Steel Products Prices North America
SMU Price Ranges & Indices: Higher Move Has Begun
Written by Brett Linton
February 26, 2019
Flat rolled steel prices have begun moving higher. Benchmark hot rolled coil (HRC), which has been one of the weakest of the flat rolled products recently, was up $10 per ton. Cold rolled did even better, up $15; galvanized better than CR, up $20; and Galvalume bested them all, up $25 per ton compared to one week ago. Our price momentum indicator is pointing to higher flat rolled spot prices over the next 30 days. SMU’s plate price momentum indicator is pointing to potential price weakness over the next 30 days. Our plate average was unchanged this week compared to last.
Here is how we see prices this week:
Hot Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $660-$720 per ton ($33.00/cwt-$36.00/cwt) with an average of $690 per ton ($34.50/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range remained the same compared to one week ago, while the upper end increased $20 per ton. Our overall average is up $10 per ton compared to last week. Our price momentum on hot rolled steel is now Higher, meaning we anticipate HRC spot prices to rise over the next 30 days.
Hot Rolled Lead Times: 3-5 weeks
Cold Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $800-$840 per ton ($40.00/cwt-$42.00/cwt) with an average of $820 per ton ($41.00/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range rose $20 per ton compared to last week, while the upper end increased $10 per ton. Our overall average is up $15 per ton compared to one week ago. Our price momentum on cold rolled steel is now Higher, meaning we expect prices to rise over the next 30 days.
Cold Rolled Lead Times: 5-7 weeks
Galvanized Coil: SMU base price range is $40.50/cwt-$42.50/cwt ($810-$850 per ton) with an average of $41.50/cwt ($830 per ton) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range rose $30 per ton compared to one week ago, while the upper end increased $10 per ton. Our overall average is up $20 per ton compared to last week. Our price momentum on galvanized steel is now Higher, meaning we expect prices to rise over the next 30 days.
Galvanized .060” G90 Benchmark: SMU price range is $888-$928 per net ton with an average of $908 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.
Galvanized Lead Times: 4-8 weeks
Galvalume 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 jumped $40 per ton last week, while the upper end rose $10 per ton. Our overall average is up $25 per ton compared to one week ago. Our price momentum on Galvalume steel is now Higher, meaning we expect prices to rise over the next 30 days.
Galvalume .0142” AZ50, Grade 80 Benchmark: SMU price range is $1,111-$1,151 per net ton with an average of $1,131 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.
Galvalume Lead Times: 5-7 weeks
Plate: SMU price range is $960-$1,030 per ton ($48.00/cwt-$51.50/cwt) with an average of $995 per ton ($49.75/cwt) FOB delivered to the customer’s facility. The lower end of our range fell $10 per ton compared to one week ago, while the upper end increased $10 per ton. Our overall average is unchanged compared to last week. Our price momentum on plate steel is Lower, meaning we expect mild erosion over next 30 days.
Plate Lead Times: 6-8 weeks, allocation/controlled order entry
SMU Note: Below is a graphic showing our hot rolled, cold rolled, galvanized, Galvalume and plate price history. This data is available here on our website with our interactive pricing tool. Note that plate prices are not yet available on our website, but we are in the process of adding that dataset. If you need help navigating the website or need to know your login information, contact us at info@SteelMarketUpdate.com or 800-432-3475.
Brett Linton
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