Final Thoughts
Final Thoughts
Written by John Packard
July 5, 2015
Our ferrous scrap sources told us that Detroit scrap prices were settled earlier today where all of the prices were reported as being sideways (no change from June pricing) with the exception of shredded scrap which was reported as being down $10 to three mills, sideways to another and one mill being undecided. We will have much more on ferrous scrap prices on Thursday as negotiations come to a final resolution.
A reminder to everyone that our $200 per person early bird discount will expire on July 15th. The early bird discount takes our single registration per person price to $1000 and we offer another $100 per person to companies who are subscribers to Steel Market Update. This takes the per person price down to $900. You can register online by clicking on this link or you are welcome to contact Brett in our office at: 800-432-3475.
Our first keynote speaker will be Dr. Chris Kuehl of Armada Corporate Intelligence. Here is something that they wrote in this evening’s report, “We wrote months ago about the plummeting of iron ore and steel in China and thought at the time that it might be an early indicator of problems mounting in the country at a street level. We also wrote about some small bankruptcies that had started where (for the first time in years); the Chinese Central Bank was not stepping in to bail those companies out. They were letting them go under. The Chinese manufacturing sector has been in contraction for most of 2015 and the Baltic Dry Index hit an all-time low this spring. The evidence was there, if we were willing to pay attention to it. The fact that Chinese manufacturing and output is weak during a time when the US dollar is very strong (which would make acquisition of products from China very cheap), should concern us even further. Something at a fundamental, market level is very wrong in the country.” The world is a crazy place and it does impact the U.S. markets – including the steel industry and end user markets.
A special thank you to our sponsors: Steel Dynamics, Cargill, Magic Coil Products, Alliance Steel and Kenwal. We have a couple of sponsorship spots left open and we have a few exhibition spots left as well. Please contact me if you would like more information: John@SteelMarketUpdate.com.
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
Tariff-related noise aside, there is one basic factor keeping buyers on the sidelines. Despite recent declines, HR prices remain at historically high levels. And there is no obvious support to keep them there.
Final Thoughts
United Airlines raised eyebrows earlier this month when it provided two forecasts for 2025 – one assuming a relatively stable economy and another assuming a recession. The reason? Uncertainty around the impact of President Trump’s policy shocks on the broader economy. And it sometimes feels like we’re seeing a battle between those two narratives (stable vs recession) play out within in the pages of this newsletter.
Final Thoughts
Despite some scary headlines lately (especially about Trump potentially firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell) this is not October 2008 (financial crisis) or March 2020 (onset of the pandemic). But it sure seems like we’ve taken a relatively strong economy and poured a thick sauce of uncertainty over it.
Final Thoughts
I put some of our survey data through ChatGpt, with interesting results.
Final Thoughts
Nearly 50% of respondents to our latest survey thought hot-rolled coil prices have already peaked. And where will those prices be two months from now? Responses were decidedly split on that question.