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    Manufacturers/End Users

    New York manufacturing activity picks up, orders and shipments hit multi-year highs

    Written by Laura Miller


    Manufacturing activity in New York state strengthened in April, with steel-adjacent producers reporting firmer demand and improving throughput, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s latest Empire State Manufacturing Survey.

    The headline general business conditions index rose 11 points to 11.0, marking a moderate expansion after a flat March.

    Laura Miller

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    New York manufacturing activity reaches highest level since late 2021

    Manufacturing activity in New York State expanded sharply in October, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's latest Empire State Manufacturing Survey. New orders, shipments, and unfilled orders rose, while delivery times lengthened and supply availability deteriorated further. The survey’s headline general business conditions index rose 18 points from September to 25.5 in October, the highest reading since December 2021. The new orders index climbed 21 points to 23.2, while shipments increased 16 points to 13.1. Unfilled orders also rose, with the index up eight points to 14.0. The delivery-times index reached 19.8, indicating significantly longer lead times.

    SMU Survey: Mill negotiation rates rise on sheet, fall for plate

    Sheet buyers found mills slightly more negotiable on price this week, while plate buyers thought mills were less flexible on spot price tags, according to our latest survey data. Every two weeks, SMU surveys service center and manufacturer buyers to see whether mills will negotiate on new spot sheet and plate orders. In this week’s survey, 14% of respondents said mills were willing to talk price to secure an order, up three percentage points from two weeks earlier (Figure 1). This is the highest reading since July 8, when the rate stood at 18%.

    AZZ says tight steel availability weighs on Precoat Metals

    AZZ Inc. said galvanized flat-rolled steel availability remains a constraint for its Precoat Metals business, complicating customer sourcing and logistics. Customers are having difficulty securing substrate within required timeframes, and costs remain elevated, President and CEO Tom Ferguson said on an earnings conference call on Wednesday. He said AZZ is helping customers locate domestic and imported material and manage logistics. The situation has “definitely” affected the business, he added. “It’s tight. We see it every day, particularly galvanized sheet metal.”

    AZZ raises fiscal 2027 guidance after record second-quarter sales

    AZZ Inc. raised its fiscal 2027 guidance after reporting record second-quarter sales and adjusted earnings, supported by higher volumes and pricing in both its Metal Coatings and Precoat Metals segments. AZZ reported fiscal second-quarter sales of $486.9 million for the three months ended Aug. 31, up 16.7% from the prior-year quarter. Net income fell 34.6% year over year (y/y) to $58.45 million. “During the quarter, we benefited from organic sales growth, the continued ramp-up of our new Washington, Missouri facility within our Precoat Metals segment, and the completion of a strategic Metal Coatings acquisition in the Pacific Northwest,” noted President and CEO Tom Ferguson.

    Join SMU for a Community Chat with AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson on Oct. 28

    Ken Simonson, chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), will join SMU for a Community Chat webinar on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 11 a.m. ET. What will we talk about? On the one hand, a steel-intensive data center boom continues to outstrip even the most bullish steel-demand forecasts. On the other hand, some more traditional construction markets are struggling. What happens if the data boom falters?