SMU Price Ranges: HR and CR flat, coated and plate up

Written by Brett Linton & Michael Cowden

Sheet prices were mixed after Independence Day, with coated and plate up even as hot-rolled (HR) coil and cold-rolled (CR) coil remained flat.

SMU’s price for HR remains at $1,160 per short ton (st) on average, unchanged from last week. The unusual stability follows back-to-back weeks in which Nucor kept its consumer spot price (CSP) for HR flat.

Brett Linton

Brett Linton is a digital operations analyst for Steel Market Update, where he began his career. Linton has been in the steel industry since 2010. He has held roles as a category manager and strategic insights director at Reibus before returning to SMU in 2024. He is a graduate of The University of North Georgia with a degree in Finance and Accounting. Brett can be reached at brett@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-314-0179.

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.