[SMM Iron & Steel] Australia’s Pilbara Ports reopens Port Hedland

[SMM Stainless Steel Daily Review] SS Futures Move Sideways Under Pressure Amid Off-Season Demand Weakness; Spot Prices Hold Steady but Sentiment Stays Pessimistic According to SMM on July 13, SS futures showed a consolidation pattern. The non-ferrous metals futures overall consolidated on a subdued note, with SS extending its earlier weak performance within a limited range. By the midday close, the most-traded SS contract settled at 14,315 yuan/mt. In the spot market, dragged down by low-level SS futures and the traditional off-season, end-use demand remained persistently sluggish. Stainless steel mills kept their guidance prices flat, and most traders held their quotes steady for the time being, though market sentiment leaned toward a pessimistic and subdued tone. SS futures, the most-traded contract. At 10:15 a.m., SS2608 was reported at 14,330 yuan/mt, down 15 yuan/mt from the previous trading day. Spot premiums for 304/2B in Wuxi stood in the 540–940 yuan/mt range. In the spot market, the average price for cold-rolled 201/2B coil in Wuxi dropped 50; cold-rolled unedged 304/2B coil average prices remained flat in Wuxi and Foshan; cold-rolled 316L/2B coil prices in Wuxi rose 100 yuan/mt; for hot-rolled 316L/NO.1 coil, Wuxi quotes held flat; and cold-rolled 430/2B coil prices stayed unchanged in both Wuxi and Foshan. This week, heightened macro liquidity disturbances led SS futures to move in an independently weak trend, with the futures markedly decoupling from SHFE nickel and other non-ferrous metals in their movement pace. During the week, repeated shifts in fund sentiment triggered wild swings in SS futures. The key support level at 14,500 yuan/mt was breached earlier, and the overall trend center continued to shift lower. The broader market…

Recently, several industry insiders revealed that multiple regions have issued window guidance for local small and medium-sized banks and licensed consumer finance companies, setting explicit quantitative indicators for the growth rate of loan volumes through lending assistance channels and business boundaries, while reiterating that the proportion of financing guarantee businesses must not exceed 25%. This move aims to push licensed institutions to return to self-operated businesses, solidify their independent risk control responsibilities, and reduce reliance on external platforms. This orientation continues the policy trajectory marked by intensive regulatory measures rolled out by financial authorities since 2025.

Shandong Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. has released its H1 2026 performance forecast. Based on preliminary calculations, net profit for H1 2026 is expected to be approximately 152 million yuan. Net profit attributable to shareholders of the parent company is expected to be around -30 million yuan. Compared with -35 million yuan (after retrospective adjustment) in the same period last year, this represents a profit increase of about 5 million yuan YoY, a slight improvement. Net profit attributable to shareholders of the parent company excluding non-recurring gains and losses for H1 2026 is expected to be around -169 million yuan.