Economy
August 2017 at a Glance
Written by John Packard
August 31, 2017
The following table is for the month of August 2017. Most of the data speaks for itself. We produce this information at the end of every month. There are a number of data points or reference points that are proprietary to Steel Market Update. These include our SMU Price Momentum Indicator which, at the end of August, was referencing prices as being Neutral. With a new round of price increases out of the domestic mills, we have not yet seen momentum move in a forceful way and we remain in Neutral.
We also have proprietary price indices on hot rolled, cold rolled, galvanized, Galvalume and plate steel, as well as ferrous scrap (Midwest). Another proprietary product is our service center inventories indices and analysis.
There are many other proprietary products that are not listed in the table below and you can find out more about them on our website under Premium level products.
John Packard
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SMU Community Chat: Tariff-induced panic purchases, inflation, and calculating costs
Chief executive of the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), Tom Derry highlighted how reactive buying behavior has shifted the market into a quiet demand period. Derry presented ISM data during the weekly SMU community chat.
Architecture billings still sluggish despite project inquiry uptick
The Architecture Billings Index (ABI), a leading indicator for non-residential construction activity, declined for an eighth straight month in June.
Beige Book: Tariff pressures mount, flat outlook
All districts reported “experiencing modest to pronounced input cost pressures related to tariffs, especially for raw materials used in manufacturing and construction.”