US consumer confidence provided a bit of a boost and a hopeful sign for the economy as it bounced back in December. Following back-to-back monthly declines, the headline index in December rose sharply as American consumers’ confidence in the economy grew as high inflation continued to ease, The Conference Board reported. The headline Consumer Confidence […]
In our column of Nov. 4, we updated you on the progress that Novelis and Steel Dynamics (SDI) were making on executing on their planned two mills. Since that time, nothing has really changed. That perhaps is profound in and of itself, in that we have nothing new to tell you about the status of […]
Worthington Industries posted steeply lower net earnings in its fiscal 2023 second quarter ended Nov. 30 compared with the same quarter a year ago, driven mainly by declining steel prices. The Columbus, Ohio-based manufacturer and service center reported net earnings of $16.2 million in its second quarter, down 85% from $110.3 million in the year-ago period, […]
Ternium has named international technology group Andritz to build its new high-end push pickling line (PPL) near Monterrey, Mexico. The new line in Pesquería will have an annual capacity of approximately 600,000 tons, and will be used mainly for the automotive and home appliance industry, Andritz said. The company added that the line is designed […]
Hot-rolled coil prices have risen for a third consecutive on the heels of a $60-per-ton ($3-per-cwt) post-Thanksgiving price hike by domestic mills. Also providing a lift to sheet prices are higher scrap costs, expectations of buyer restocking in the first quarter, and a sense among mills that momentum is on their side. A second round […]
US heating and cooling equipment shipments declined further in October, according to recently released data from the Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). Total shipments in October were 1.79 million units, 8% less than September levels and down 13% compared with the same month last year. October represents the third-lowest shipment rate recorded in the […]
Sheet price hikes announced last week by domestic mills appeared to have succeeded in putting a floor under tags this week. The question now is to what extent the increases will stick and whether those gains will be sustainable. Our hot-rolled coil price reflects broader market trends. SMU’s average HRC price stood at $615 per […]
The construction industry added 20,000 employees in November month over month, after adding just 1,000 in October. A boost in wages for hourly workers vs. competing industries drove the sector’s unemployment rate lower, the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) said in a statement. The struggle to locate qualified workers continued, though, the report, released […]
Domestic hot-rolled coil (HRC) continues to hold a sizeable price advantage over imports, according to Steel Market Update’s latest analysis on foreign and domestic prices. US HRC is approximately 5–12% cheaper than foreign prices this week, after consideration of freight costs, trader margins and any applicable tariffs. This is the fifth consecutive week that US […]
More North American steel producers are joining in the attempt to increase prices for steel sheet products. NLMK USA said in a Dec. 1 letter to customers that “due to increased order placement and extending lead times,” its base prices will increase by a minimum of $60 per ton ($3 per cwt) for spot orders. […]
US consumer confidence slipped again in November, declining for the second straight month amid ongoing high inflation and rising interest rates. Despite the weaker outlook, household spending has had a generally healthy start to winter holiday shopping, The Conference Board reported. The headline Consumer Confidence Index fell by two points in November to a reading […]
New orders for US-manufactured durable goods rose in October to a seasonally adjusted $277.4 billion. That figure has risen for seven out of the last eight months. Shipments picked up as well last month despite persistent inflation and global economic instability. Last month’s bookings for durable goods were up roughly 1%, or $2.8 billion more month-on-month […]
Demand for design services from US architectural firms declined in October. The drop came after the pace of growth had slowed in recent months. The October AIA Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score slipped below 50, ending a 20-month run of growth following the pandemic-induced downturn in 2020. Recall that the ABI is an advanced economic indicator for nonresidential […]
World crude steel production declined month-on-moth (MoM) in October, driven almost singlehandedly by lower Chinese output. Global production was still, however, up 1.1% versus the same period last year, according to World Steel Association (worldsteel) data. October’s output lost ground when compared to September, down 2.9%, declining for the first time in three months. World […]
Global crude steel production was estimated at 147.3 million metric tons in October as output was up by 1.6 million metric tons — 1.1% higher than the same period last year, the World Steel Association (worldsteel) reported. Last month’s estimated production was down sequentially, however, declining by 2.9%, or by 4.4 million metric tons from September’s […]
Producer prices came in below expectations in October, adding to hopes that inflationary pressures are beginning to ease, the US Labor Department reported. Last month’s Producer Price Index (PPI), a measure of the prices received for final-demand products, advanced just 0.2% month-on-month (MoM) and 8% from a year ago, the smallest annual gain in more […]
Exceeding expectations, business activity in the state of New York improved in November, moving into positive territory for the first time in four months, according to the Empire State Manufacturing Survey. The New York Fed’s Empire State headline general business conditions index — a gauge of manufacturing activity in the state — recovered by 13.6 […]
Total US mill shipments of steel products were down in September, falling to their lowest total year-to-date (YTD). Mill shipments have been fluctuating up and down all year with little consistency. September’s shipments totaled 7.58 million tons, a 7.2% decline from August’s 8.18 million tons, and the lowest total since February 2021. Apparent supply also saw a […]
The US labor market added 261,000 jobs in October, down from an upwardly revised total of 315,000 payroll gains the month prior. Last month’s total, though better than expected, still marked the slowest pace of job gains since December 2020, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The decline in payroll gains […]
Data on US industrial production, capacity utilization, orders and inventories remained strong through September, indicating a healthy manufacturing sector. The health of the manufacturing economy has a direct bearing on the health of the steel industry. The Industrial Production (IP) Index The IP index is a gauge of output from factories, mines and utilities. Figure […]
The US economy added 261,000 new jobs in October, outperforming consensus expectations but still decelerating to the slowest pace since December 2020, according to data from the US Department of Labor. In contrast, the unemployment rate moved higher last month to 3.7%, after estimates expected the October measure to remain sideways and match the five-decade […]
By CRU Principal Economist Alex Tuckett, from CRU’s Global Economic Outlook Despite some slightly better-than-expected data for Q3, we have further revised down our forecast for 2023. We continue to believe that stubbornly high inflation, the energy crisis, and China’s domestic problems will lead to a sharp slowdown in world growth, with outright recessions in […]
Steel prices declined each week in October, with all sheet products now back in line with late-2020 levels. Hot rolled prices averaged $736 per net ton ($36.80 per cwt) in October, falling from $765 in the beginning of the month to $710 as of last Tuesday. The SMU Price Momentum Indicator for sheet products was […]
US manufacturing activity grew at its slowest pace since May 2020, nearly falling in October to the neutral 50.0 mark — the level that typically divides expansion from contraction, according to the Institute for Supply Management (ISM). The latest update was slightly ahead of consensus forecasts of a neutral reading amid rising borrowing costs and […]
New orders for US-manufactured durable goods rose in September to a seasonally adjusted $274.7 billion — having risen now for six out of the last seven months. Orders picked up less than expected but still reversed the weaker showings of previous months. Last month’s bookings for durable goods were up roughly 0.04% or $1 billion more […]
World crude steel production edged up slightly month-on-moth (MoM) in September, though driven almost singlehandedly by Chinese output. Global production was also up 5.1% versus the same period last year, according to World Steel Association (worldsteel) data. September’s output gained marginal ground when compared to August, up just 0.7%, but expanding for the second consecutive […]
The US economy posted its first period of growth for 2022 in the third quarter. Gross domestic production (GDP) accelerated to a 2.6% annualized pace for the period, temporarily stymying recession fears, according to the advanced estimate from the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). The latest GDP reading follows two consecutive negative […]
US consumer confidence slipped in October after two straight monthly increases amid rising concerns about inflation and a possible recession next year. Despite the decline, households remain keen to purchase big-ticket items like motor vehicles and appliances, The Conference Board reported. Though down, October’s results still pointed to decent consumer buying, as more consumers planned […]
Global crude steel production was estimated at 151.7 million metric tons in September as steelmakers around the globe increased output by 7.3 million metric tons, or 5.1%, from the same period last year, the World Steel Association (worldsteel) reported. Last month’s estimated production was also up sequentially, edging up by just 0.7%, or 1.1 million […]
Demand for design services from US architecture firms continued to grow in September, though the pace of growth declined month-on-month (MoM). The September AIA Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score slipped last month after rising for the first time in five months in August. Despite the MoM decline, the development also marked the 20th consecutive month of […]