Steel buyers’ sentiment saw a slight dip in the past two weeks but remains near record highs, in line with record-high steel prices and profitability. Respondents’ comments suggest they are slightly less bullish about their future prospects than their current situation: “Our prospects in next three months? Excellent. In six months? Good. We all know […]
Steel buyers’ sentiment, as measured by Steel Market Update, remains extremely optimistic, and hasn’t seen a change of any real significance in the past three months. Current Sentiment has averaged a reading of +75 and Future Sentiment an average of +65, plus or minus a few points, since late April as the market enjoys the […]
Steel Market Update’s latest analysis of monthly Key Market Indicators underscores that the recovery is still under way. Markers for both the Present Situation and Trends show small but positive moves from a month ago and now exceed pre-pandemic levels. SMU’s Key Market Indicators include a host of data on the economy, raw materials, manufacturing, construction, and […]
SMU’s steel buyers’ sentiment index has hit its highest point ever – surpassing even the euphoria ahead of the unveiling of Section 232 tariffs and quotas in the first quarter of 2018. Stratospheric price gains, the potential for Section 232 to be removed from the EU by December, and a raft of new capacity coming online in North America […]
SMU’s steel buyers’ sentiment index has hit its highest point ever – surpassing even the euphoria ahead of the unveiling of Section 232 tariffs and quotas in the first quarter of 2018. Stratospheric price gains, the potential for Section 232 to be removed from the EU by December, and a raft of new capacity coming online in North America […]
Steel buyers’ sentiment remains firmly in bullish territory even as carbon steel prices are nearing levels more commonly associated with stainless steel or even aluminum. While some sources continue to fret about the steep downside risk of current high prices, most have gotten over their initial sticker shock and are busy trying to secure enough […]
Steel Market Update’s latest analysis of monthly Key Market Indicators shows that the Present Situation markers have improved when compared to the month prior, while the Trend change saw a marginal contraction during the same period. Overall, the marketplace continues to recover from the pandemic as key metrics show further improvement. SMU’s Key Market Indicators […]
Steel buyer sentiment remains near its highest reading of the year even as prices shoot farther into uncharted territory. The stratospheric price gains in theory bring the risk of an equally jarring crash. But steel buyers don’t appear overly concerned about that possibility – not when assessing their prospects in today’s market or when looking out at […]
While other measures of economic recovery still lag their pre-pandemic levels, that is not the case with the sentiment among steel buyers. Attitudes among buyers are already more positive than they were before COVID struck last year, and optimism levels are nearly the highest ever recorded in the 13 years that Steel Market Update has […]
Steel Market Update’s Steel Buyers Sentiment Indexes show buyers still very optimistic about their prospects for the rest of the year despite lingering concerns over COVID-19 and the possibility of a sharp correction in record-high steel prices. Both Current and Future Sentiment Index readings are even more bullish than they were in the first quarter last year before […]
Steel Market Update’s Steel Buyers Sentiment Indexes show buyers still very optimistic about their prospects for the rest of the year despite lingering concerns over COVID-19 and the possibility of a sharp correction in record-high steel prices. Both Current and Future Sentiment Index readings are even more bullish than they were in the first quarter last year before […]
Steel Market Update’s latest analysis of the monthly Key Market Indicators shows that our Present Situation markers have seen little change when compared to the month prior, while the Trend change saw a visible shift upward during the same period. Overall, the marketplace continues to recover from the pandemic as key metrics show further improvement. […]
The prevailing sentiment among steel buyers remains as steadfastly positive as steel prices are steadfastly high. Steel Market Update’s Steel Buyers Sentiment Index saw only minor changes since SMU’s last check of the market. Every two weeks, SMU asks buyers how they view their company’s chances for success in the current environment, as well as […]
Steel buyers are considerably more confident of their near-term than their future prospects, according to the latest findings from Steel Market Update. Every two weeks, SMU asks buyers how they view their company’s chances for success in the current environment, as well as three to six months in the future. SMU’s Current Buyers Sentiment Index […]
Steel Market Update’s monthly analysis of Key Market Indicators–a host of data on the economy, raw materials, manufacturing, construction, and steel sheet and long products–shows that the marketplace continues to improve, albeit cautiously. At the onset of COVID-19 a year ago, the impact of the pandemic on the economy was delayed, with only 3 of […]
Last week, we conducted one of our flat rolled and plate steel market trends analyses. Or, to put it another way (that the search engines don’t like), we conducted one of our surveys that we do ever other week. We invited over 500+ market participants, most of whom are steel buyers in the manufacturing and […]
Steel Buyers Sentiment, as measured by Steel Market Update, has seen little change since the beginning of February, recording a very optimistic reading of +69 this week. Future Sentiment moved up four points to a nearly as bullish +67. Both Current and Future Sentiment now exceed pre-pandemic levels and suggest that the market is hopeful […]
Last week, we conducted one of our flat rolled and plate steel market trends analyses. Or, to put it another way (that the search engines don’t like), we conducted one of our surveys that we do ever other week. We invited over 500+ market participants, most of whom are steel buyers in the manufacturing and […]
Steel Buyers Sentiment, as measured by Steel Market Update, hit a very optimistic +70 this week, not far from the highest reading ever recorded at +78 in January 2018. Future Sentiment was nearly as bullish at +63, just 14 points below its historical peak of +77, also in early 2018. Both Current Sentiment and Future […]
Steel Buyers Sentiment, as measured by Steel Market Update, hit a very optimistic +70 this week, not far from the highest reading ever recorded at +78 in January 2018. Future Sentiment was nearly as bullish at +63, just 14 points below its historical peak of +77, also in early 2018. Both Current Sentiment and Future […]
It is my opinion the U.S. is entering a “super cycle” that will be good for the steel industry and could well keep steel prices above the historical $600-$650 per ton average on benchmark hot rolled coils. This does not mean prices won’t scale back once more supply comes into the market. I am of […]
It is my opinion the U.S. is entering a “super cycle” that will be good for the steel industry and could well keep steel prices above the historical $600-$650 per ton average on benchmark hot rolled coils. This does not mean prices won’t scale back once more supply comes into the market. I am of […]
Steel buyers are feeling good about their prospects later this year, as this week’s Steel Market Update Future Sentiment Index saw its highest reading in more than two years at +66, a 13-point jump over the past two weeks. Current Sentiment, which saw a small, four-point bump to +68, is equally optimistic. Every two weeks, […]
Every other week Steel Market Update conducts a detailed analysis of the flat rolled and plate steel markets. We invite close to 600 individuals associated with manufacturing, distribution, steel mills, trading companies and suppliers to those industries. We intentionally weight the invitations toward end users and steel distribution companies since they are the largest buyers […]
Every other week Steel Market Update conducts a detailed analysis of the flat rolled and plate steel markets. We invite close to 600 individuals associated with manufacturing, distribution, steel mills, trading companies and suppliers to those industries. We intentionally weight the invitations toward end users and steel distribution companies since they are the largest buyers […]
If the market is getting anxious about a coming correction in steel prices, there are few signs of it yet in industry sentiment data, as measured by Steel Market Update. Current Sentiment remains at an optimistic level in the mid-60s where it has ranged since October. Future Sentiment is slightly less bullish but still above typical […]
Steel buyers are resigned to paying record-high steel prices, if that’s what it takes to get the material they need to keep business moving. In their monthly conference call today, members of the Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International reported that demand for HVAC and construction products has seen little slowing, though they are […]
Current Sentiment among steel buyers, as measured by Steel Market Update’s Jan. 4 questionnaire, saw a small increase, while Future Sentiment saw a small decrease, suggesting that service center and OEM executives feel more confident about their immediate prospects than they do about the uncertainty ahead. As one commented: “We ended 2020 struggling to get […]
Sentiment among steel buyers, as measured by Steel Market Update’s Dec. 21 questionnaire, saw a small dip as the year comes to a close on concerns about tight steel supplies. As one respondent said, “We need supply in order to be successful. I am not able to line that all up so far for 2021.” […]
Industry sentiment inched even higher in the past two weeks now that the presidential election is in the rearview mirror and a COVID vaccine is in sight in the months ahead. The COVID pandemic remains a weight on Future Sentiment, however. Every two weeks, SMU asks steel buyers how they view their company’s chances for […]