Tenaris will bring its Pennsylvania facilities back online as part of plans to expand operations across the Northeast U.S. The Koppel melt shop and Ambridge seamless pipe are slated for restart this summer. “There are encouraging trends in the market from increases in production and oil prices to total demand. While taking a cautious approach, […]
Downstream metals M&A is back, and it could be bigger than ever – or at least as big as it’s been since the last metals super cycle in 2006-08, according to one investment banker. Deal volume in the metals service center and processing sectors was good in early 2020 and “cratered” following the COVID-19 outbreak. But […]
The World Steel Association was cautiously optimistic in its April 2021 Short-Range Outlook published last week. The association expects steel demand to grow 5.8% this year, reaching 1.874 billion metric tons, after declining 0.2% during the pandemic in 2020. “Despite the disastrous impact of the pandemic on lives and livelihoods, the global steel industry was […]
Flat Rolled = 41.4 Shipping Days of Supply Plate = 43 Shipping Days of Supply Flat Rolled U.S. service center flat rolled inventories remained very lean in March, as shipments were strong, but mills continued to run late on deliveries. At the end of March, U.S. service centers had 41.4 shipping days of supply of […]
TriMark Tubulars is a new brand in the market, but not a brand new competitor. Russel Metals and Marubeni-Itochu Tubulars America Inc. have combined their Canadian oil country tubular goods (OCTG) and line pipe businesses into a joint venture that will be better equipped to handle the challenging conditions in the energy market. Russel Metals […]
Spring has sprung including a bounce in economic activity, according to the latest Federal Reserve Beige Book. The April survey of federal districts showed a moderate increase in activity from auto sales to tourism, along with heightened optimism. Spring break, vaccine rollout and stimulus payments gave the tourism industry a boost from late February to […]
The number of active U.S. rotary drill rigs continued to increase this past week, while the Canadian rig count declined, according to data released by oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The rig count is important to the steel industry because it is a leading indicator of oil country tubular goods demand. The number of active […]
The Energy Information Administration’s April Short-Term Energy Outlook remains subject to heightened levels of uncertainty as responses to COVID-19 continue to evolve. Reduced economic activity from the pandemic caused a decline in 2020 energy demand and supply. As of April 6, the EIA expects oil demand to strengthen, as COVID-19 vaccination rates and global economic […]
Steel prices might be at record levels, but the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Steel Committee remains worried about global overcapacity. “While steel prices declined in 2020, they have recently increased as steelmaking capacity idled during the heights of the pandemic could not be brought online quickly enough to meet recovering steel demand and […]
In the famous words of Isaac Newton, “what goes up must come down.” While he was not referring to steel prices per se, the sentiment still holds true. Steel tags can’t stay at record highs indefinitely. Supply will eventually catch up with demand. What happens then? Will prices see a sharp correction or a gradual […]
In the famous words of Isaac Newton, “what goes up must come down.” While he was not referring to steel prices per se, the sentiment still holds true. Steel tags can’t stay at record highs indefinitely. Supply will eventually catch up with demand. What happens then? Will prices see a sharp correction or a gradual […]
Worthington Industries completed a successful third quarter in FY 2021, shed underperforming businesses, and now looks forward to accelerating strategic growth initiatives. “Our fiscal third quarter was a record financial performance,” said CEO Andy Rose. “We faced some lingering operational challenges including steel supply shortages, staffing issues related to COVID quarantines and some extreme weather, […]
The number of active U.S. rotary drill rigs increased this past week, while the Canadian rig count declined, according to data released by oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The rig count is important to the steel industry because it is a leading indicator of oil country tubular goods demand. The number of active U.S. rigs […]
NLMK USA has slated an approximately one-week maintenance outage in June on the melt shop and hot strip mill at its facility in Portage, Ind., a company official confirmed. The plant-wide outage is for routine semi-annual maintenance and “isn’t a big deal,” said NLMK USA Executive Vice President James Banker. The Portage electric-arc furnace (EAF) […]
U.S. Steel expects a solid first quarter thanks to firm demand and as record high flat-rolled steel prices flow through to its bottom line. “Strong market conditions and our well-timed acquisition of Big River Steel are allowing us to drive significant earnings growth,” U. S. Steel President and Chief Executive Officer David B. Burritt said […]
Now that the presidential election is behind us, Congress has passed an historic stimulus package and there is light at the end of the pandemic tunnel as the vaccines proliferate, executives at Klöckner & Co. look forward to a stronger year for steel, especially for demand in the second half. “We expect the $1.9 trillion […]
After dismal reports for the U.S. labor market in December and January, February saw positive gains in employment. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that employers added 379,000 to their payrolls in February, as vaccinations and business reopenings gave the economy a boost. Despite the added jobs this past month, the unemployment rate […]
The number of active U.S. rotary drill rigs was relatively unchanged this past week, while the Canadian rig count declined, according to data released by oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The rig count is important to the steel industry because it is a leading indicator of oil country tubular goods demand. SMU Note: Our last […]
Economic activity grew modestly in the U.S. from January to mid-February, reports the Federal Reserve in its latest Beige Book. The vaccine rollout has boosted confidence that business conditions will improve over the next 6-12 months. The leisure and hospitality sector continues to be impacted by COVID-19 restrictions with only slight improvement reported by some […]
The energy sector is definitely improving, stated Rick Preckel, partner at the consulting firm Preston Pipe, during Wednesday’s SMU Community Chat. Excess inventory of crude oil is beginning to move and rig counts are getting better. As rig counts and drilling pick up, OCTG product demand will flow quickly through the cycle. OCTG price increases are […]
The Energy Information Administration’s February Short-Term Energy Outlook, which was published prior to the hazardous winter weather that swept across the country in mid-February, remained subject to heightened levels of uncertainty as responses to COVID-19 continue to evolve. Reduced economic activity from the pandemic caused a decline in 2020 energy demand and supply. As of […]
How close is the United States to adopting some form of carbon border tax to address climate change? What seemed highly unlikely one administration ago is now even supported by the likes of the trade groups representing the American oil and steel industries. The Wall Street Journal reported this week that the powerful American Petroleum […]
Tomorrow (Wednesday), we will host one of our SMU Community Chat Webinars with Rick Preckel of Preston Pipe and Michael Cowden of SMU. The two will discuss the energy segment and how higher oil prices will impact oil well drilling, use of line pipe and other OCTG products, and how quickly we may see demand […]
Preston Pipe Partner Rick Preckel will be the speaker at Steel Market Update’s next Community Chat webinar. The webinar will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, March 3, at 11 a.m. ET and is free to those looking to learn more about the interplay between the steel and energy markets. Joining Rick will be SMU Senior Editor […]
Preston Pipe Partner Rick Preckel will be the speaker at Steel Market Update’s next Community Chat webinar. The webinar will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, March 3, at 11 a.m. ET and is free to those looking to learn more about the interplay between the steel and energy markets. Joining Rick will be SMU Senior Editor […]
Tenaris, a leading manufacturer of pipe and tube for the energy sector, saw sales rise 12% in the fourth quarter as drilling activity improved in the Americas and sales expanded in the Middle East. Sales of OCTG products rose 11% from the prior quarter in the U.S. and Canada, totaling $391 million for the region. Fourth-quarter […]
SMU contributor Tim Stevenson is a partner at Metal Edge Partners, a firm engaged in Risk Management and Strategic Advisory. In this role, he and his firm design and execute risk management strategies for clients along with providing process and analytical support. In Tim’s previous role, he was a Director at Cargill Risk Management, and […]
Preston Pipe Partner Rick Preckel will be the speaker at Steel Market Update’s next Community Chat webinar. The webinar will be held on Wednesday, March 3, at 11 a.m. ET and is free to those looking to learn more about the interplay between the steel and energy markets. Joining Rick will be SMU Senior Editor […]
Preston Pipe Partner Rick Preckel will be the speaker at Steel Market Update’s next Community Chat webinar. The webinar will be held on Wednesday, March 3, at 11 a.m. ET and is free to those looking to learn more about the interplay between the steel and energy markets. Joining Rick will be SMU Senior Editor […]
Steel prices will likely stay elevated until supplies catch up with demand, say the experts, so is there enough foreign steel on the way here to make a difference? Two out of three respondents to a recent SMU survey said foreign offers are very competitive versus domestic prices. With steel prices in the U.S. at […]