Steel Products Prices North America

Comparison Price Indices: Still a Slippery Slope
Written by John Packard
March 21, 2015
This weeks Comparison Price Indices analysis saw flat rolled steel prices as continuing their 8 month slide.
Benchmark hot rolled coil (or bands) moved Lower by an average of $7 per ton this past week. Of the four steel indexes followed by Steel Market Update (including our own) the spread from low (SMU at $470) to high (CRU at $484) is $14 per ton.
The spread on cold rolled is less than HRC with Platts at $605, CRU $608 and then SMU at $610 per ton making the spread a mere $5 per ton.
The galvanized spread has also shrunk between CRU and ourselves. Only $5 per ton separates us with SMU at $669 per ton and CRU at $674 per ton (.060″ G90 is the benchmark used for galvanized).
FOB Points for each index:
SMU: Domestic Mill, East of the Rockies.
CRU: Midwest Mill, East of the Rockies.
SteelBenchmarker: Domestic Mill, East of the Mississippi.
Platts: Northern Indiana Domestic Mill.
Note that SteelBenchmarker produces numbers twice per month. On the weeks they produce numbers we will include them in the average. The weeks where they do not produce numbers (NA = not available) we will not include their outdated numbers in the CPI average.

John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in Steel Products Prices North America

SMU Price Ranges: HR slips, hopes for Q4 rebound still standing
SMU’s price ranges were mixed again this week as the market continues to seek a floor amid industry hopes for a Q4 rebound.

Nucor’s hot band list price holds at $875/ton
Nucor held its hot-rolled coil list price flat again this week, according to its Monday, Sept. 15 consumer spot price (CSP) notice.

Market says cutting interest rates will spur stalled domestic plate demand
Market sources say demand for domestic plate refuses to budge despite stagnating prices.

SMU Price Ranges: Some predict bottom is near as big discounts dry up
Sheet prices were mixed this week as some mills continued to offer significant discounts to larger buyers while others have shifted toward being more disciplined, market participants said.

SMU Price Ranges: Tags mixed as uncertainty weighs on market
SMU’s hot-rolled (HR) coil price held steady this week while prices for other sheet and plate products declined.