Section: Analysis

Prices of steelmaking raw materials all declined in April, reflecting the initial impact of coronavirus shutdowns and the idling of steelmaking facilities all over the world. Generally speaking, rising supplies and lower demand are likely to keep downward pressure on iron ore, coking coal, pig iron, scrap and zinc in the months to come. Table […] The post Raw Materials Prices: Iron Ore, Coking Coal, Pig Iron, Scrap, Zinc appeared first on Steel Market Update.

“Vacation: An extended period of recreating, especially one spent away from home or traveling.” Last week I took “vacation” time off, and unlike the definition above I did little recreating, rarely strayed from home, and did no traveling. How restful is that? The big news from last week was an apparent “firming” of steel prices. […] The post Final Thoughts appeared first on Steel Market Update.

Today, Steel Market Update adjusted our flat rolled Price Momentum Indicator to Neutral. We are of the opinion, based on intelligence we are gleaning from steel buyers, that steel prices are in transition. We no longer believe prices on hot rolled, cold rolled, galvanized and Galvalume will decline over the next 30 days. However, a […] The post SMU Moves Price Momentum Indicator to Neutral appeared first on Steel Market Update.

Raw materials prices are poised for a rapid decline as the dollar strengthens and the global economy slumps.   Table 1 summarizes the price changes through March 18 of the five materials considered in this analysis. It reports the month/month, 3 months/3 months and 12 months/12 months changes on a percentage basis. This is likely our […] The post Raw Materials Prices: Iron Ore, Coking Coal, Pig Iron, Scrap, Zinc appeared first on Steel Market Update.

Global scrap trade has been trending down for two years and in Q4 2019 the U.S. share increased to 26.8 percent, the highest since Q1 2013. This is a quarterly analysis using data from the Iron and Steel Statistics Bureau (ISSB) in the UK. Some nations are slow to report, which results in the analysis […] The post Global Scrap Market: U.S. Share Increases appeared first on Steel Market Update.

Key Market Indicators show that the improvement in market trends in December and January translated to a jump in the present situation in February. This report is designed to be a big picture summary of data on which we have reported in detail during the month. In it we summarize 36 data streams that describe […] The post SMU Analysis: Key Market Indicators through February appeared first on Steel Market Update.

Raw materials prices have been negatively impacted by the coronavirus outbreak in China. Table 1 summarizes the price changes through Feb. 19 of the five materials considered in this analysis. It reports the month/month, 3 months/3 months and 12 months/12 months changes on a percentage basis. In the last 30 days, the prices of iron […] The post Raw Materials Prices: Iron Ore, Coking Coal, Pig Iron, Scrap, Zinc appeared first on Steel Market Update.

We will begin our mid-February flat rolled and plate steel market trends analysis at 8 a.m. on Monday. Currently we are inviting approximately 560 individuals to participate in the market questionnaire, which takes about 4-8 minutes to complete. If you receive an invitation, please take a few minutes to provide your insights as they are […] The post Final Thoughts appeared first on Steel Market Update.

Written by Senior Analyst Ryan McKinley. More in-depth regional analysis found in CRU’s Metallics Monitor. The CRU metallics price indicator (CRUmpi) fell by 8.9 percent m/m to 203.7 (see chart) following price falls in nearly every market. Supply outpaced demand due to mild winter conditions in much of the northern hemisphere. Key exceptions were Russian scrap and ore-based […] The post CRU: Mild Winter Creates Scrap Supply Surplus Amid Covid-19 Outbreak appeared first on Steel Market Update.

Prices of all five of the raw materials considered in this report advanced in the last month.   Table 1 summarizes the price changes through Jan. 22 of the five materials considered in this analysis. It reports the month/month, 3 months/3 months and 12 months/12 months changes on a percentage basis. All five materials had a […] The post Raw Materials Prices: Iron Ore, Coking Coal, Pig Iron, Scrap, Zinc appeared first on Steel Market Update.