Steel Products Prices North America
SMU Price Ranges & Indices: High Spreads Between HR and CR/Coated
Written by Brett Linton
December 3, 2019
Benchmark hot rolled coil rose this week as we saw the lower end of the range move much higher compared to what we collected last week. We found most data points on HRC between $540-$570. We continue to see high base price spreads between hot rolled and cold rolled/coated steels. Cold rolled, with its $175 average spread, is the lowest with galvanized and Galvalume $15 to $20 per ton at the high end at $190 and $195 per ton. Looking back at history, the normal spread between HR and CR/coated base prices has been $100-$140 per ton. SMU’s Price Momentum Indicator on all flat rolled products is for higher prices. Plate momentum continues to be at Neutral.
Here is how we see prices this week:
Hot Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $520-$590 per ton ($26.00-$29.50/cwt) with an average of $555 per ton ($27.75/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range increased $40 per ton compared to one week ago, while the upper end remained the same. Our overall average is up $20 per ton compared to last week. Our price momentum on hot rolled steel is Higher, meaning we expect prices to increase over the next 30 days.
Hot Rolled Lead Times: 3-7 weeks
Cold Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $700-$760 per ton ($35.00-$38.00/cwt) with an average of $730 per ton ($36.50/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. Both the lower and upper ends of our range remained the same compared to last week. Our overall average is unchanged to one week ago. Our price momentum on cold rolled steel is Higher, meaning we expect prices to increase over the next 30 days.
Cold Rolled Lead Times: 5-8 weeks
Galvanized Coil: SMU base price range is $36.00-$38.50/cwt ($720-$770 per ton) with an average of $37.25/cwt ($745 per ton) 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 rose $10. Our overall average is up $15 per ton compared to last week. Our price momentum on galvanized steel is Higher, meaning we expect prices to increase over the next 30 days.
Galvanized .060” G90 Benchmark: SMU price range is $789-$839 per net ton with an average of $814 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.
Galvanized Lead Times: 5-10 weeks
Galvalume Coil: SMU base price range is $37.00-$38.00/cwt ($740-$760 per ton) with an average of $37.50/cwt ($750 per ton) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range increased $30 per ton compared to last week, while the upper end rose $20 per ton. Our overall average is up $25 per ton compared to one week ago. Our price momentum on Galvalume steel is Higher, meaning we expect prices to increase over the next 30 days.
Galvalume .0142” AZ50, Grade 80 Benchmark: SMU price range is $1,031-$1,051 per net ton with an average of $1,041 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.
Galvalume Lead Times: 6-9 weeks
Plate: SMU price range is $640-$720 per ton ($32.00-$36.00/cwt) with an average of $680 per ton ($34.00/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 expect prices to remain steady over the next 30 days.
Plate Lead Times: 3-5 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
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