SMU Steel Buyers Sentiment Index: A Pessimistic Turn

Data in Steel Market Update’s Steel Buyers Sentiment Index took a decidedly pessimistic turn this week. Current Sentiment hit its lowest reading since October 2016.

The goal of the index is to measure how buyers and sellers of steel feel about their company’s ability to be successful today (Current Index), as well as three to six months into the future (Future Index). Results are posted as both single data points and as three-month moving averages (3MMAs) to smooth out the trend. Sentiment among industry executives remains in the optimistic half of the scale, but has been generally on the decline since peaking at +78 in January 2018.