Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts
Written by John Packard
January 16, 2014
I was reading the most recent economic forecast from the Institute for Trend Research (ITR) on the plane to Chicago this morning. Their analysts have an interesting take on the 2014 economy and we will share portions of their views with you beginning with Sunday evening’s newsletter. One item that caught my eye is their suggestion that now is the time for company’s to hire and train employees in order to be prepared for the up cycle which they think will begin later this year and into 2015. Steel Market Update happens to agree and that is one of the reasons why we are producing the steel training workshops that we have and working on creating new ones. Now is the time to prepare yourselves and your team for a better (albeit competitive) market which will be here sooner than we all may realize.
Our Steel 101: Introduction to Steelmaking & Market Fundamentals workshop is an excellent program to send both new and experienced employees. We work on broadening their knowledge of not only how steel is made but, perhaps more importantly, how it is used. We discuss how steel is bought and sold and market forces which impact pricing and competition. You can find more details on our website or by contacting our office at: 800-432-3475 or info@SteelMarketUpdate.com. Next workshop is February 4 & 5, 2014 in Mobile, Alabama and includes a tour of the SSAB steel mill.
I am speaking at the AWMI dinner in Chicago this evening. A special thank you to the ladies of the AWMI for their invitation and the opportunity to speak to their group.
I will be in New York City next week for the AHR Expo – if you would like to speak to me during the show please drop me an email: John@SteelMarketUpdate.com and we will arrange a time to meet.
As always your business is truly appreciated by all of us here at Steel Market Update.

John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts
Can technology help with pig iron and DRI/HBI tariffs?

Final Thoughts
Tariff-related noise aside, there is one basic factor keeping buyers on the sidelines. Despite recent declines, HR prices remain at historically high levels. And there is no obvious support to keep them there.

Final Thoughts
United Airlines raised eyebrows earlier this month when it provided two forecasts for 2025 – one assuming a relatively stable economy and another assuming a recession. The reason? Uncertainty around the impact of President Trump’s policy shocks on the broader economy. And it sometimes feels like we’re seeing a battle between those two narratives (stable vs recession) play out within in the pages of this newsletter.

Final Thoughts
Despite some scary headlines lately (especially about Trump potentially firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell) this is not October 2008 (financial crisis) or March 2020 (onset of the pandemic). But it sure seems like we’ve taken a relatively strong economy and poured a thick sauce of uncertainty over it.

Final Thoughts
I put some of our survey data through ChatGpt, with interesting results.