SMU Steel Buyers Sentiment Index improved to +27 this week, this is 6 points better than the +21 measured during the first week of January and is almost back to the levels achieved during the middle of December (+28). However, current Sentiment is well below the +49 measured during the middle of January 2012 – […]
Written by: Sandy Williams Former RG Steel assets from both Sparrow Point and Warren are headed for the auction block. Sparrow Point assets are being offered by Hilco Industrial at an onsite auction January 23-24 and will include mobile, construction, material handling and support equipment along with spare parts and production lots. An online auction […]
Written by: Sandy Williams Construction employment is expected to rise in 2013 according to survey data presented by the Associated General Contractors of America in their construction industry outlook report for 2013. Of those firms surveyed in 30 states, 31 percent expect to add new staff this year while only 9 percent plan to make […]
Written by: Sandy Williams Natural gas is providing cost savings for steel plants while at the same time creating more demand for steel products used in pipelines, drilling equipment and rigs. It is a win-win situation for the steel and the natural gas industries One of the ways natural gas is utilized by the steel […]
Written by: Sandy Williams Iron ore buyers have been watching with concern the path of Cyclone Narelle as it approaches the western shore of Australia. The west and northwest region contains 93 percent of Australia’s iron ore mines. In past years cyclones and flooding have disrupted mine operations for coal and iron ore sending steel […]
Steel Market Update received a surprise the other day when Construction Management Degree (www.ConstructionManagementDegree.com), a website dedicated as an online resource for students looking to expand their education within the management segment of the construction industry, recognized SMU as one of the top 100 construction-related websites online. The list was compiled as a service to […]
Written by: Sandy Williams Commercial Metals Company announced first quarter net earnings ending November 30, 2012, of $49.7 million, down from $107.7 million at the end of November 2011. Results were partially attributed to a drop in profit from CMC’s Americas Recycling segment which saw lower demand that affected ferrous and nonferrous pricing and volumes. […]
After months of uncertainty related to governmental policies and the fiscal cliff negotiations (or lack thereof) combined with normal end of the year seasonal factors, steel buyers and sellers finished 2012 in the Optimistic range of the SMU Steel Buyers Sentiment index. During the first week of 2013 those same buyers and sellers were slightly […]
Written by: Sandy Williams Construction spending in November decreased to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $866.0 billion, down 0.3 percent from the revised October estimate of $868.2 billion according to data released by the Department of Commerce on Wednesday. “Preliminary data from the Census Bureau for November shows overall construction spending slipped 0.3 percent […]
Financial Markets Who knew it was so easy, all the Republicans had to do was to agree to over $600 bln in tax increases, kick the can down the road on spending cuts by 2-3 months and voila!; No Fiscal Cliff! And with that the markets were off. The SP has gained 60 points in […]