We just weren't ready...One of the reasons coronavirus has had such a big impact on the economy and our social lives was a lack of preparation. PricewaterhouseCoopers writes:Most companies already have business continuity plans, but those may not fully address the fast-moving and unknown variables of an outbreak like COVID-19. Typical contingency plans are intended to ensure operational effectiven...Read More
Hot-rolled coil prices in the United States have risen for the fourth day in a row, with buyers divided on whether prices will remain at relatively elevated levels through the end of the year.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $28.62 per hundredweight ($572.40 per short ton) on Friday September 18, up by 0.4% from $28.50 per cwt a day earlier on September...Read More
Prices for cold-rolled and galvanized steel sheet in the United States climbed for the sixth straight week after mills filled order books well into November, with some unable to promise shipment until December. Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel cold-rolled coil, fob mill US rose to $36 per hundredweight ($720 per short ton) on Thursday September 17, up by 2.9% from $35 per c...Read More
In the latest Canadian Insider Insights, we examine if the US Financials sector might bring happier times for investors in the New Year. We also look at what insiders are suggesting about Canadian REITs. Meanwhile, in the mining area we compare industrials versus precious metals insider sentiment. Of course, we also have our broadcast and insider of the week features which you can check out here....Read More
South American steel import prices rose during the week to Friday September 18 with deals reported at higher levels. But new offers, particularly from China, were lower, indicating that the recent price uptrend was slowing down, market participants have told Fastmarkets.Chinese steel products went from being the most competitive to the most expensive sold to South America through most of the perio...Read More
US steel exports have rebounded from the lows seen in the months following the Covid-19 outbreak.But they remain well below the highwater mark from late in the first quarter - before the virus crisis hammered North American steel demand, US Commerce Department figures indicate.The United States exported 433,800 tonnes of steel in July, the last month for which figures are available. That is up 13....Read More
Domestic steel rebar prices in Poland were trending upward on higher scrap costs and good buying activity, but the market was braced for further rises in October, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday September 18.Fastmarkets' latest price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, exw Poland, increased to 1,950-2,000 zloty ($517-530) per tonne on September 18, up from 1,920-1,960 zloty...Read More
European distributors of flat steel products reported a 11.8% year-on-year decrease in shipment volumes in July, regional steel industry association Eurometal said on Friday September 18. The decrease is less than the 16.5% fall reported for the preceding month of June. Yet in the year to July, shipment volumes of flat steel products from European steel service centers have dropped by 20.30% on an...Read More
The effect of the absence of Turkish steel mills from the international scrap market was evident in tepid trading and weakening prices in the week to Friday September 18, with fears of an imminent market correction.Turkey continues to hold back from booking new cargoesUS market remains quiet on possible correctionVietnam books large volumes at lower pricesTaiwan's upward trend comes to a haltIndia...Read More
The price of shredded scrap imported into India moved down this week following a change in sentiment resulting from the absence of Turkey from the global scrap market, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday September 18.Fastmarkets calculated the steel scrap, shredded, index, import, cfr Nhava Sheva, India, at $317.57 per tonne on Friday, down from $323.20 per tonne one week before.Buying activity was...Read More
The price spread for UK inter-merchant light iron scrap was steady over the week to Friday September 18, with limited supplies coming into merchant yards and a steady rate of export tonnages underpinning support for domestic prices, industry sources have told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel scrap 5C, loose old light, domestic, delivered inter-merchant, UK, was ?100-110...Read More
Export prices for Brazil-origin steel slab increased in the week ended Friday September 18 because of new deals and offers at the higher end of the assessment range.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel slab, export, fob main port Brazil increased to $450-490 per tonne on Friday, up from $440-460 per tonne fob a week before.Deals had been reported at $450-460 per tonne fob...Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in Europe, Asia and the United States for the week ended Friday September 18.China Domestic prices stayed firm amid positive sentiment, with market stability consolidated by continuing tightness in materials and a recent increase in raw material costs. The supply of silica ore in Qinghai province was affected when ore producers suspended their...Read More
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS:Gold Pennant/Flag formation is now complete and setting up new momentum base near $1,925.Our Adaptive Fibonacci Models suggest support will prompt new Gold rally to $2,250.The rally in Gold will continue to extend higher over the next 4+ weeks. The US Dollar may move lower and/or the US stock market may break recent support to prompt this new rally in Gold. If...Read More
China has released the 12th batch of solid import licenses approving an additional 2,610 tonnes of ferrous scrap, according to a notice reported by China Solid Waste & Chemical Management (CSWCM) on Thursday September 17. China has approved 23,100 tonnes of ferrous scrap imports to date this year, the data at CSWCM shows. Major buyers in this round include casting plants and trading houses in east...Read More
Export prices for Brazil-origin steel slab increased in the week ended Friday September 18 because of new deals and offers at the higher end of the assessment range.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel slab, export, fob main port Brazil increased to $450-490 per tonne on Friday, up from $440-460 per tonne fob a week before.Deals had been reported at $450-460 per tonne fob...Read More
Hot-rolled coil prices in the United States have risen for the fourth day in a row, with buyers divided on whether prices will remain at relatively elevated levels through the end of the year.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $28.62 per hundredweight ($572.40 per short ton) on Friday September 18, up by 0.4% from $28.50 per cwt a day earlier on September...Read More
Prices for cold-rolled and galvanized steel sheet in the United States climbed for the sixth straight week after mills filled order books well into November, with some unable to promise shipment until December. Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel cold-rolled coil, fob mill US rose to $36 per hundredweight ($720 per short ton) on Thursday September 17, up by 2.9% from $35 per c...Read More
South American steel import prices rose during the week to Friday September 18 with deals reported at higher levels. But new offers, particularly from China, were lower, indicating that the recent price uptrend was slowing down, market participants have told Fastmarkets.Chinese steel products went from being the most competitive to the most expensive sold to South America through most of the perio...Read More
The three-month zinc price on the London Metal Exchange was trading firmly above nearby resistance levels during morning trading on Friday September 18 after 1,500 tonnes were freshly booked out of LME-registered warehouses in Vlissingen, while a steady dip in the dollar index helped LME copper break above the $6,800-per-tonne threshold. The LME zinc price was recently trading at $2,542 per tonne,...Read More