The states compile their employment numbers independently of the Feds then both are reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The results are very close. In the last nine quarters since Q1 2013, the Feds reported total job creation of 5,992,000 and the states reported 5,895,000. Figure 1 and Figure 2 show the history of […]
The energy markets, especially oil and natural gas, are major users of flat rolled steel and plate products. As oil prices have fallen the production of pipe & tube and related products for the energy segment of the economy have fallen significantly. This has had a major impact on hot rolled coil production and pricing. […]
According to Baker Hughes data from April 17th, 2015, the U.S rig count for the week was 954 rigs exploring for or developing oil or natural gas. The last time the active U.S. count was this low was back on July 31, 2009 at 948 rigs. This week’s total rig count is down 34 rigs […]
According to Baker Hughes data from April 2nd, 2015, the U.S rig count for the week was 988 rigs exploring for or developing oil or natural gas. The last time the active U.S. count was this low was back in late-August 2009 at 968 rigs. This week’s total rig count is down 40 rigs when […]
The U.S. steel mills saw exports for steel products fall during the month of February. The U.S. Department of Commerce released new information late last week regarding the exports shipped out of the domestic steel mills to destinations outside the United States. Based on their data, exports totaled 878,459 net tons (note the data is […]
According to Baker Hughes data from April 2nd, 2015, the U.S rig count for the week was 1,028 rigs exploring for or developing oil or natural gas. The rig count is down 20 rigs when compared to last week, with oil rigs down 11 to 802 rigs, gas rigs down 11 to 222 rigs, and […]
According to Baker Hughes data from March 27th, 2015, the U.S rig count for the week was 1,048 rigs exploring for or developing oil or natural gas. The rig count is down 21 rigs when compared to last week, with oil rigs down 12 to 813 rigs, gas rigs down 9 to 233 rigs, and […]
According to Baker Hughes data from March 20th, 2015, the U.S rig count for the week was 1,069 rigs exploring for or developing oil or natural gas. The rig count is down 56 rigs when compared to last week, with oil rigs down 41 to 825 rigs, gas rigs down 15 to 242 rigs, and […]
Nucor Corporation expects first quarter results to “decrease significantly” compared to fourth quarter and exceed first quarter 2014 levels only slightly. High levels of imports have lowered selling prices and squeezed margins. Nucor notes that total steel imports rose 38 percent in 2014 and account for 34 percent of the total domestic shipments last year. […]
Nucor Corporation expects first quarter results to “decrease significantly” compared to fourth quarter and exceed first quarter 2014 levels only slightly. High levels of imports have lowered selling prices and squeezed margins. Nucor notes that total steel imports rose 38 percent in 2014 and account for 34 percent of the total domestic shipments last year. […]
The energy sector has been one of the critical steel-using market segments which is impacting the steel industry at this time. There are two separate issues at the moment, exploration and production, and they are moving in opposite directions. The exploratory rig count is collapsing and production is increasing. Figure 1 shows historical gas and […]
According to Baker Hughes data from March 6th, 2015, the U.S rig count for the week was 1,192 rigs exploring for or developing oil or natural gas. The rig count is down 75 rigs when compared to last week, with oil rigs down 64 to 922 rigs, gas rigs down 12 to 268 rigs, and […]
The Institute of Supply Management released their February report on March 2nd. An explanation of this data set is given at the end of this piece. After the October surprise on the upside, the index slid back to 55.1 in December to 53.5 in January and to 52.9 in February. The three month moving average […]
US Steel told union workers it will permanently shut down coke-making operations at the Gary Works facility in Indiana. The closure will affect 300 employees and take place in mid May. A US Steel spokesperson said, “This strategic decision was made in light of the company’s long-term coke position and the future anticipated steelmaking operations, […]
According to Baker Hughes data from February 27th, 2015, the U.S rig count for this week is 1,267 rigs exploring for or developing oil or natural gas. The count is down 43 rigs when compared to last week, with oil rigs down 33 to 986 rigs, gas rigs down 9 to 280 rigs, and miscellaneous […]
With the reset of iron ore and ferrous scrap pricing there is an extraordinary amount of interest in trying to figure out the cost to produce a hot rolled coil at the domestic steel mills. This is a question Steel Market Update is asked on an almost weekly basis. We wrote about the subject recently […]
According to Baker Hughes data from February 20th, 2015, the U.S rig count for this week is 1,310 rigs exploring for or developing oil or natural gas. This count is a decrease of 48 rigs when compared to last week, with oil rigs down 37 to 1,019 rigs, gas rigs down 11 to 289 rigs, […]
Figure 1 shows historical gas and oil prices since January 2000. The daily spot price of West Texas Intermediate fell below $100 in August and by January 23rd was down to $44.80. By February 9th, the latest daily figure available from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the price of WTI had recovered to $52.99. Brent […]
According to Baker Hughes data from February 6th, 2015, the U.S rig count for this week is 1,456 rigs exploring for or developing oil or natural gas. This count is a decrease of 87 rigs when compared to last week, with oil rigs down 83 to 1,140 rigs, gas rigs down 5 to 314 rigs, […]
According to Baker Hughes data from January 30th, 2015, the U.S rig count for this week is 1,543 rigs exploring for or developing oil or natural gas. This count is a decrease of 90 rigs when compared to last week, with oil rigs down 94 to 1,223 rigs, gas rigs up 3 to 319 rigs, […]
According to Baker Hughes data from January 23rd, 2015, the U.S rig count for this week is 1,633 rigs exploring for or developing oil or natural gas. This count is a decrease of 43 rigs when compared to last week, with oil rigs down 49 to 1,317 rigs, gas rigs up 6 to 316 rigs, […]
According to Baker Hughes data from January 16th, 2015, the U.S rig count for this week is 1,676 rigs exploring for or developing oil or natural gas. This count is a decrease of 74 rigs when compared to last week, with oil rigs down 55 to 1,366 rigs, gas rigs down 19 to 310 rigs, […]
Figure 1 shows historical gas and oil prices since January 2000. The daily spot price of West Texas Intermediate fell below $100 in August and by January 12th was down to $46.06, the latest daily figure available from the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Brent closed at $46.90 on the same day. There is no sign […]
According to Baker Hughes data from January 9th, 2015, the U.S rig count for this week is 1,750 rigs exploring for or developing oil or natural gas. This count is a decrease of 61 rigs when compared to last week, with oil rigs down 61 to 1,421 rigs, gas rigs up 1 to 329 rigs, […]
Everyone wants to know how the steel industry did from our perspective over the calendar year 2014. We decided to take a look at the year using quarterly averages as a way of smoothing out the data and giving us a clearer picture of key data and commodity and steel pricing trends. As you can […]
The ISM Manufacturing Index retreated again in December. The Institute of Supply Management released their December report on January 2nd and after the October surprise on the upside, the index slid back once again from 59.0 to 58.7 in November and to 55.5 in December, however this is still equal to the average for the […]
According to Baker Hughes data from December 29th, 2014, the U.S rig count for this week is 1,840 rigs exploring for or developing oil or natural gas. This count is a decrease of 35 rigs when compared to last week, with oil rigs down 37 to 1,499 rigs, gas rigs up 2 to 340 rigs, […]
Figure 1 shows historical gas and oil prices since January 2000. The daily spot price of West Texas Intermediate fell below $100 in August and by December 15th was down to $55.96, the latest daily figure available from the Energy Information Administration, (EIA.) Brent closed at $61.09 on the same day. Natural gas delivered to […]
Jawad Mian wrote, “The precipitous decline in the price of oil is perhaps one of the most bearish macro developments this year. We believe we are entering a “new oil normal,” where oil prices stay lower for longer. The reason oil prices started sliding in June can be explained by record growth in US production, […]
Worthington Industries reported an increase in sales for the second quarter of its 2015 fiscal year ending November 30, 2014. Sales of $871 million, however, could not offset weakness in the company’s Engineered Cabs and Oil & Gas sectors. Net earnings fell to $29.5 million from $44.2 million in the previous quarter but surpassed Q2 […]