Business activity in New York State rose sharply in May, according to the latest Empire State Manufacturing Survey. The general business conditions index gained eight points for a reading of 17.8, its highest level in six months. Manufacturers reported a jump in new orders and shipments and an increase in backlogs. Inventories were slightly below […]
Your invitation from CRU’s steel team: CRU invites you to view the recent steel webinar with CME Group and join us in person on Monday, June 17, for the New York Steel Briefing at the Sheraton Times Square Hotel. Registration for the New York Steel Briefing is required and seats are limited. Please register today […]
SMU contributor Gaurav Chhibbar is a partner at Metal Edge Partners, a firm engaged in Risk Management and Strategic Advisory. In this role, he and his firm design and execute risk management strategies for clients along with providing process and analytical support. In Gaurav’s previous role, he was a trader at Cargill spending time in […]
Ronald J. O’Malley has been appointed president of the Association for Iron & Steel Technology (AIST) for 2019–2020. O’Malley succeeds James F. Dudek of United States Steel Corp. O’Malley is the F. Kenneth Iverson Chair Professor in Steelmaking Technologies and director of the Kent D. Peaslee Steel Manufacturing Research Center at the Missouri University of Science […]
Final figures show that the EU28 steel market grew in 2018. However, forecasts estimate that it will fall slightly in 2019, reports the European Steel Association (EUROFER). The preliminary safeguard measures in place since mid-2018 could not prevent third country imports from rising sharply over the year and, as a consequence, local steel producers are […]
The recovery from February’s very poor rate of job creation continued through April. Net job creation in April was 263,000, February was revised up by 23,000 to 56,000 and March was revised down by 7,000 to 189,000, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Rising employment and wages are the main contributors to GDP growth […]
Steel mill shipments have declined slightly since November on a seasonally adjusted basis, while the inventory-to-shipment ratio has increased slightly since October, according to Steel Market Update’s latest analysis of Census Bureau data. Steel trade association data from the AISI and MSCI is most widely used to assess the state of the industry. In addition, […]
Ryerson President and CEO Eddie Lehner said he expected the price of ferrous scrap to fall by $20-30 per ton in May, not to fall to $230 per ton as reported in Thursday’s issue of Steel Market Update in an article on Ryerson’s quarterly conference call. Lehner was also misquoted in a comment that should […]
Global manufacturing activity appeared lackluster in April. The J.P. Morgan Global Manufacturing PMI hovered just above the no change mark at 50.3, down from 50.5 in March, and at its lowest reading since June 2016. “The global manufacturing sector remained subdued at the start of the second quarter, with the PMI barely above the 50.0 […]
Democrat congressional leaders and President Trump agreed on Tuesday to work together towards a $2 trillion infrastructure package, a breakthrough that is supported by the construction and trucking industries. Associated General Contractors of America CEO Stephen E. Sandherr said quick action is needed to pass an infrastructure package that would fund “needed investments to aging and […]
Southwark Metal Manufacturing Co., maker of sheet metal duct and fittings, has opened a new manufacturing plant in Phoenix, Ariz. The new facility enhances Southwark’s presence, manufacturing capabilities, and customer support throughout the Southwest, allowing the company to service customers in all 50 states. The 75,780-square-foot facility is poised to service HVAC distributors in Arizona, […]
May 20 is the launch date for a new digital marketplace and online community that aspires to streamline the way steel is bought and sold. The new e-commerce site known as FeLUX.com (pronounced fee-lux) is a digital platform designed to allow users to connect, transact and manage their businesses with greater efficiency. Buyers and sellers […]
The growth of U.S. GDP in Q1 2019 increased to 3.2 percent and exceeded economists’ expectations. On Friday, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released the first estimate of GDP growth in the first quarter of 2019 stating: “Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased 3.2 percent in the first quarter of 2019, according to the […]
Business activity unexpectedly declined in the Chicago area, according to the latest MNI Chicago Business Barometer survey. The Barometer, a survey of purchasing and supply management professionals in the Chicago area, lost 6.1 points, falling to 52.6 in April and to its lowest level since January 2017. “This was a disappointing start to the second […]
The following article on the hot rolled coil (HRC) steel and financial futures markets was written by Jack Marshall of Crunch Risk LLC. Here is how Jack saw trading over the past week: Finally some follow through lower in both steel and scrap futures prices. Should flattish forward curves be a concern? Steel The latest […]
Durable goods orders jumped 2.7 percent in March for the fourth increase in five months. Transportation equipment led the increase, leaping 7.0 percent to $93.8 billion. Aircraft orders rose 31 percent, primarily for Boeing jets. Boeing reported 44 aircraft orders in March compared to five in February. None were for the grounded 737 Max aircraft […]
By CRU Chief Economist Jumana Saleheen The latest Chinese data surprised on the upside. It suggests that the China stimulus is working. But some of the strength is also likely due to one-off factors. As a result, we see the latest data as an indication that the economy is stabilizing rather than accelerating. Recent data […]
Steel Technologies is assessing the operational impact from a fire early Monday morning that knocked out power and damaged the pickle line and pickle bay at its Ghent, Ky., plant. No injuries were reported from the incident. State and local officials have confirmed that chemicals used in production were contained in designated storage vessels, the […]
Demand for long products and tubular goods has seen strong growth, but sheet products are declining. This analysis by SMU staff is based on data from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) and the U.S. Department of Commerce (DoC). The analysis summarizes total steel supply by product from 2003 through February 2019 and year-on-year […]
In Q1 2019, all regions except the North Central had positive employment growth. First-quarter regional employment data by state was released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on Friday. The state data follows and confirms the strong employment situation that we reported at the national level two weeks ago. In the first quarter, the […]
In the last three months, the dollar weakened against seven of the 16 steel trading currencies that Steel Market Update tracks and strengthened against the other nine. At the one-month level, the dollar weakened against five of the 16, and strengthened against the other 11. At the seven-day level, the dollar strengthened against 12 of […]
Economic indicators of manufacturing activity are strong, though the growth rate is slowing. This report summarizes 11 data streams that describe the state of U.S. manufacturing in general and the steel industry in particular. We have reported on most of these separately in our Steel Market Update publications, and therefore will be brief in this […]
Most indicators of manufacturing activity are still positive, but evidence of a slowdown is indisputable. This report summarizes 11 data streams that describe the state of U.S. manufacturing in general and the steel industry in particular. We have reported on most of these separately in our Steel Market Update publications and therefore will be brief […]
The metalforming industry is expecting a dip in business conditions in the next three months, according to the April 2019 Precision Metalforming Association survey. “The Business Conditions Report reflects the growing concern of metalforming manufacturers that the Section 232 steel tariffs are creating a drag on the U.S. manufacturing sector,” said PMA President David Klotz. […]
SMU contributor Gaurav Chhibbar is a partner at Metal Edge Partners, a firm engaged in Risk Management and Strategic Advisory. In this role, he and his firm design and execute risk management strategies for clients along with providing process and analytical support. In Gaurav’s previous role, he was a trader at Cargill spending time in […]
Global steel demand will top 1.75 billion metric tons by the end of next year, despite economic headwinds in many parts of the globe, predicts the World Steel Association in its April 2019 Short Range Outlook. Worldwide, steel demand will increase by 1.3 percent this year to 1,735 Mt, followed by further 1 percent growth […]
A six point increase to 10.1 in the general business index of the Empire State Manufacturing survey indicated a modest rise in manufacturing activity in April. New York manufacturers reported a slight rise in new orders and shipments. The new orders index rose to 7.5 from 3.0 in March, while the shipments index increased to […]
Net job creation in March totaled 196,000, an increase from an upwardly revised 33,000 in February. January was revised up by 1,000 to 312,000. Rising employment and wages are the main contributor to GDP growth because personal consumption accounts for almost 70 percent of GDP. Steel consumption is related to GDP; therefore, this is one […]
The International Monetary Fund has reduced its estimate of U.S. GDP growth for 2019, but increased it in each year 2020 through 2024. The IMF updates its World Economic Outlook (WEO) in April and October each year. On April 9, the following was published in the IMF blog: “After strong growth in 2017 and early […]
US Midwest HRC price volatility has increased markedly in recent months as government policy and inelasticity of domestic supply have led to large variations in physical market price. Concurrently, volume and open interest on the CME’s HRC futures and options contracts, settled on CRU’s US Midwest HRC price (“The CRU”) has surged as physical market […]