SMU price ranges&indices:some slippage noted
Steel Market Update canvassed flat rolled and plate steel buyers throughout the day today in order to determine if steel prices have changed since our review last week. We found prices softening on most flat rolled products and heard from steel buyers that the mills were willing to discuss pricing on “real” orders.
Here is how we see prices this week:
Hot Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $600-$650 per ton ($30.00/cwt-$32.50/cwt) with an average of $625 per ton ($31.25/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range remained the same compared to one week ago while the upper end declined $10 per ton. Our overall average is down $5 per ton compared to last week. Our price momentum on hot rolled steel is pointing to Neutral indicating prices are expected to remain steady over the next 30 days. SMU is recommending steel buyers be careful as momentum may be shifting.
Hot Rolled Lead Times: 3-6 weeks
Cold Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $780-$840 per ton ($39.00/cwt-$42.00/cwt) with an average of $810 per ton ($40.50/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. Both the upper and lower ends of our range remained the same compared to last week. Our overall average remains at $810 per ton. Our price momentum on cold rolled steel is pointing to Neutral indicating prices are expected to remain steady over the next 30 days. SMU is recommending steel buyers be careful as momentum may be shifting.
Cold Rolled Lead Times: 4-8 weeks
Galvanized Coil: SMU base price range is $38.00/cwt-$42.50/cwt ($760-$850 per ton) with an average of $40.25/cwt ($805 per ton) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range dropped $20 per ton compared to one week ago while the upper end remained the same. Our overall average is down $10 per ton compared to last week. Our price momentum on galvanized steel is pointing to Neutral indicating prices are expected to remain steady over the next 30 days. SMU is recommending steel buyers be careful as momentum may be shifting.
Galvalume Coil: SMU base price range is $38.50/cwt-$42.50/cwt ($770-$850 per ton) with an average of $40.50/cwt ($810 per ton) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range dropped $30 per ton while the upper end remained the same. Our overall average declined $15 per ton compared to one week ago. Our price momentum on Galvalume steel is pointing to Neutral indicating prices are expected to remain steady over the next 30-60 days. SMU is recommending steel buyers be careful as momentum may be shifting.