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    SMU Price Ranges & Indices: Moving Slightly Lower

    Written by Brett Linton


    Steel Market Update is seeing some slippage in flat rolled steel prices this week when compared to one week ago. Most of the changes came at the lower end of the range and the trend we are seeing is for prices to continue to slowly slip over the next 30 days.

    As we mentioned in other articles in tonight’s newsletter, there have been mixed opinions on exactly how low prices can go from here with most of the financial analysts running from $620 per ton to as high as $650 per ton as the average for 4th Quarter 2014.

    Brett Linton

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    Latest in Prices

    Mills seek more scrap after lower prices fail to attract tons

    Several mills that bought October scrap early last week are still asking for additional supplies, scrap market participants said. The reason: the mills' initial prices did not attract enough of the raw material, they said. A trading source based in northern Ohio said three mills have contacted his firm seeking offers for additional tons. He said the mills asked for offers even if prices were higher than their original buys last week.

    Nucor increases spot HR to $1,240/ton

    Nucor said on Monday, Oct. 12, that its consumer spot price (CSP) for hot-rolled (HR) coil will be $1,240 per short ton (st) this week, a $10/st increase from a week earlier. The CSP for HR coil from California Steel Industries (CSI) on the West Coast will be $1,305/st, up $15/st from the prior week. Nucor is still offering lead times of three to five weeks, according to the letter to customers. You can track mill price announcements on our website. Steel Market Update (SMU) published a weekly price assessment on Tuesday, Oct. 6, showing HR coil prices averaging $1,270/st, up $10/st from the previous week. We will update our prices on the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 13.