SMU Data and Models
Dodge Momentum Index Slips 8.6% in March
April 13, 2023
The Dodge Momentum Index (DMI) dropped 8.6% in March to 183.7 from the revised February reading of 201.0, according to data and analytics from the Dodge Construction Network (DCN).
Also last month, the commercial component of the DMI fell 6.6%, and the institutional component slumped 12.9% in the same comparison.
“We are predicting the Dodge Momentum Index to work its way back to historical norms throughout 2023, concurrent with weaker economic conditions,” Sarah Martin, associate director of forecasting for DCN, said in a statement.
She added that lending standards for small banks in particular have substantially tightened as banking insecurity intensifies. “As a result, owners and developers are more likely to pull back in the short term, which would further contract the DMI as we continue into the year.”
DCN said a total of 18 projects with a value of $100 million or more entered planning in March.
An interactive history of the Dodge Momentum Index is available on our website. If you need assistance logging into or navigating the website, please contact us at info@steelmarketupdate.com.
Dodge is the leading index for commercial real estate, using the data of planned nonresidential building projects to track spending in the sector for the next 12 months.
By Ethan Bernard, ethan@steelmarketupdate.com
Latest in SMU Data and Models

Apparent steel supply remained high in May
The volume of finished steel entering the US market remained elevated in May, in line with April figures, according to SMU’s analysis of Department of Commerce and American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) data

June service center shipments and inventories report
Flat rolled = 55.8 shipping days of supply Plate = 59.4 shipping days of supply Flat rolled US service centers’ flat-rolled steel supply edged down in June with a modest boost to shipments month on month (m/m). At the end of June, US service centers carried 55.8 shipping days of flat roll supply, down from […]

SMU Scrap Survey: Sentiment Indices rise
Both current and future scrap sentiment jumped this month, though survey participants reported responses before key trade news was announced.

SMU Survey: Sentiment splits, buyers have better view of future than the present
SMU’s Steel Buyers’ Sentiment Indices moved in opposite directions this week. After rebounding from a near five-year low in late June, Current Sentiment slipped again. At the same time, Future Sentiment climbed to a four-month high. Both indices continue to show optimism among buyers about their company’s chances for success, but suggest there is less confidence in that optimism than earlier in the year.

SMU scrap market survey results now available
SMU’s ferrous scrap market survey results are now available on our website to all premium members. After logging in at steelmarketupdate.com, visit the pricing and analysis tab and look under the “survey results” section for “ferrous scrap survey” results. Past scrap survey results are also available under that selection. If you need help accessing the survey results […]