot price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) FOB Cushing, Okla., reached $66.24 / barrel on April 20 and had declined to $60.97 on May 13. The total […]
In this report, we examine the change in currency values of the 16 pre-eminent global steel and iron ore trading nations. The currencies of these 16 don’t necessarily follow the broad index value of the U.S. dollar. In fact, at any given time, some are always moving in the opposite direction. The latest value of […]
The U.S. active rotary rig count, an indicator of oil country tubular goods demand, decreased this week, according to oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The number of active U.S. rigs fell by 1 to 987, with oil rigs down 3 and gas rigs up 2. Compared to this time last year, the 987 count is […]
The following article discussing the global ferrous derivatives markets was written by David Feldstein. As an independent steel market analyst, advisor and trader, we believe he provides insightful commentary and trading ideas to our readers. Note that Steel Market Update does not take any positions on HRC or scrap trading, and any recommendations made by […]
Trade attorney and Steel Market Update contributor Lewis Leibowitz offers the following update on events in Washington: Several notices have been published in the last few days, signaling the new reality of the contentious trade negotiations between the U.S. and China. USTR issued a notice, which has not yet been seen in the Federal Register, […]
By the CRU Economics Team The Turkish economy is suffering its first recession in a decade. This has had knock-on effects on the global steel market, given Turkey’s prominence in this industry. A key question for the steel market is therefore, how long will the recession in Turkey last? We think that in the most […]
Good afternoon/evening from Davenport, Iowa. Davenport is where the Mississippi River flooded the downtown area a couple of weeks ago. Water levels are down four feet from their highest point, and the flood waters reached the parking lot of our hotel before receding back across the railroad tracks. The river is still in flood stage […]
The U.S. active rotary rig count, an indicator of oil country tubular goods demand, decreased this week, according to oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The number of active U.S. rigs fell by 2 to 988, with oil rigs down 2 and gas rigs unchanged. Compared to this time last year, the 988 count is down […]
Canada’s Russel Metals reported a solid performance in first-quarter 2019, though the company does not expect the market to keep pace with the record-setting year in 2018. “We think 2019 is going to be a very good year for Russel, but more similar to 2017,” said President and CEO John Reid during the quarterly conference […]
Global manufacturing activity appeared lackluster in April. The J.P. Morgan Global Manufacturing PMI hovered just above the no change mark at 50.3, down from 50.5 in March, and at its lowest reading since June 2016. “The global manufacturing sector remained subdued at the start of the second quarter, with the PMI barely above the 50.0 […]