Economy
February at a Glance
Written by Brett Linton
March 3, 2019
It is now the beginning of March and time to take a look back at the month of February to see what happened to pricing and trends that impact pricing. The SMU Pricing Momentum Indicator for flat rolled steel was adjusted to higher and our SMU Steel Buyers Sentiment Index rose when looked at as a single data point. However, when viewed as a three-month moving average we continued to see the numbers decline over the past three months. Hot rolled pricing averaged $683 per ton, but has bounced off the bottom and was rising as the month ended.
Plate steel pricing has been moving sideways since December and February was no different.
Zinc pricing was up on the LME while rig counts declined. Light vehicle production has been dropping over the past three months.
To see a history of our monthly review tables, visit our website here.
Brett Linton
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