Headwall Partners LLC has released its eighth annual Headwall Steel & Metals Outlook Survey, providing insights into the perspectives of corporate leaders in the North American steel and metals industry. The survey examines their outlook for sector growth and the impact of economic policy and politics [e9e8cfbd].
According to the survey, 90% of participants believe that the U.S. economy is headed for a soft landing. The respondents identified workforce availability as the greatest single risk to the financial performance of their business in 2024, followed by inflation and the 2024 U.S. Presidential election. In terms of price expectations, respondents anticipate 2024 HRC prices to range from $800 to $1,000 per ton and P1020 aluminum ingot prices to range from $2,300 to $2,600 per tonne. However, only 18% of respondents expect to receive a real price premium within five years sufficient to cover their decarbonization expenditures. Additionally, 87% of respondents believe that the North American steel and metals industry is either undervalued or significantly undervalued [e9e8cfbd].
The Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources has set the Reference Coal Price (HBA) and Reference Metal Mineral Prices. The HBA for May is used as the basis for calculating the Coal Patokan Price (HPB). The highest price for coal commodities is $114 per ton. The reference prices for coal commodities II and III are $56.52 per ton and $36.39 per ton, respectively. The Ministerial Decree also sets the Reference Metal Mineral Price (HMA) for various commodities. The HMA for nickel is $17,472.38 per dmt, cobalt is $28,215.95 per dmt, and other metal mineral commodities have their respective prices [5b8959c7] [11cdf3bf].
The complete survey results can be accessed on Headwall Partners' website [e9e8cfbd].