Steel price levels are in uncharted territory these days. The current prices, especially in an economy where interest rates are near zero and inflation remains low, are truly remarkable. How did this happen and when will it end? The short answer is that nobody really knows—but we can analyze the events surrounding the spike and […]
Count me as an optimist—that events move, sporadically and inconsistently, but generally toward progress. I received a lot of messages during the past week that wondered openly whether talks between the United States and the European Union might lead to an end to the steel and aluminum tariffs that have been in effect since 2018. […]
Count me as an optimist—that events move, sporadically and inconsistently, but generally toward progress. I received a lot of messages during the past week that wondered openly whether talks between the United States and the European Union might lead to an end to the steel and aluminum tariffs that have been in effect since 2018. […]
Strong demand and tight supply pushed steel prices upwards throughout December, with hot rolled prices nearing quadruple digits as 2020 came to a close. Steel Market Update’s hot rolled price index reached $985 per ton by the end of December, up $180 per ton or 22 percent from the beginning of the month. The SMU […]
Construction spending was heavily weighted toward single-family homebuilding in November, according to an analysis of government data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Residential construction soared 2.6 percent last month and 16.2 percent year-over-year, contrasting a 0.6 percent decline in private and public nonresidential spending in November and a 4.7 percent tumble from a […]
Looking back at the past year, 2020 was not the disaster many in the steel industry had feared. And looking ahead, 2021 appears even more promising, say OEM and service center executives polled by Steel Market Update last week. Despite an economy that struggled with the COVID pandemic, as well as civil unrest and an […]
New home sales in November slipped 11 percent from October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 841,000, reported the Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development. The pace of sales continues to outperform the 2019 rate however, up 20.8 percent from November last year. The median sales price in November was $335,300 and […]
By CRU Senior Cost Economist Ross Cunningham, from CRU’s Steelmaking Raw Materials Monitor Global CO2 emissions have been rising since the start of the industrial revolution. This has caused rising global temperatures and severe weather events such as wildfires, flooding and drought. In 2015 the United Nations framework convention on climate change put together the Paris […]
This report is an analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data and is intended to provide subscribers with a view of the competitive position of sheet steel, aluminum, plastic and wood. The analysis includes some downstream products and a comparison of truck and rail transportation. On Dec. 10, the BLS released its series of Producer […]
ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel Corp. have committed to building an electric arc furnace at AM/NS Calvert, reducing the mill’s reliance on imported slabs. The companies signed a definitive agreement on Monday to construct the 1.5 million MT (1.65 million ton) EAF at a cost of $775 million. Construction will begin in 2021 with initial production […]
There was no reprieve in November for architecture firms that have seen billings shrink for the past nine months. The American Institute of Architects reports the Architecture Billings Index slid to 46.3 in November, down from October. Although inquiries into new work have risen, albeit at a slower pace, the value of new design contracts […]
Construction employment remains below pre-pandemic levels in 35 states even though 31 states and D.C. added jobs from October to November, said the Associated General Contractors in an analysis of November government data. “An increase in project cancellations and postponements is forcing nonresidential contractors to lay off workers as they complete projects started before the […]
Nucor will have a new Chief Operating Officer, David A. Sumoski, effective Jan. 1, 2021. Sumoski, currently Executive Vice President of Bar, Rebar Fabrication and Construction Services, joined Nucor in 1995 as an electrical supervisor at the Berkley facility and later as Maintenance Manager. He served as Vice President and General Manager of Nucor Steel […]
By CRU Analyst Sam Grant It is now clear that Joe Biden will become the new president of the United States in January 2021, yet he will need control of the Senate to implement his economic policy agenda. As a result, the contest for two Senate seats in Georgia on Jan. 5 will be crucial. […]
Steel Dynamics Inc. reported that fourth-quarter 2020 earnings will be significantly higher than third quarter, driven by flat roll metal spreads and steady steel shipments. Average steel prices for the quarter are expected to offset increased scrap costs. Demand remains good, particularly in automotive and construction. “Strong demand coupled with historically low steel inventories throughout […]
Worthington Industries reported net sales of $731.1 million and a net loss of $74 million for the second quarter of its fiscal 2021 ended Nov. 30 after accounting for nearly $150 million in pre-tax loss related to its investment in Nikola Corp. and $11.4 million in impairment and restructuring charges. In comparison, sales were $826.6 […]
Housing starts rose 1.2 percent in November to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,547,000 and were 12.8 percent higher than November 2019. Single-family housing starts flattened in November increasing just 0.4 percent to a rate of 1,186,000. Starts for buildings of five units or more rose 8.0 percent. On a year-to-date basis, single-family construction […]
Not only are wholesalers who service the HVAC and construction industries wondering how high galvanized steel prices can possibly go, they’re even more worried about how low prices could go once the market normalizes next year. In a conference call this morning, members of the Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) reported firm […]
Majestic Steel has completed the acquisition of P&S Metals and Supply, a Las Vegas-based steel service center and processor. The addition of P&S will extend Majestic’s footprint in Nevada and the western United States. “We are happy to welcome P&S Metals and Supply to the Majestic family,” said Todd Leebow, Majestic President and CEO. “P&S […]
Let’s play “fun facts.” Last week Steel Market Update published our average hot rolled spot price as $885 per ton ($44.25/cwt). With the domestic steel mills asking $900-$960 per ton for new orders of spot (if they are offering at all, which is a separate issue all by itself) SMU expects HRC spot prices to […]
Let’s play “fun facts.” Last week Steel Market Update published our average hot rolled steel spot price as $885 per ton ($44.25/cwt). With the domestic steel mills asking $900-$960 per ton for new orders of spot (if they are offering at all, which is a separate issue all by itself) SMU expects HRC spot prices […]
U.S. Steel has acquired the remaining 50.1 percent stake in the Big River Steel mill in Osceola, Ark., paying $774 million in cash, giving it full ownership of one of the most advanced flat-rolled minimills in the United States. U.S. Steel paid $700 million for a 49.9 percent share in BRS in 2019, making its […]
By CRU Principal Analyst Josh Spoores, from CRU’s Steel Sheet Products Monitor U.S. Steel announced the full buyout of Big River Steel this week, while Cleveland-Cliffs closed on its acquisition of ArcelorMittal’s U.S. assets. In any other week, these headlines would drive the news flow for steel buyers and sellers. However, news this week remains […]
Dodge Data & Analytics reports a decline in project planning for new construction in the nonresidential sector. The latest Dodge Momentum Index fell 2.6 percent in November to 123.3 The institutional component of the index fell 4.4 percent, while the commercial component slid 1.6 percent. “Since the expiration of support programs in the CARES Act, […]
The November employment report released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed a net gain of 245,000 jobs, a positive move but only half of economists’ consensus expectations. The gain was down from October’s 610,000 new jobs. In the November data, September was revised up by 39,000 and October was revised down by 28,000. […]
Employment gains have slowed each month since June, with a disappointing result in November, according to Steel Market Update’s latest analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The net change in employed persons in November was 245,000. Employment gains have slowed each month since June when 4.8 million jobs were recovered. The base line against […]
Construction employment gained 27,000 jobs in November due to continued strength in residential home building. Jobs in nonresidential increased at a slower rate due to pandemic-induced project cancellations, said the Associated General Contractors of America. The disparity between residential and nonresidential construction widened in November, said AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson. Residential building and specialty […]
Total construction expenditures on a rolling 12-month basis were at an all-time high in October, but year-over-year growth has slowed from 8.1 percent in February to 0.5 percent in October. Private constriction expenditures returned to positive growth in October after declining in the months June through September. Steel Market Update analyzes Construction Put In Place […]
Editor’s note: SMU Contributor David Feldstein is president of Rock Trading Advisors. David has over 20 years of trading experience in financial markets and has been active in the ferrous futures space for over eight years. You can learn more at www.thefeldstein.com or add him on twitter @TheFeldstein and on Instragram at #thefeldstein. It now […]
Steel prices continued to climb in November on strong demand and tight steel supplies. Steel Market Update’s hot rolled price index reached $770 per ton by the end of November, up 10 percent from the beginning of the month. The SMU Pricing Momentum Indicator remained at Higher, indicating prices are expected to rise further over […]