Analysis
January 5, 2024
Written by Marziyeh Horeh
The LME aluminum 3-month price was moving further down on the morning of Jan. 5 and was last seen trading at $2,287 per metric ton (mt) as of this article’s writing, already down 6% from its recent peak. SHFE cash also concluded the first week of the year on a weaker foot. The cash contract settled at RMB19,265/mt and last traded at RMB19,280/mt.
SMU’s Current Steel Buyers’ Sentiment Index fell this week, while Future Sentiment remained flat, according to our latest market survey.
The results of the latest Steel Market Update (SMU) flat-rolled market survey are now available on our website to all premium members.
This October, SMU is introducing a new way to keep you informed on the latest steel market news and insights: the Daily Digest. Beginning in mid-October, our new Daily Digest will replace the three newsletters currently delivered each week.
Steel mill lead times continued to expand for sheet and plate products this week, according to buyers responding to our latest market survey.
The overall mill negotiation rate ticked up slightly this week, but the overwhelming majority of buyers are still finding mills inflexible on price, according to our latest survey data.