Final Thoughts: Survey says edition

SMU’s latest steel market survey results indicate that market participants think sheet prices are at or near a bottom. But most also believe there is limited upside once they inflect higher.

Survey respondents attribute the bottom (or anticipated bottom) mostly to limited import volumes and fall maintenance outages at domestic mills – factors that have constrained supply. But anemic demand means that the drop in supply isn’t expected to create any big waves in the market.

Michael Cowden

Michael Cowden is editor-in-chief for Steel Market Update. Cowden has covered the steel industry since 2007. He specializes in flat-rolled steel but has also reported on steel long products, steel pipe and tube, and aluminum. Before joining SMU, Cowden held reporting jobs at Fastmarkets AMM in Chicago, the Associated Press in Pittsburgh, and the Cambodia Daily in Phnom Penh. He has also worked as a copy editor and in marketing at the University of Chicago Press. Cowden has a BA in English from the University of Chicago and an MSJ journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Contact him at michael@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7872.

Michael Cowden

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