SMU Data and Models
June 8, 2017
Sentiment’s Strong, But Showing Signs of Concern
Written by Tim Triplett
The sentiment among buyers and sellers of flat rolled steel remains largely positive, although concerns about the Section 232 investigation, the recent mill price hike and the coming summer slowdown have dampened the outlook for the market three to six months down the road, according to the latest SMU Steel Buyers Sentiment Index.
As a single data point, Current Sentiment is at +69, down 4 points from last month, but the same as this time a year ago. At +69, the index shows most respondents are still very optimistic about business conditions. The highest reading for the index was +77 in March 2017.
