Steel Products Prices North America

SMU Price Ranges & Indices: Tipping Point?

Written by Brett Linton

August 21, 2019

Steel prices were the same or lower this week, depending on the product. Price momentum is still pointing Higher for flat rolled, but with less confidence. Are we at a tipping or inflection point?

Here is how we see prices this week:

Hot Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $570-$600 per ton ($28.50-$30.00/cwt) with an average of $585 per ton ($29.25/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range increased $20 per ton compared to one week ago, while the upper end declined $20 per ton. Our overall average is unchanged compared to last week. Our price momentum on hot rolled steel is now Higher meaning we expect prices to increase over the next 30 days.

Hot Rolled Lead Times: 3-6 weeks

Cold Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $720-$770 per ton ($36.00-$38.50/cwt) with an average of $745 per ton ($37.25/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range remained unchanged compared to last week, while the upper end declined $30 per ton. Our overall average is down $15 per ton compared to one week ago. Our price momentum on cold rolled steel is now Higher meaning we expect prices to increase over the next 30 days.

Cold Rolled Lead Times: 4-7 weeks

Galvanized Coil: SMU base price range is $36.00-$39.50/cwt ($720-$790 per ton) with an average of $37.75/cwt ($755 per ton) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range declined $20 per ton compared to one week ago, while the upper end fell $10 per ton. Our overall average is down $15 per ton compared to last week. Our price momentum on galvanized steel is now Higher meaning we expect prices to increase over the next 30 days.

Galvanized .060” G90 Benchmark: SMU price range is $798-$868 per net ton with an average of $833 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.

Galvanized Lead Times: 4-9 weeks

Galvalume Coil: SMU base price range is $38.00-$40.00/cwt ($760-$800 per ton) with an average of $39.00/cwt ($780 per ton) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. Both the lower and upper ends of our range remained unchanged compared to last week. Our overall average remains the same compared to one week ago. Our price momentum on Galvalume steel is now Higher meaning we expect prices to increase over the next 30 days.

Galvalume .0142” AZ50, Grade 80 Benchmark: SMU price range is $1,051-$1,091 per net ton with an average of $1,071 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.

Galvalume Lead Times: 6-8 weeks

Plate: SMU price range is $780-$800 per ton ($39.00-$40.00/cwt) with an average of $790 per ton ($39.50/cwt) FOB delivered to the customer’s facility. Both the lower and upper ends of our range remained the same compared to one week ago. Our overall average is unchanged compared to last week. Our price momentum on plate steel is Neutral, meaning we are waiting for the market to show a clear direction.

Plate Lead Times: 2-6 weeks

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

Brett Linton is a senior analyst for Steel Market Update, where he began his career. Linton has been in the steel industry since 2010. He has held roles as a category manager and strategic insights director at Reibus before returning to SMU in 2024. He is a graduate of The University of North Georgia with a degree in Finance and Accounting. Brett can be reached at brett@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-314-0179.

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