Final Thoughts
Final Thoughts
Written by John Packard
June 22, 2014
My hectic travel schedule continues as I go to Chicago on Monday afternoon as we will be conducting our new Managing Price Risk II: Strategies and Execution workshop on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. The workshop instructor is Andre Marshall, CEO of Crunchrisk and one of our speakers at this year’s Steel Summit Conference in Atlanta. We also have a number of participants in this workshop who are connected with the CME Group. Our next Managing Price Risk II workshop will be held later this fall.
Registration for our Steel Summit Conference is available online or you are welcome to contact our offices at: 800-432-3475. You can find the full program, hotel information, etc. by clicking on the tabs on the Steel Summit page in the Events section of our website. If you like the program we have put together tell your friends, suppliers and customers maybe they would like to attend as well. The dates are in early September (3rd and 4th) and we are looking forward to a good turnout and exceptional program.
I want to thank those of you who are new to Steel Market Update and I encourage you to interact with us whenever possible. We appreciate questions, comments and suggestions and we look forward to receiving them.
As I mentioned in our last SMU newsletter, the jury is out at the moment regarding flat rolled steel prices. There are differing opinions on the subject with some feeling prices will firm at the level we are currently at and, others believe that with their inventories beginning to rise and supply destined to return to the market that prices will continue to weaken from here. I appreciate hearing from anyone who has an opinion on the subject: John@SteelMarketUpdate.com
As always your business is truly appreciated by all of us here at Steel Market Update.
John Packard, Publisher
Looking forward to seeing you in Atlanta.
John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in Final Thoughts
Final thoughts
I think all of us know that sometimes courtships go wrong. A misplaced word or deed and soon things can go sideways, and not in the prices sense. Such could be the case with Japanese steelmaker Nippon Steel’s play for U.S. Steel.
Final thoughts
We’re starting to see some impacts of the big trade case filed last week against imports of coated flat-rolled steel from 10 nations. Namely, we’ve heard that a range of traders have stopped offering material from Vietnam. An alleged dumping margin of nearly 160% will do that. Especially amid chatter of critical circumstances.
Final thoughts
The phrase “political football” has been tossed around a lot lately. (Pun probably intended.) For the humble journalists at SMU who thought the week following Steel Summit would prove a quiet one… the news cycle had other ideas
Final thoughts
Sheet prices didn’t roar back after Labor Day. But steel market news sure came out of the gate strong (or maybe chaotically is the better way to put it). First, the nearly $15-billion proposed sale of U.S. Steel to Nippon Steel exploded into the news. And when I say exploded, I mean that all sides seem to be escalating things now.
Final thoughts
Welcome back from Labor Day, from Steel Summit, and from whatever fun you might have had over the long weekend. Personally, I enjoyed camping with friends and family near Starved Rock. No one starved, there were no major injuries, and we enjoyed the many splendors of Mystical Fire. (Speaking of which, does that have industrial uses? But I digress.)