Tag: sentiment

I want to address a few things in this 'Final thoughts': the latest SMU survey results, the plate market, and the potential sale of U.S. Steel.

SMU’s Current and Future Steel Buyers Sentiment Indices have both increased, based on our most recent survey data as of Wednesday, Nov. 22.

The US plate market has been rather quiet over the past couple of weeks since Nucor Corp. caught many off guard with a $140-per-ton price cut.

Steel Market Update’s Steel Demand Index has moved into growth territory after seeing steady improvement since mid-September, according to our latest survey data.

Cleveland-Cliffs announced it would seek a minimum base price of $1,000 per ton ($50 per cwt) for hot-rolled coil (HRC) on Nov. 7. Nucor said a day later that it was aiming for $950 per ton. Why didn’t Nucor follow Cliffs up to $1,000 ton? I think there might be some possible answers in our […]

SMU gives an overview of the steel market and economic indicators for October.

Nucor’s plate price cut notice caught many off guard this week, especially after the company had maintained its pricing position in late September.

SMU’s Current and Future Steel Buyers Sentiment Indices both increased this week, based on our most recent survey data. Every other week we poll steel buyers about sentiment. The Steel Buyers Sentiment Indices measure how steel buyers feel about their company’s chances of success in the current market, as well as three to six months down the road. We have historical data going back to 2008. Check our interactive graphing tool here.

Reliance Steel & Aluminum is anticipating overall demand to remain healthy through year’s end despite some weakening in some sectors and normal seasonality.

Well, what a difference a month makes…

Steel Market Update’s Steel Demand Index remains in contraction territory despite repeated improvements since mid-September, according to our latest survey data.

SMU's Current Steel Buyers Sentiment Index edged down this week while the future index remained flat, based on our most recent survey data.

What has happened since the August hot rolled (HR) settlement ($767 per short ton)?

Steel prices continued to decline last month – a trend we’ve seen repeated since mid-April.

Will the sheet price hike announced by Cleveland-Cliffs (and quietly followed by at least some mills) stick?

Pessimism grew among metalformers in September’s business report from the Precision Metalforming Association.

SMU's Current and Future Steel Buyers Sentiment Indices both increased this week despite the United Auto Workers (UAW) union strike expansion, based on our most recent survey data.

Nucor Corp. will keep plate prices unchanged with the opening of its November order book.

Steel Market Update’s Steel Demand Index remains in contraction territory despite marginal improvement, according to our latest survey data.

The LME aluminum 3-month price was broadly stable on the morning of Sept. 15 and was last seen trading near $2,208 per tonne.

The hot rolled (HR) forward curve has rebounded following the Labor Day weekend. The index this week surprised a few folks as it barely slid double figures and remains above $750 per short ton (ST).

US consumer confidence pulled back in August, declining for the first time in four months. The result came in after the index jumped to its highest level in nearly two years the month prior, consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions deteriorated, The Conference Board reported.

Steel Market Update’s Demand Index is still in contracting territory and moving lower, where it has been for the better part of the past four-plus months, according to the latest survey data.

SMU's Current and Future Steel Buyers Sentiment Indices both edged down this week, based on our most recent survey data.

Sheet prices have fallen this week, after a small pause last week when prices saw mixed results. Tags have now been largely trending lower since July.

I headed back to the Atlanta airport after Steel Summit in 2022 hoping to catch up with a few colleagues and contacts only to learn that Cleveland-Cliffs had just announced a price hike. So, I set everything aside, opened up my laptop, and filed a short article about the $75-per-ton ($3.75-per-cwt) price increase from a […]

This year, the 13th annual edition of our Summit, we polled more than 1,450 attendees about where prices and demand would be, come August 2024.

Sheet prices were mixed this week after trending lower for most of July and earlier in August. SMU’s average hold-rolled coil (HRC) price slipped to $750 per ton.

Steel Market Update’s Demand Index remains in contracting territory, where it has been for most of the last four months, according to the latest survey data. While the market did react temporarily in response to mill price hikes in mid-June, apparent demand for flat-rolled steel in the US continues to trend down.

SMU's Current Sentiment Index slipped this week, while the Future Steel Buyers Sentiment Index jumped 10 points from the last market check, according to our most recent survey data.