[SMM Stainless Steel Daily Review] Firm Raw Material Costs Combined with Low Inventory, Stainless Steel Prices Fluctuate at Highs
[SMM Stainless Steel Daily Review] Firm Raw Material Costs Combined with Low Inventory, Stainless Steel Prices Fluctuate at Highs
SMM, April 24: SS futures surged higher. Driven by news related to Indonesian nickel ore, SHFE nickel and SS futures rallied sharply. SS broke through its highs since 2023 again, briefly touching 15,230 yuan/mt. As of the morning close, the most-traded SS contract was quoted at 15,160 yuan/mt. Spot market side, stainless steel spot prices rose in tandem, driven by the strengthening of SS futures. Although prices rose in the short term, downstream end-users had not fully accepted them due to a wait-and-see sentiment. However, low-priced cargoes were already hard to find in the market. In addition, stainless steel social inventory continued to decline, and traders faced relatively low inventory pressure.
The most-traded SS contract strengthened and probed higher. At 10:15 AM, SS2605 was quoted at 15,165 yuan/mt, up 320 yuan/mt from the previous trading day. Spot premiums for 304/2B in Wuxi were in the range of -145-55 yuan/mt. In the spot market, the average price of cold-rolled 201/2B coils in Wuxi remained flat; for cold-rolled trimmed-edge 304/2B coils, the average price in Wuxi rose by 50 yuan/mt, and the average price in Foshan rose by 50 yuan/mt; cold-rolled 316L/2B coils in Wuxi rose by 200 yuan/mt; hot-rolled 316L/NO.1 coils in Wuxi rose by 100 yuan/mt; cold-rolled 430/2B coils in both Wuxi and Foshan remained stable.
Currently, the stainless steel market saw spot prices hold up well, driven by the surge in SS futures. However, downstream end-users' wait-and-see sentiment persisted, with actual transaction volumes remaining generally weak and influenced by futures changes...