Supply Insights
By Staff -- Purchasing, 6/1/2000
CATEGORY UP DOWN SAME INDEX* BUYING: CURRENT MONTH Steel 26 19 55 53.5 Nonferrous metals 29 25 46 52.0 Fabricated metals 23 13 64 55.0 Mechanical/electrical 28 15 57 56.5 Materials handling 6 32 62 37.0 Paper 17 11 72 53.0 Plastic & rubber 19 11 70 54.0 Packaging 24 8 68 58.0 Office 22 15 63 53.5 Glass/clay 12 12 76 50.0 Precious metals 29 29 42 50.0 Chemicals/resins 21 15 64 53.0 BUYING: NEXT 3 MONTHS Steel 44 13 43 65.5 Nonferrous metals 32 18 50 57.0 Fabricated metals 34 16 50 59.0 Mechanical/electrical 31 15 54 58.0 Materials handling 19 29 52 45.0 Paper 23 9 68 57.0 Plastic & rubber 24 12 64 56.0 Packaging 31 10 59 60.5 Office 20 22 58 49.0 Glass/clay 48 4 48 72.0 Precious metals 33 33 34 50.0 Chemicals/resins 31 13 56 59.0 PRICING: NEXT 3 MONTHS Steel 48 1 51 73.5 Nonferrous metals 43 3 54 70.0 Fabricated metals 16 6 78 55.0 Mechanical/electrical 15 2 83 56.5 Materials handling 19 0 81 59.5 Paper 43 2 55 70.5 Plastic & rubber 24 1 75 61.5 Packaging 62 0 38 81.0 Office 21 8 71 56.5 Glass/clay 29 4 67 62.5 Precious metals 57 0 43 78.5 Chemicals/resins 50 3 47 73.5 |
SOURCE: PURCHASING MAGAZINE *Diffusion index, % increasing; value above 50% indicates growth; below 50% indicates decline.
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& lt;1 wk. 1-5 wk. 6-10 wk. 11-20 wk. 21-30 wk. 30+ wk. Avg wk. Mo. ago Yr. ago STEEL HR sheet & strip 40 47 7 6 0 0 3.4 4.2 3.4 CR sheet & strip 41 42 5 12 0 0 3.9 4.2 3.4 Stainless sheet & strip 26 47 16 11 0 0 4.9 4.0 2.6 Electrogalvanized 17 57 17 9 0 0 4.8 6.1 4.2 Hot-dipped galvanized 22 47 16 15 0 0 5.4 6.4 4.7 Other coated sheet 22 50 22 0 0 6 5.6 5.6 7.3 HR bars 63 24 8 3 2 0 2.7 3.3 2.1 Cold finished bars 59 27 12 2 0 0 2.5 2.4 2.9 Stainless bars 50 26 21 3 0 0 3.3 3.4 2.3 Carbon & alloy plate 32 44 21 3 0 0 3.8 3.8 3.0 Stainless plate 22 52 17 9 0 0 4.7 4.8 2.4 Light structurals 65 25 10 0 0 0 2.0 3.2 2.4 Heavy structurals 39 32 14 11 4 0 5.0 4.7 2.9 Oil country tubular 30 50 20 0 0 0 3.5 6.3 3.8 Line pipe & tube 55 39 6 0 0 0 2.1 2.2 1.7 Pressure pipe & tube 53 47 0 0 0 0 1.9 2.2 2.3 Mechanical pipe & tube 46 44 10 0 0 0 2.6 3.4 2.8 Structural pipe & tube 46 42 12 0 0 0 2.7 2.8 2.4 Nickel-based superalloys 0 25 63 0 12 0 9.1 6.9 9.3 Cobalt-based superalloys 0 0 100 0 0 0 8.0 6.9 7.6 Titanium-based superalloys 0 0 33 67 0 0 13.0 7.3 11.3 NONFERROUS METALS Copper sheet & strip 35 48 9 4 4 0 4.3 3.4 2.1 Brass sheet & strip 29 62 5 4 0 0 3.4 2.9 2.7 Free-cutting brass rod 52 38 10 0 0 0 2.4 1.9 2.0 Copper water tube 33 44 17 6 0 0 3.9 2.0 3.5 Copper wirebar 38 50 12 0 0 0 2.9 2.0 1.5 Aluminum sheet & strip 32 56 12 0 0 0 3.1 3.8 2.9 Aluminum tube 30 59 7 4 0 0 3.4 3.9 3.0 Aluminum plate 33 60 7 0 0 0 2.8 2.8 2.1 Titanium sheet 0 60 40 0 0 0 5.3 6.1 14.9 Titanium bars & rods 0 25 50 25 0 0 8.8 7.1 8.5 Titanium plate 0 25 50 25 0 0 8.8 6.5 10.1 Zinc 57 43 0 0 0 0 1.8 3.1 0.5 Lead 67 33 0 0 0 0 1.5 2.9 0.5 Nickel 22 67 11 0 0 0 3.3 2.2 2.3 Tin 40 60 0 0 0 0 2.3 2.0 2.0 Cadmium 33 34 33 0 0 0 4.0 4.3 0.5 Tantalum 0 33 67 0 0 0 6.5 8.0 8.0 FABRICATED METALS Stampings 2 66 30 0 2 0 5.2 5.0 4.3 Forgings 0 54 31 15 0 0 6.7 7.1 8.4 Steel wire 13 47 33 7 0 0 5.4 3.4 2.8 Jigs & fixtures 6 33 50 11 0 0 6.9 6.1 6.5 Gray iron castings 3 35 49 10 3 0 7.6 6.7 6.5 Ductile iron castings 4 24 48 20 4 0 8.8 7.2 6.7 Investment castings 0 17 45 38 0 0 10.1 9.3 9.0 Die castings (all kinds) 4 27 54 15 0 0 7.7 7.1 7.2 Powder metal parts 7 29 43 21 0 0 7.8 5.3 6.5 Copper wire & cable 47 43 10 0 0 0 2.5 2.1 3.0 Aluminum wire & cable 55 27 18 0 0 0 2.7 2.2 3.1 Magnet wire 45 33 22 0 0 0 3.2 2.8 3.1 Busbar 64 36 0 0 0 0 1.6 2.1 2.9 Coaxial cable 73 27 0 0 0 0 1.3 1.8 1.2 MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL Electric motors: FHP 40 34 23 3 0 0 3.7 3.3 3.3 Electric motors: 1-30 HP 34 41 16 9 0 0 4.3 4.2 2.8 Electric motors: 30+ HP 22 39 26 9 0 4 6.4 7.4 3.6 Motor controls 36 46 11 7 0 0 3.8 4.1 3.9 Pumps 20 53 17 10 0 0 4.9 4.9 3.5 Gears 32 41 9 18 0 0 5.1 5.4 2.6 Pressure gauges 47 43 10 0 0 0 2.6 2.4 2.0 Lighting fixtures 68 32 0 0 0 0 1.5 1.8 1.6 Temperature controls 42 45 13 0 0 0 2.8 2.3 2.3 Test instruments 48 43 9 0 0 0 2.5 3.1 2.1 Circuit breakers 59 35 0 6 0 0 2.4 2.9 2.2 Connectors 58 31 8 3 0 0 2.4 2.6 3.7 Switches 47 34 16 3 0 0 3.1 2.6 2.9 Nonfriction bearings 53 29 12 6 0 0 3.1 4.8 3.7 Valves 44 43 10 3 0 0 3.1 3.2 2.4 Special fasteners 7 61 25 4 3 0 5.6 5.3 5.5 Machine tools 47 37 5 11 0 0 3.6 5.2 4.4 Speed reducers 29 47 14 10 0 0 4.4 5.1 4.5 Cutting tool inserts 72 23 5 0 0 0 1.5 1.6 1.2 Grinding wheels 71 21 4 4 0 0 1.9 1.7 1.6 Lubricants 72 25 3 0 0 0 1.5 1.5 0.9 Adhesives 69 28 3 0 0 0 1.6 2.0 1.1 MATERIALS HANDLING Cranes & hoists 8 59 33 0 0 0 4.8 6.9 7.4 Lift trucks 20 27 20 26 7 0 8.5 12.7 13.7 Lift truck batteries 56 38 0 6 0 0 2.6 2.6 4.6 Conveyors 17 58 25 0 0 0 4.1 8.9 6.3 Hydraulic cylinders 18 65 17 0 0 0 3.8 3.7 6.8 Industrial trucks 33 17 17 33 0 0 7.3 8.9 8.0 Robots 0 0 50 0 50 0 16.8 30.3 11.8 PAPER Pulp 62 38 0 0 0 0 1.6 1.6 1.3 Office papers 81 19 0 0 0 0 1.1 1.0 0.8 Printing papers 57 36 4 3 0 0 2.4 1.7 1.6 Coated papers 44 44 6 6 0 0 3.2 3.0 3.2 Newsprint 55 36 0 9 0 0 3.0 2.8 2.5 PLASTIC & RUBBER Injection molded plastics 2 72 20 6 0 0 5.1 4.5 4.2 Blow molded plastics 4 54 25 17 0 0 6.5 6.4 5.0 Extruded plastics 3 78 13 6 0 0 4.7 4.8 3.1 Compression mold. plastics 0 55 36 9 0 0 6.2 5.8 3.3 Seals & rings 47 40 10 3 0 0 3.0 3.5 2.8 Flat belting 70 24 6 0 0 0 1.6 1.9 2.1 V-belts 79 21 0 0 0 0 1.1 1.1 1.6 Rubber hose 75 21 4 0 0 0 1.4 2.0 1.4 Replacement tires 81 19 0 0 0 0 1.1 2.6 2.3 PACKAGING Linerboard 24 76 0 0 0 0 2.8 2.5 2.1 Corrugating medium 32 68 0 0 0 0 2.5 2.4 1.9 Containerboard 6 94 0 0 0 0 3.3 2.7 2.6 Corrugated containers 24 73 3 0 0 0 2.9 2.6 2.2 Folding cartons 20 74 6 0 0 0 3.2 2.8 2.3 Multiwall bags 38 54 8 0 0 0 2.7 1.5 3.1 Aluminum cans 67 17 0 16 0 0 3.5 1.1 2.0 Steel cans 67 17 16 0 0 0 2.3 1.8 2.6 Glass containers 36 37 0 18 9 0 6.6 3.1 3.1 Plastic bottles 41 41 6 12 0 0 3.9 2.9 2.3 Plastic film 41 54 5 0 0 0 2.5 2.4 2.8 Laminates 45 36 10 9 0 0 3.6 1.8 2.8 OFFICE Copiers 40 56 4 0 0 0 2.5 3.1 4.3 Facsimiles 44 56 0 0 0 0 2.2 2.9 3.2 Personal computers 36 60 4 0 0 0 2.6 2.5 3.3 Printers 59 41 0 0 0 0 1.7 1.8 2.1 Business forms 10 87 3 0 0 0 3.4 3.6 3.1 Office furniture 32 49 14 |