Steel prices continue to drop on most, if not all, of the indexes followed by Steel Market Update. Benchmark hot rolled coil was referenced at $645 per ton by both Steel Market Update and Platts. CRU had HRC pegged a few dollars higher at $649 per ton. SteelBenchmarker, which is part of World Steel Dynamics, […]
The move by the domestic mills to reach $700+ per ton hot rolled is nothing but a blur in the rear view mirror according to the various steel indexes followed by Steel Market Update. Flat rolled steel prices fell across the board on hot rolled, cold rolled, galvanized and Galvalume steels this past week. The […]
The various indexes we follow on a regular basis all had prices on benchmark hot rolled moving lower this past week. Platts took the biggest leap moving from $675 to $660 in one week. SMU dropped $5 per ton to $660. Plate prices rose at Platts but dropped with CRU. The result is we are […]
On January 14, Steel Market Update (SMU) adjusted our Price Momentum Indicator from Higher to Neutral. This means we see steel market pricing at this moment as either in transition or moving sideways over the next 30 days. With ferrous scrap prices now weakening, lead times shortening and all of the available capacity back in […]
We are beginning to capture signs of a fracture in the resolve of the service centers to push higher steel prices into their end user accounts. With flat rolled steel spot prices trading within a fairly narrow and stable range for the past 10 weeks according to our SMU price indices, it should not come […]
The two strongest products during the month of January were cold rolled (fully annealed) and plate. Both of these products saw spot price appreciation during the month. Hot rolled was a mixed bag with SMU now holding the lowest average at $665 per ton as of last week. At one point during the month every […]
Steel Market Update follows a number of indexes and their average price points on hot rolled, cold rolled, galvanized, Galvalume as well as plate. Steel Market Update (SMU) found prices slipping on three of the four products we currently index – hot rolled, galvanized and Galvalume. CRU also picked up some modestly weaker numbers as […]
The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices showed continued growth in a report released this week. The November 2013, 10-City and 20-City composites increased by 13.8 percent and 13.7 percent year-over-year, respectively. The month-to-month indices decline 1.0 percent in November, the first decrease since November 2012. Nine out of 20 cities in the survey recorded positive returns, […]
We are beginning to capture signs of a fracture in the resolve of the service centers to push higher steel prices into their end user accounts. With flat rolled steel spot prices trading within a fairly narrow and stable range for the past 10 weeks according to our SMU price indices, it should not come […]
For the first time in what seems like forever, the four indexes followed by Steel Market Update, as well as our own, have benchmark hot rolled coil at the same average during the same week. Hot rolled coil was reported by all indexes this past week at $675 per ton ($33.75/cwt). The similarities stopped there, […]
Two of the indexes followed by Steel Market Update (three including our own indices) saw prices as beginning to drop for the first time in many weeks. The average hot rolled number dropped $3 per ton to $678. The cold rolled results were mixed with SMU and SteelBenchmarker (which is only published twice per month) […]
Flat rolled steel prices began to rise this past week according to the steel indices releasing data for the week. Benchmark hot rolled now averages $681 per ton with the range being $675 to $685 per ton (although the $675 is from SteelBenchmarker who did not report new numbers last week). Cold rolled is approaching […]
Buyers and sellers of flat rolled steel entered the New Year in very high spirits. Our Steel Market Update (SMU) Steel Buyers Sentiment Index was measured at +42 which is the most optimistic level recorded since March 1, 2012 (+45). The rolling three month moving average (3MMA) came in at +38.33 which is a one […]
Platts took all of their flat rolled sheet indices higher this past week and they now reference benchmark hot rolled at $685 per ton – $15 per ton higher than Steel Market Update and $17 per ton higher than CRU. With the New Year Holiday sandwiched in the middle of this past week SMU did […]
The Empire State Manufacturing Index showed disappointing manufacturing conditions for December. The survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported the general index at 1.0, up three points from November but indicating almost no change in activity for the month. The future outlook index was slightly less optimistic than November with all indices […]
The Empire State Manufacturing Index showed disappointing manufacturing conditions for December. The survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported the general index at 1.0, up three points from November but indicating almost no change in activity for the month. The future outlook index was slightly less optimistic than November with all indices […]
This past week we saw little movement in pricing on most flat rolled steel products due to the Holidays and a general lack of new orders flowing through the system. Benchmark hot rolled is in a fairly tight range at $667 on the low side (CRU) to $675 on the high side (Platts/Steelbenchmarker). The hot […]
Steel Market Update continues to expand and one of the areas we are looking to expand into is the world of plate. As we enter the New Year we will begin indexing discreet plate pricing as we do hot rolled, cold rolled, galvanized and Galvalume steels. We also are changing our CPI (Comparison Price Indices) […]
Manufacturing activity slowed in the Second and Third Districts in December and fell in the Tenth. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported the general manufacturing index for the region at 1.0, up three points from November but indicating flat conditions for the month. Likewise, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia (Third District) reported […]
The December Empire State Manufacturing Survey indicated disappointing manufacturing conditions for December. The survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported the general index at 1.0, up three points from November but indicating almost no change in activity for the month. The new orders index rose slightly but stayed in negative territory at […]
The spread between the various indices followed by Steel Market Update narrowed this past week with only $5 separating the indexes on benchmark hot rolled coil pricing. Platts dropped $5 per ton and met Steel Market Update at $675 per ton while all of the other indices came in at $670 per ton. Cold rolled […]
With the exception of SMU all of the flat rolled steel indices were status quo from last week to this week. Benchmark hot rolled is right about $670 for everyone but Platts who sees the market up $10 higher than everyone else. Cold rolled is $780ish for everyone but Steel Orbis who has it down […]
Flat rolled steel prices moved modestly higher during the month of November according to the indexes followed by Steel Market Update. Benchmark hot rolled ranged from a low of $668 to a high of $680 although all of the indexes except Platts were indicating HRC pricing about $670 per ton ($33.50/cwt). Most items increased by […]
Steel Market Update (SMU) follows four other indices besides our own and provides the data to our members on a weekly basis. Recently, we asked our readers if they would like for us to continue providing CRU data and the responses indicated there continues to be an interest in their numbers. We have agreed to […]
Flat rolled steel prices continue to be firm to strengthening according to the steel indices followed by Steel Market Update. Benchmark hot rolled coil hovered around $670 per ton on all the indexes with the exception of Platts which moved their number up $5 per ton to $680 per ton. Steel Orbis did not see […]
I appreciate all of you who took the time to respond to my question regarding CRU and our continuing to publish CRU numbers in our CPI (Comparison Price Indices). There were enough respondents who wanted us to continue so we have bit the bullet and renewed our relationship with CRU for another year. The majority […]
I have a question for our members – I have just received the new bill for what it will cost me to publish the CRU indices in our Sunday night comparison of various indexes. Before I agree to pay what I believe to be an excessive amount for the right to publish their numbers I […]
We saw all of the indices capturing higher flat rolled steel prices this past week. Benchmark hot rolled range from $665 to a high of $675 per ton as price assessments rose from $5 to $15 per ton compared to the prior week. The SMU Price Momentum Indicator continues to point toward higher prices over […]
All of the indices continue to show strength at the domestic steel mills as prices remained relatively steady to rising this past week. Even with the minor drop in hot rolled and galvanized by our own index which we attribute to just the way the data fell this past week. Steel Market Update continues to […]
The flow of higher pricing slowed this past week as a number of indices – including Platts – did not move their flat rolled steel price assessments compared to the previous week. The range between high and low on benchmark hot rolled coils shrunk to $6 per ton with Steel Market Update being in the […]