Analysis
April 7, 2026
Written by Michael Cowden
More people expect hot-rolled (HR) coil prices to continue to climb. And most respondents to our last survey predict prices will hit or even breach the $1,100 per short ton (st) threshold.
Such predictions come even as many of those same people expressed concern about rising fuel and freight as well as the potential long-term impact of inflation stemming from the Iran War.
The US Department of Commerce has preliminarily determined that critical circumstances exist in the countervailing duty (CVD) investigation of imports of large-diameter graphite electrodes (LDGEs) from China.
SMU’s Steel Demand Index rose to 69.5 in mid-September, its highest reading in more than five years.
SMU’s Mill Order Index (MOI) accelerated in August for a fourth consecutive month, reaching its strongest reading in nearly five years.
Worthington Enterprises reported higher fiscal first-quarter sales and earnings while citing rapidly growing data center demand and continued tightness in the steel market.
Sheet and plate prices continued to tick mostly higher this week amid a supply squeeze that shows no signs of loosening its grip on the US market.