New orders for U.S. manufactured durable goods rose 1.6% in January, doubling earlier estimates of 0.8%, according to the Commerce Department’s report. The surprising gain came following an upward revision in December’s totals to a 1.2% gain from the prior estimate of 0.7% and represents an increase in eight of the last nine months. The […]
The outlook for multifamily construction closed the year on a positive note, as confidence in the market for new multifamily housing improved in the fourth quarter of 2021, according to the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) Multifamily Market Survey (MMS). The MMS’s two separate indices saw mixed results. The Multifamily Production Index (MPI) gained […]
The next three months remain favorable for metalforming companies, though widespread supply shortages and other challenges continue, according to the February 2022 Precision Metalforming Business Conditions Report. There was little change in this month’s forecast for business conditions. Only 10% of companies predict a decrease in economic activity during the period, up slightly from 7% […]
Ford Motor Co. will idle some production of the F-150 pickup, the carmaker’s best-selling vehicle, due to the ongoing global semiconductor chip shortage, a company spokesperson told Steel Market Update (SMU). Ford’s Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo, Mo., will begin the week-long downtime on Monday, Feb. 28. The Dearborn, Mich.-based automaker said the disruption […]
Sales of new single-family homes fell in January following a sharp upwardly revised reading the month prior. Last month’s 4.5% decline in new homes sales resulted from rising interest rates. The seasonally adjusted rate of 801,000 was steady because demand remains strong, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau reported. […]
U.S. consumer confidence slipped again in February following a downward revision in January, reported The Conference Board. The slight erosion in the headline index was the second straight decline following a small recovery in late 2021 that saw gains from September through December. Though results are mixed, the shift in momentum is worth noting. Sentiment towards […]
World crude steel production fell in January, unable to maintain the growth seen the month prior. Global output was estimated at 155 million metric tons last month, as steelmakers around the world cut production by 6.7 million metric tons or 2.3% from December, according to World Steel Association (worldsteel) data. After hitting an all-time high […]
U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) expanded at a 7% annualized rate in the fourth quarter as businesses stepped up their restocking of supplies, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) advanced estimate. This second review and upward revision to fourth-quarter GDP growth by the BEA reflected more business spending on nonresidential structures and investment […]
Olympic Steel announced record results in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 2021, a strong finish to the company’s most profitable year to date. “We achieved record sales and net income for the fourth quarter, a fitting capstone to a year of record-setting performance for Olympic Steel,” said Richard Marabito, Olympic’s CEO. “All three of our […]
JSW Steel (USA) and JSW Ohio’s lawsuit claiming Nucor, U.S. Steel and Cleveland-Cliffs conspired to stifle competition by denying semifinished steel slab to the company has been dismissed. The lawsuit, filed on June 8, 2021, in federal court in Houson, alleged that three of the largest American steelmakers formed a cartel and conspired to cause […]
Demand for design services from architecture firms in the U.S. strengthened for the 12th straight month in January, with AIA’s Architecture Billings Index registering 51.0, according to the latest report from the American Institute of Architects. The ABI is an advance economic indicator for nonresidential construction activity with a lead time of 9-12 months. A score […]
Jim Frias, Nucor’s long-time Chief Financial Officer, will retire on June 11. Steve Laxton, Nucor’s Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Planning, has been named to succeed him. The two will work together for the next few months on a seamless transition of the CFO responsibilities. Frias joined Nucor in 1991 as controller of Nucor Building Systems-Indiana. […]
Raw steel production by U.S. mills edged up last week, the first increase in five weeks. Domestic mills produced a total of 1,764,000 net tons in the week ending Feb. 19, while mill capacity utilization moved back up to 80.1%, reported the American Iron and Steel Institute. U.S. output was up 0.3% compared to the […]
Strong downstream demand for steel is expected through the first half of 2022, but unfilled orders and backlogs resulting from supply-chain troubles and labor shortages may wreak havoc in the second half, cautioned a panel of OEM and service center executives during the Tampa Steel Conferences last week. “We’re certainly seeing strong demand for the […]
Strong downstream demand for steel is expected through the first half of 2022, but unfilled orders and backlogs resulting from supply-chain troubles and labor shortages may wreak havoc in the second half, cautioned a panel of OEM and service center executives during the Tampa Steel Conferences last week. “We’re certainly seeing strong demand for the […]
Global crude steel production was estimated at 155 million metric tons in January as steelmakers around the world cut output by 6.7 million metric tons, or 2.3%, from the prior month, the World Steel Association (worldsteel) reported. Since reaching an all-time high of 174.4 million metric tons last May, global steel output has waned in […]
Builder confidence fell again in February despite strong demand from buyers, according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). Home builder sentiment fell for the second straight month on ongoing building material production bottlenecks, which have pushed up construction costs and delayed projects. February’s HMI reading moved one point lower […]
Housing starts fell in January as builders reported continued supply-chain troubles leading to construction delays, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Despite the slow start to the year for new construction, building permits increased at a solid pace in January, signaling strong demand […]
The Ontario government will contribute $500 million ($393 million U.S.) towards ArcelorMittal Dofasco’s $1.8 billion clean tech project to decrease its carbon intensity in steelmaking. The Hamilton-based steelmaker – a subsidiary of multinational ArcelorMittal SA – is working towards decreasing its greenhouse gas emissions by replacing its coal-fed coke ovens and blast furnaces with hydrogen-enabled […]
Ternium plans to invest $1 billion to expand the operations of its Pesquería flat steel facility in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. The news came during the steelmaker’s fourth-quarter conference call on Wednesday, Feb. 16, when the Latin American steel group’s chief executive officer, Máximo Vedoya, confirmed the company was in the final stage of studying an […]
Steel tube producer Tenaris saw global sales jump 17% sequentially to $2.057 billion in the fourth quarter ended Dec 31, 2021, with sales 82% above the same quarter a year ago. Net earnings in Q4 were the best on record for the Luxembourg-based steel tube producer, totaling $336 million, up 3% quarter on quarter and […]
Monthly Key Market Indicators improved slightly through January, showing promising signs of progress, according to the latest analysis by Steel Market Update. Following a more uncertain close to 2021, both neutral and positive indicators expanded, while negative indicators continued to ease. Though economic dynamics remain in flux, with supply-chain bottlenecks and rising inflation and producer […]
Business activity in the state of New York was little changed in February following an abrupt decline the month prior, according to the Empire State Manufacturing Survey. The headline general business conditions index is now at 3.1 (above the neutral mark of 0), moving up four points versus the -0.7-mark seen the month prior when the index […]
Ternium reported net earnings of $1.136 billion in the fourth quarter 2021, down from $1.366 billion in the prior quarter, but a 31.4% boost from $865 million in the fourth quarter of 2020. The steelmaker achieved record profitability for the full year ended Dec. 31, 2021, with earnings totaling $4.367 billion, more than a five-fold […]
Prices contractors pay for construction materials jumped more than 20% in January versus the same period a year ago, reports the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) in its latest analysis of government data. The results have led AGC to urge federal officials to take additional steps to ease the industry’s challenges associated with volatile materials […]
Production at North American auto plants has begun to return to normal now that truckers protesting vaccine mandates have been removed from the Ambassador Bridge over the U.S-Canada border – a major supply route for the North American auto industry. Following a week-long blockade, traffic flow over the bridge Sunday night was a welcome sight for […]
For a fourth straight week, U.S. raw steel production has declined. Domestic mills produced a total of 1,758,000 net tons in the week ending Feb. 12, while mill capacity utilization last week averaged 79.8%, reported the American Iron and Steel Institute. U.S. output was down 1.5% versus the prior week but 1.0% higher than the […]
Imports of less-expensive sheet and plate products continued to arrive on U.S. shores at the end of 2021, but at a slower pace. December marked the first decrease in overall flat product imports in eight months, according to Commerce Department data. Driven by the need for buyers to find relief from inflated steel prices in […]
Ford, Toyota and Honda continued to see production disruptions at various factories due to ongoing protests by anti-vaxxers blocking the Ambassador Bridge, the busiest international border crossing in North America. The auto industry has struggled to get parts over the U.S.-Canada border as the protest by truck drivers at the bridge had entered its fifth […]
Total mill shipments of steel products rebounded in December to 8.985 million tons, a 7.8% increase over November’s 8.334 million tons, and the highest monthly total for 2021. Apparent supply saw a 5.0% boost in December, rising for the second straight month following repeated decreases in September and October. This analysis is based on steel mill shipment […]