SMU Data and Models

SMU Comparison Price Indices: Sideways to Small Ticks Higher
Written by John Packard
December 29, 2013
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 rolled average of the indices we follow on a regular basis was $671 per ton.
Cold rolled had a wider range from a low of $770 (Steel Orbis) to a high of $790 (CRU) the average was $781 per ton.
The galvanized range was $830 (Steel Orbis) to $843 (CRU) with an average of $838 per ton. This is based on .060” G90.
Galvalume ranged from $1081 to $1101 per ton for .0142” AZ50, Grade 80 with an average of $1091 per ton.
Plate, our newest addition, ranged from $753 (CRU) to $787 (Steelbenchmarker) with an average of $767 per ton.
FOB Points for each index:
SMU: Domestic Mill, East of the Rockies.
CRU: Midwest Mill, East of the Rockies.
SteelBenchmarker: Domestic Mill, East of the Mississippi.
SteelOrbis: Midwest Domestic Mill.
Platts: Within 200-300 mile radius of Northern Indiana Domestic Mill.

John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in SMU Data and Models

SMU Scrap Survey: Current, Future Sentiment Indices log declines
However, in a month plagued by tariff and economic uncertainty, both current and near-term outlooks for our scrap survey respondents remained surprisingly optimistic.

SMU’s April at a glance
SMU’s Monthly Review provides a summary of our key steel market metrics for the previous month, with the latest data updated through April 30.

SMU Survey: Steel Buyers’ Sentiment Indices see modest recovery
SMU’s Buyers’ Sentiment Indices both improved this week, reversing the decline seen two weeks ago.

SMU Survey: Sheet and plate lead times flatten out
Sheet and plate lead times held steady this week, according to buyers responding to the latest SMU market survey. This week we saw little change from mid-April levels, with just one product (Galvalume) showing any significant movement.

SMU Survey: More mills willing to deal on sheet prices, less so on plate
Nearly two thirds of the steel buyers who responded to this week’s SMU survey say domestic mills are negotiable on spot prices. This increasing flexibility marks a significant shift from the firmer stance mills held in recent months.