Steel Markets
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/media/k2/items/src/378b72a6c2727a81a3ff4a7773cacab5.jpg)
Dodge Momentum Index Higher in April
Written by Sandy Williams
May 7, 2018
The Dodge Momentum Index, a first report for nonresidential building projects in planning, jumped 6.1 percent in April to 163.0. Commercial and institutional components of the Index both rose 5.3 percent and 5.8 percent, respectively.
“Over the last two months, the commercial portion of the Momentum Index has posted the most aggressive growth, fueled by continued low vacancy rates for commercial buildings, as well as the potential benefits from the tax cuts passed in December,” said Dodge Analytics. “The gains for the institutional component, while healthy, have been more moderate, reflecting the ebb and flow of public funding for larger education and public building projects.”
There were 12 projects with a value of $100 million or more that entered the planning stage in April. Commercial planning included a $200 million office building in Boston and a $174 million building in Atlanta. The leading institutional projects were a hospital in San Luis Obispo, Calif., and a training center in Pelham, Ala.
The Momentum Index, published monthly by Dodge Data & Analytics, is a monthly measure of the first (or initial) report for nonresidential building projects in planning, which have been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year.
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/sandy-williams.jpeg)
Sandy Williams
Read more from Sandy WilliamsLatest in Steel Markets
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/images/Featured_News_Icons/GrafTech.jpg)
GrafTech’s Q2 loss widens in ‘challenging’ business environment
GrafTech cited a “challenging” part of the business cycle as its net loss widened in the second quarter.
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/CRU-Logo-2023-07-21-at-4.35.41-PM.png)
CRU: Poor steel margins continue to push down raw material prices
Both iron ore and coking coal prices fell this week because of resistance from buyers. Iron ore prices have continued to fall throughout the past week, following sharp declines in steel prices in China, given no new policy announcement from the ‘Third Plenum’ meeting.
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/canacero-logo.png)
Op-Ed: The myth of the Mexican steel surge
We have heard ominous warnings about a flood of Mexican steel threatening the US market. It's the kind of rhetoric that gets thrown around often with little regard for the facts. The reality is that the Mexican steel surge is simply not happening, and the US steel industry has consistently maintained a significant trade surplus in finished products with Mexico. In 2023 alone, this surplus exceeded $3 billion.
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/CRU-Logo-2023-07-21-at-4.35.41-PM.png)
CRU: Demand weakness continues to weigh on global sheet markets
Demand has remained persistently weak across the globe for sheet steel, weighing on prices. US HR coil prices fell the furthest this week as high-volume, low-priced deals were transacted as mills looked to fill order books and competed with one another amid relative demand weakness. Meanwhile, European prices were also down due to low demand […]
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/images/Featured_News_Icons/graph_up_arrow.png)
Influx of coated products fuels recent import surge
Steel imports fell back in May from April’s recent high but remained elevated compared to the levels seen over the past year. A deeper dive into the data confirms what SMU has been hearing from sources: Coated sheet is driving the recent rise in overall import levels.