Final Thoughts
Final Thoughts
Written by John Packard
February 15, 2016
A reminder that our next Steel 101: Introduction to Steel Making & Market Fundamentals workshop will be just outside of Toledo, Ohio and we will be touring a mill as one of the best run mini-mills in the country – North Star Bluescope Steel. You can find more details about our program, instructors, hotel and registration on our website. This workshop is excellent for new hires, people who are rising through the ranks (or expected to rise), new executives that may have come from outside the industry, someone wanting to learn more about the steel making process as well as how steel is sold and some of the fundamentals that affect the markets. If you have any questions please feel free to contact us at: Info@SteelMarketUpdate.com.
I will be in Tampa tomorrow afternoon/evening attending the Port of Tampa Steel Conference. If you would like to set up a specific time to meet with me during the conference you can send me an email at: John@SteelMarketUpdate.com or text me at: 770-596-6268. I will return to our offices on Friday of this week.
Over the past month LME zinc prices have moved higher. In the middle of January we saw zinc trading around $0.66 per pound. This week it has been trading just above $0.75 per pound.
Aluminum has been trading in a much tighter range with a low around $0.66 per pound in mid-January to today’s $0.6927 per pound.
I want to thank Big River Steel for coming on as a Corporate Sponsor to this year’s Steel Summit Conference in Atlanta at the end of August (29-31st). They join our other sponsors committed to date: Pacesetter Steel, Steel Dynamics and Magic Coil Products. We have more sponsorship as well as exhibition spaces available. You can find information on our website or you can request information by sending an email to: Info@SteelMarketUpdate.com.
I also want to welcome our newest member companies to Steel Market Update. If you have any questions, would like to learn more about website access and the data we house there or if you have any suggestions please do not hesitate to contact us at: Info@SteelMarketUpdate.com or by phone: 800-432-3475.
As always your business is truly appreciated by all of us here at Steel Market Update.
John Packard, Publisher
John Packard
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Final thoughts
Sometimes even in a bit of chaos there is complacency. And it seems that since March 2020, “a bit of chaos” has been the order of the day. That means in the world at large, and in steel specifically.
Final thoughts
SMU had the pleasure of attending the American Iron and Steel Institute's (AISI's) annual general meeting in Washington this week. It was a slow week in our nation's capital, so we were able to take a leisurely stroll around the National Mall and take in the sights. Just kidding. In fact, the meeting coincided with significant trade actions announced by the Biden administration. It included, among other things, additional tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum.
Final thoughts
Our spot price is little changed this week after moving sharply lower last week on the heels of Nucor’s unexpected price cut. Here’s one thought on that trend: Nucor's weekly HR price (aka, its “Consumer Spot Price” or CSP) has to date functioned almost more like a monthly price.
Final thoughts
What's the tea in the steel industry this week? Here's the latest SMU gossip column! Just kidding... kind of. Yes, some of the comments we receive in our weekly flat-rolled market steel buyers' survey are honestly too much to put into print. Some make us laugh. Some make us cringe. Some are cryptic. Most are serious. We appreciate them all. Below are some highlights from our survey results this week. Some of the comments that we can share with you are also included, in italics, in the buyers' own words, with minimal editing on our part.
Final thoughts
Last week we wrote about a brief lull in price movement, labeling it a period of wait and see. It did, in fact, turn out to be pretty brief. This week... things are little bit different. Perhaps right now we are more in a period of "hope and pray" or "Here we go, hold on to your hats."