In Steel Market Update’s latest newsletter sent to its free trial and annual members, SMU discussed issues important to those in the flat rolled steel market. The partial article below was written by John Packard, Publisher of SMU.

“Peter Marcus and World Steel Dynamics (WSD) are conducting their Steel Success Strategies (SSS) conference in New York City. This is the twenty-seventh (XXVII) Steel Success Strategies conference which, for many years, was called Steel Survival Strategies in reference to the dire conditions the industry went through in the 1980’s and 1990’s.

Other than the programs conducted during the conference the real value is in the opportunity to network with both the known and unknown as approximately 1000 attendees complimented by another 200-500 “lobby visitors” from the steel, mining and metals industries swarmed the Sheraton Hotel from around the world.

At the same time many of the steel analysts and other steel periodicals hold mini-conferences or dinners for financial investors and those working within the industry. Steel Market Update (SMU) attended a conference held by Platts/SBB on Monday afternoon and then later that evening participated in the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Research dinner sponsored by Timna Tanners (steel analyst).

As in previous years one of the main questions being asked in these various forums is when will steel prices “bottom” and reverse course. Other issues being discussed in the various forums and in the halls of the Sheraton Hotel and areas around the hotel have been:

Where are scrap prices headed as we look out to July?

Are there any signs of weakness in the mill order books?

What is happening to RG Steel & ThyssenKrupp Steel USA (who are the potential buyers – if any)?

How is demand?

Is the threat of an interruption of production due to a labor issue (potential strike) a cause for concern?

Over the next couple of issues of this newsletter we will attempt to address these and other issues from the perspective of the industry participants – mills, service centers, manufacturers, trading companies and various suppliers to the industry – with whom we have spoken over the past couple of days.”

If you would like to read what John Packard has written in the latest newsletter about the issues above, please sign up for a two-week free trial to our newsletter and website. If you have already had a free trial and would like to read our newsletters regularly, please Subscribe Now. If you have any questions, please call us at 1.800.432.3475 or email info@steemarketupdate.com for an immediate response.