Steel Markets
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/media/k2/items/src/ee2db663493b846770199948a5b8fb90.jpg)
Dodge Momentum Index Down in January
Written by David Schollaert
February 8, 2022
The Dodge Momentum Index fell in January by 7.0% and to a four-month low, according to data and analytics from the Dodge Construction Network. The index registered 152.9 last month versus a revised December reading of 163.7.
In January, commercial planning fell 9.0% while institutional planning moved 1.0% lower. The index had a stellar 2021, rising 23% from 2020 and reaching levels not seen in nearly 14 years, said Dodge. The recent string of declines, however, may be blamed on rising costs, logistical limitations and shortages of skilled labor.
Despite the contractions, the dollar value of projects in planning remains exceptionally strong, especially for education, warehouse and healthcare projects.
The report noted that a total of 13 projects with a value of $100 million or more entered planning in January. The leading commercial projects were a $400 million hospital in Tahlequah, Okla., and the $320 million Ascension Seton Medical Tower in Austin, Texas. The leading commercial projects were the $300 million first phase of the Willets Point redevelopment in Willets Point, N.Y., and the $300 million XNRGY headquarters in Chandler, Ariz.
Many of the challenges facing construction in 2022 will be like those in 2021, dampening expectations for robust growth. The volume of projects in planning, however, provides hope for further, more evenly dispersed recovery this year, Dodge said.
An interactive history of the Dodge Momentum Index is available here on our website; an example is shown below. If you need assistance logging into or navigating the website, please contact us at info@SteelMarketUpdate.com.
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/SMU_DS_headshot.png-150x150.jpg)
David Schollaert
Read more from David SchollaertLatest in Steel Markets
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/images/Featured_News_Icons/GrafTech.jpg)
GrafTech’s Q2 loss widens in ‘challenging’ business environment
GrafTech cited a “challenging” part of the business cycle as its net loss widened in the second quarter.
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/CRU-Logo-2023-07-21-at-4.35.41-PM.png)
CRU: Poor steel margins continue to push down raw material prices
Both iron ore and coking coal prices fell this week because of resistance from buyers. Iron ore prices have continued to fall throughout the past week, following sharp declines in steel prices in China, given no new policy announcement from the ‘Third Plenum’ meeting.
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/canacero-logo.png)
Op-Ed: The myth of the Mexican steel surge
We have heard ominous warnings about a flood of Mexican steel threatening the US market. It's the kind of rhetoric that gets thrown around often with little regard for the facts. The reality is that the Mexican steel surge is simply not happening, and the US steel industry has consistently maintained a significant trade surplus in finished products with Mexico. In 2023 alone, this surplus exceeded $3 billion.
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/CRU-Logo-2023-07-21-at-4.35.41-PM.png)
CRU: Demand weakness continues to weigh on global sheet markets
Demand has remained persistently weak across the globe for sheet steel, weighing on prices. US HR coil prices fell the furthest this week as high-volume, low-priced deals were transacted as mills looked to fill order books and competed with one another amid relative demand weakness. Meanwhile, European prices were also down due to low demand […]
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/images/Featured_News_Icons/graph_up_arrow.png)
Influx of coated products fuels recent import surge
Steel imports fell back in May from April’s recent high but remained elevated compared to the levels seen over the past year. A deeper dive into the data confirms what SMU has been hearing from sources: Coated sheet is driving the recent rise in overall import levels.