Final Thoughts
Final Thoughts
Written by John Packard
November 24, 2014
First, I want to wish everyone in the United States a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday with family and friends. Steel Market Update will not publish on Thursday but will return to our normal schedule on Sunday evening.
Our offices will be open both on Wednesday and Friday of this week but will be closed on Thanksgiving day.
A note that I will be speaking at the HARDI conference in San Antonio, Texas during the first weekend in December. After that we have a private sales consulting workshop we are producing for a service center. If your company has an interest in one-on-one workshops please contact me at: John@SteelMarketUpdate.com.
Our next Steel 101 workshop will be held in South Carolina on January 20-21, 2015. Details can be found on our website. Registration is open and a tour of the Nucor Berkeley steel mill is part of our program.
I want to welcome our newest members to the SMU community. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions please do not hesitate to contact our offices: info@SteelMarketUpdate.com or by phone: 800-432-3475. Many articles begin as one of our readers asks a question or makes a suggestion.
As always your business is truly appreciated by all of us here at Steel Market Update.
John Packard, Publisher
John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in Final Thoughts
Final thoughts
We’ve been writing a lot about sheet prices, and those for hot-rolled (HR) in particular, coming down. Here's one thing that hasn't dropped: The wide spread between HR and cold-rolled (CR) prices. That's what's in a chart below. And I'm using it as a rough proxy for galv and G'lume base prices as well
Final thoughts
Sometimes, words can lead you in interesting directions. Specifically, crosswords. For the last six weeks we have been making steel-themed crosswords in the lead-up to SMU's Steel 101 course in Fort Wayne, Ind., which is taking place today and tomorrow. I’ve learned snippets of steel history and educated myself on the finer points of sponge iron.
Final thoughts
Where do sheet prices go from here? How is the state of steel demand? And is the dip in prices we've seen just a case of the summer doldrums, or is it something more significant?
Final thoughts
It feels like the summer doldrums arrived a little earlier than usual this year. I know there had been rumors of a price hike. The prospect of a sharply lower June scrap trade probably didn't help the chances of that actually happening.
Final thoughts
When you step out of the airport in Phoenix in June, the heat tends to focus your mind. I was in town to attend the Steel Manufacturers Association/Metals Service Center Institute (MSCI) annual meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz. The desert locale with palm trees, swimming pools, and the obligatory high-powered air conditioning was fitting for 2024. Between the presidential election and the geopolitical situation, things have definitely been heating up.