SMU Analysis: Key Market Indicators Looking Up

Steel Market Update’s monthly analysis of Key Market Indicators–a host of data on the economy, raw materials, manufacturing, construction, and steel sheet and long products–shows that the marketplace continues to improve, albeit cautiously. At the onset of COVID-19 a year ago, the impact of the pandemic on the economy was delayed, with only 3 of 38 indicators reflecting the dire situation the United States was facing. At the worst of the pandemic a few months later, 18 of 38 indicators had shifted negative. In the data released through March 15 this year, only 8 of the 38 indicators are negative, highlighting the ongoing rebound.

SMU’s Present Situation and Trends analysis in the table below offers a snapshot of current sentiment and the near-term expected trajectory of the economy. All results are the latest available as of March 15, 2021. Readers should regard the color codes in the “Present Situation” column as a visual summary of the current market condition. The “Trend” columns are also color coded to give a quick visual appreciation of the market’s direction. All data included in this table was released within the past month. The month or specific date to which the data refers is shown in the second column from the far right. Click on the below table to expand it.

David Schollaert

David Schollaert is deputy editor-in-chief for Steel Market Update. David joined SMU after more than a decade in the metals and mining industry in a myriad of different roles. Much of his early experience and expertise were within the coverage and analysis of steel-making raw materials and served previously as senior editor of the CRU Prices Service. Most recently, however, before his return to market analysis, David held roles as a metals buyer and an operations manager for raw material suppliers. He can be contacted at david@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-720-1008.