Steel Products Prices North America

SMU Price Ranges & Indices: Still Moving Higher

January 17, 2017

Flat rolled steel prices continued their march higher this week in reaction to the latest price announcements made by the U.S. steel mills earlier this month. Where steel prices go from here will depend on lead times, the domestic mill order books and how much inventory is available. We will have a glimpse at each of these items over the course of this week.

Here is how we see prices this week:

Hot Rolled Coil: SMU Range is $610-$640 per ton ($30.50/cwt-$32.00/cwt) with an average of $625 per ton ($31.25/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range increased $10 per ton compared to one week ago while the upper end remained the same. Our overall average is up $5 per ton compared to last week. Our price momentum on hot rolled steel continues to be pointing toward Higher which means that prices are expected to move up over the next 30-60 days.

Hot Rolled Lead Times: 3-6 weeks

Cold Rolled Coil: SMU Range is $810-$850 per ton ($40.50/cwt-$42.50/cwt) with an average of $830 per ton ($41.50/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range is unchanged compared to last week while the upper end increased $10 per ton. Our overall average is up $5 per ton compared to one week ago. Our price momentum on cold rolled steel continues to point toward Higher which means that prices are expected to move up over the next 30-60 days.

Cold Rolled Lead Times: 4-9 weeks

Galvanized Coil: SMU Base Price Range is $41.00/cwt-$43.00/cwt ($820-$860 per ton) with an average of $42.00/cwt ($840 per ton) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range increased $10 per ton compared to one week ago while the upper end remained the same. Our overall average is up $5 per ton compared to last week. Our price momentum on galvanized steel continues to point Higher which means that prices are expected to move up over the next 30-60 days.

Galvanized .060” G90 Benchmark: SMU Range is $889-$929 per net ton with an average of $909 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.

Galvanized Lead Times: 4-10 weeks

Galvalume Coil: SMU Base Price Range is $42.00/cwt-$43.00/cwt ($840-$860 per ton) with an average of $42.50/cwt ($850 per ton) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. Both the lower and upper ends of our range are unchanged compared to last week. Our overall average is unchanged over one week ago. Our price momentum on Galvalume steel continues to point Higher which means that prices are expected to move up over the next 30-60 days.

Galvalume .0142” AZ50, Grade 80 Benchmark: SMU Range is $1131-$1151 per net ton with an average of $1141 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.

Galvalume Lead Times: 5-9 weeks

SMU Note: Below is a graphic showing our hot rolled, cold rolled, galvanized, and Galvalume price history. To use the graphs interactive capabilities, you must view it on our website here. If you need help navigating the website or need to know your login information, contact us at info@SteelMarketUpdate.com or by calling 800-432-3475.