The first rule of predicting steel prices in 2021 is you don’t predict steel prices. I broke that rule last month when I called a peak. I still think I was right about that. But timing is everything. And when exactly we hit that peak remains a matter of debate. Some market participants think we’re […] The post Final Thoughts appeared first on Steel Market Update.
In the near term, ferrous scrap prices are heading down. But in the long term – with the proliferation of electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking around the globe putting added pressure on scrap supplies – the price trend for scrap is definitely pointing upward. The cost of scrap and other metallics is of high interest […] The post Ferrous Scrap Trends: Lower in September, But Higher Long Term appeared first on Steel Market Update.
Nucor might be wrapping up an approximately $4-billion expansion campaign, but it has no intentions of stopping there, the company’s top executive said. “We’re going to be a growth company. … And we’ve got the balance sheet to continue to invest,” President and CEO Leon Topalian said. Topalian declined to specify where the company might […] The post SMU Steel Summit: Nucor Eyes Expansion, Scrap Export Curbs appeared first on Steel Market Update.
Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. plans to expand into the scrap market – and is creating a new division for that purpose, the company’s top executive said. The scrap division – Cleveland-Cliffs Services – will be spearheaded by Keith Koci, Cliff’s chief financial officer. More details about the venture will be made available in early September, Cliffs Chairman, President and […] The post SMU Steel Summit: Cleveland-Cliffs to Expand into Scrap ‘Very Soon’ appeared first on Steel Market Update.
The following article on the hot rolled coil (HRC), scrap and financial futures markets was written by Jack Marshall of Crunch Risk LLC. Here is how Jack saw trading over the past week: Hot Rolled While the hot rolled index continues to grind higher, coming in at just under $1,900/ST, HR futures prices also moved […] The post Hot Rolled Futures: Increasing Headwinds appeared first on Steel Market Update.
Settling on the direction of SMU’s Price Momentum Indicators has been an easy task for the past year. Prices on all products were clearly moving upward week after week as demand continued to outstrip supplies. Today, the market is changing, and the trend is less clear. Determining price momentum is considerably trickier. SMU does not […] The post Final Thoughts appeared first on Steel Market Update.
The 2021 SMU Steel Summit started with a bang on Monday morning. Turns out it was a transformer that blew. Just as the opening video and music was revving up and host John Packard was getting into his opening remarks, the Georgia International Convention Center was plunged into darkness save for some emergency lighting. Thinking […] The post Final Thoughts appeared first on Steel Market Update.
By CRU Senior Editor Ryan McKinley, from CRU’s Steelmaking Raw Materials Monitor The CRU metallics price indicator (CRUmpi) fell by 4.8% in August to 393.8, making it the first reading below the 400 level since May. Price falls for scrap and HBI were similar in scale, but pig iron prices have moved notably lower. Demand […] The post CRU: Falling Demand Weighs on Global Metallics Prices appeared first on Steel Market Update.
By CRU Senior Analyst Ryan McKinley, from CRU’s Steel Sheet Products Monitor Prices fell w/w in southern Europe and China but were stable in Asia and up somewhat in India. Prices in the U.S. again were the outlier this week, rising by three times as much as anywhere else. In fact, the differential between U.S. […] The post CRU: Sheet Price Direction Split Depending on Import Exposure appeared first on Steel Market Update.
As scrap prices for August were settling today, obsolete grades generally traded down $20/GT, while prime grades traded sideways, sources tell Steel Market Update. Late reports indicated busheling may be down $10 in the South. Ferrous scrap prices factor into the mills’ costs and how much they charge for finished steel products. The drop in […] The post Ferrous Scrap: Down $20 for Obsoletes in August appeared first on Steel Market Update.