Economist Alan Beaulieu of ITR Economics spoke at the HARDI annual meeting where he advised HARDI wholesalers to expect good results during the first half of 2018. After that, there will be a slowing in the rate of growth that will continue into 2019. He told the group that 2019 could be a test year […]
The following article on the hot rolled coil (HRC) futures markets was written by David Feldstein. As the Flack Global Metals Director of Risk Management, Dave is an active participant in the hot rolled futures market, and we believe he provides insightful commentary and trading ideas to our readers. Besides writing futures articles for Steel […]
An Ohio-based company is taking the lead on a possible new multi-billion dollar steel mill proposed in Shiawassee County, Michigan, according to a Dec. 4 report in Crain’s Detroit Business. New Steel International reportedly is seeking a $7 billion federal loan through the U.S. Department of Energy to place a steelmaking plant in Durand, Mich., […]
The ferrous scrap market is heading higher. In a surprise to scrap experts (and probably the mills), prices are rising with some early deals done at +$20 per gross ton on prime grades and +$30 per gross ton on everything else. That is where Detroit settled earlier this week. Steel buyers need to be aware […]
Dan DiMicco, former CEO of Nucor Corp., has been appointed to a four-year term as a member of President Trump’s Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations, the White House announced in a Dec. 4 release. DiMicco, who retired from Nucor, is a former trade advisor to the Trump campaign and serves as chairman of […]
Recent price increases on prime steel have pulled secondary steel prices up along with them, challenging distributors to pass the added cost along to their customers. Secondary steel products include coils that have defects or otherwise fail to meet the specs of the original buyer, but may be suitable for other uses. “Our volume has […]
The November ISM PMI registered 58.2 percent, a decrease of 0.5 percentage point from the October reading of 58.7 percent. “This indicates growth in manufacturing for the 15th consecutive month led by expansion in new orders and production, offset by supplier delivery improvement and declines in raw material inventory,” said Timothy R. Fiore, chairman of […]
The U.S. employment situation in November was excellent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) net job creation report released on Friday. While employment was down by 14,000 jobs from October, it was still the third best month of the year and in agreement with the other data streams tracked by Steel Market Update. […]
Global manufacturing accelerated to an 80-month high in November, according to the latest J.P. Morgan Global Manufacturing PMI. Output, new orders and employment were at multi-year highs. Demand led to capacity pressure and a resulting increase in employment. The PMI, produced by J.P. Morgan and IHS Markit in association with ISM and IFPSM, posted 54.0 […]
Flat rolled steel Price Momentum ended the month as it began, pointing to a sideways or “mixed” market. Our flat rolled steel price indices averages over the past three months show very little movement in steel prices. Benchmark hot rolled averaged $610 per ton, which is actually lower than the $620 average we saw at […]
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: Steel HR futures markets have paused post Thanksgiving. While the HR spot prices have retraced $27/ST in the month of November to approximately […]
The Chicago Business Barometer retreated 2.3 points in November to 63.9, its lowest level in three months. Any number above 50, however, is an indicator of growth. The decrease followed October’s six-and-a-half year high, and economists expect the Barometer to finish the year continuing its 21 straight months of expansion. Output was robust in November, […]
The broad index value of the U.S. dollar has strengthened since Sept. 8, but in the last month the dollar has weakened against 13 of the 16 steel trading nations’ currencies. From Jan. 3 through Sept. 8, 2017, the Broad Index value of the U.S. dollar depreciated by 9.3 percent. The value rebounded by 2.9 […]
Economic indicators of manufacturing activity are still healthy overall and suggest conditions should remain positive for the balance of this year and into the first quarter of 2018. This report summarizes seven data sources that describe the state of manufacturing in the U.S. We have reported on most of these separately in our Steel Market […]
Metalforming manufacturers continue to be cautious in their three-month outlook as members watch NAFTA negotiations and trade actions with trepidation. The November Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) Business Conditions Report showed 30 percent of participants expecting improvement in economic activity in the next three months—the same percentage as October. Little change is expected in incoming orders […]
Consumer confidence increased for a fifth consecutive month and remains at at an extremely high level, reports The Conference Board. The composite value of consumer confidence in November was 129.5 up from 126.2 in October. The last nine months have each been better than at any time since 2001. The three-month moving average (3MMA) increased […]
New orders for manufactured durable goods declined 1.2 percent in October to $236.0 billion, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The decline was due mostly to plummeting orders for commercial aircraft, which fell 18.6 percent last month. Core capital goods (non-defense capital goods minus aircraft) declined 0.5 percent last month. Reuters […]
Gross domestic product grew in every region of the United States in the second quarter of 2017, according to Bureau of Economic Analysis data. The BEA introduced a new data set for GDP by state and region in 2014 and backdated it to Q1 2005. This week, the data was updated through Q2 2017. Even […]
Driven primarily by construction in the developing world, growth in global steel production continues to surge, according to Steel Market Update’s latest analysis of World Steel Association data. Steel production in the month of October was 145,254,000 metric tons, up from 141,576,000 in September. Capacity utilization decreased from 73.5 percent to 72.9 percent. Production was […]
Keith Gunter, Vice President of Purchasing at McElroy Metal (and a part-time poet) shares his annual special holiday retrospective on the past year and his wishes for a prosperous 2018 for all. T’was soon to be Christmas, when all through the land, Pricing ought to be stable, wouldn’t that be so grand. During the fourth […]
Demand for architecture design services increased in October after contracting in September. The October Architecture Billings Index jumped to 51.7 from 49.1 the previous month, indicating a return to growth. The new projects index gained more than one point to 60.2, while new design contracts posted a reading of 52.9, compared to 52.8 in September. […]
The following article on the hot rolled coil (HRC) futures markets was written by David Feldstein. As the Flack Global Metals Director of Risk Management, Dave is an active participant in the hot rolled futures market, and we believe he provides insightful commentary and trading ideas to our readers. Besides writing futures articles for Steel […]
More than 100 trade organizations representing a cross-section of U.S. business and industry sent a letter to USTR Robert Lighthizer on Tuesday urging the U.S. to maintain, and even extend, trucking provisions in the new NAFTA agreement. The trade groups called for the U.S. to permit Mexican carriers to haul freight further into the United […]
The Steel Market Development Institute has released “LEED v4 for Steel Products Used in Construction Applications,” a guide for the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building certification program. “A rapidly-evolving green building industry and increasing demand for sustainability have led to a number of updates and a more […]
Have you ever seen the metal mushrooms that seem to be growing on Route 51 near Century III Mall in West Mifflin, Pa.? They are actually remnants of the Pittsburgh steel industry that dominated the industrial landscape in decades past. West Mifflin is the site of Brown’s Dump, a 410-acre slag dumping area used by […]
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: Steel It has been a relatively light volume week in HR futures as the recent push higher in prices has left the […]
Chemcoaters and its Eco-Green Coatings subsidiary say they are winning over skeptics who doubt the company’s claims it can dramatically lower the cost of galvanized steel with its InterCoat ChemGuard coating. Mike Tieri, vice president of sales and marketing for the Gary, Ind., toll coater, says the product continues to gain converts. “There’s a Who’s […]
Speaking at the FABTECH Expo on Monday, Chris Kuehl of Armada Corporate Intelligence offered his unique perspective on the U.S. and global economies, including the following excerpts of his comments on jobs, trade issues and tax reform. Kuehl serves as the chief economist for the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association, International (FMA), a sponsor of the […]
U.S. job creation rebounded in October from the blow it suffered in September due to the hurricanes, reports the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in its employment report released on Friday. September hiring was severely affected by the Texas and Florida hurricanes, particularly in the hospitality industries in Florida. The October rebound was weaker than […]
Chinese steel production and consumption took a downturn in September, though they trended ahead of 2016 for the first three quarters of this year. China’s exports to the rest of the world are down considerably in 2017, however, according to data from the China Iron & Steel Association and Bradford Research. Year to date, China’s […]