Final Thoughts
Final Thoughts
Written by Brett Linton
October 22, 2014
I spent a good portion of this week either in Louisiana or traveling to and from the state. I attended an energy conference at Louisiana State University (LSU) which I found to be fascinating. I found out how little I knew about the various drilling operations for oil and natural gas and how far the U.S. has come over the past 10 years in spite of what obstacles were placed by the government. There is still a lot of shale plays that have not been drilled and that includes a good portion of the Haynesville field located in Louisiana and Mississippi.
Senator David Vitter of Louisiana told the assembled group how we are living through an “energy revolution” and that this surge of oil and gas is a “historical game changer.” Senator Vitter said, “Its the biggest boom to the economy since the dot com movement and maybe even before that.”
Senator Vitter also told the group that the mid-term elections may force the president’s hand on the Keystone Pipeline approval. A bill has already passed the House of Representatives and if the Senate goes Republican there are enough Democrats to pass a bill in the Senate with the 60 votes needed.
So, as they say in the South – go to the polls and vote early and vote often… (my words not the Senator’s).
What is coming along with the energy revolution is an industrial renaissance. Denise Palmer Huggins with the Center for Energy Economics at the University of Texas pointed out 123 huge industrial projects which are on the drawing boards and most of them will ultimately be built if the price of natural gas remains reasonable and government red tape doesn’t become too onerous. She also pointed out that there will be a lot of natural gas exported to Mexico via pipeline.
Paul Lowrey has been doing some research on the size and scope of the energy markets and he has told me that energy is now the largest consuming segment of steel industry surpassing automotive and the current construction market. He has promised to write an article on the topic for Steel Market Update in the not too distant future.
Tell your friends, suppliers and customers about Steel Market Update. If your recommendation ends up landing us a new subscriber (member) we will reward your company with a $100 credit which can be used on any workshop, conference or for renewal (or expansion of existing membership) within 12 months of the credit being issued. We appreciate your help and all of your kind words and testimonials.
As always your business is truly appreciated by all of us here at Steel Market Update.
John Packard, Publisher
Brett Linton
Read more from Brett LintonLatest in Final Thoughts
Final Thoughts
Another day, another massive gap between the news and market sentiment. On the news side, we’ve got war in the Middle East. The devastation facing western North Carolina coming into tragic focus. And the outcome of the presidential election remains a coin toss, according to current polling.
Final thoughts
There are markets where the headlines and the prices are both crazy. This does not appear to be one of them, at least not yet.
Final thoughts
Washington loomed large in our surveys this week. Two things actually: the upcoming presidential election and the trade case against imported coated products from 10 nations.
Final thoughts
Thanks to everyone who attended our Steel Hedging 101 workshop in Chicago on Wednesday. I learned a lot from StoneX Group’s Spencer Johnson, who instructs the course, and from your good questions. One thing that Spencer said sticks with me as I write this column. Namely, that momentum drives steel prices more than other commodity markets. If you watch steel futures, you’ll see up days and down days. But it’s rare to see the momentum shifting back and forth within any given day.
Final thoughts
SMU's prices ranges for flat-rolled steel were mostly sideways on Tuesday even as futures market shot higher. I got some questions as to why hot-rolled (HR) coil futures shot higher. As best as I can tell, it might have been in response to news that China plans to roll out stimulus measures. We have details on those measures here thanks to our colleagues at CRU. The chart below gives you some idea of just how sharply upward the move in HR futures was earlier on Tuesday: