[SMM Sheets & Plates Daily Review] Short-Term Sheets & Plates Consolidating
The most-traded HRC contract consolidated today, closing at 3,315 at the end of the session, with an intraday gain of 0.15%. HRC spot prices remained stable today, while some cold-rolled coil spot prices declined. Supply side, the impact from HRC maintenance this week was 63,100 mt, down 85,000 mt WoW. Next week, the HRC maintenance impact is expected at 23,100 mt, down 40,000 mt WoW. Overall HRC production is expected to edge up slightly. Demand side, current demand showed off-season characteristics, with the market dominated by low-price transactions. Cost side, the 9th round of coke price increases is about to be implemented, and cost-side support has not collapsed yet, but further upward momentum is limited. Looking ahead, short-term fundamentals of sheets & plates are weak, lacking bullish drivers. Focus remains on the cost side, whether from reality or expectations-driven sentiment fluctuations. Overall, sheets & plates are still consolidating in the near term.