Key Takeaways:
Nucor raised its CSP hot rolled coil steel price to 1,010 per short ton. Extending a rally in sheet in prices.
The February 2026 ISM Manufacturing PMI reading of 52.4 shows the U.S. factory sector expanding for a second straight month, with new orders, production, and order backlogs all in growth territory - a key demand backdrop for stronger steel prices.
A tighter global supply picture and recovering domestic demand have given Nucor and other mills confidence and pricing power, with repeated sheet price hikes for CSP HRC and premium levels on the West Coast at California Steel Industries (CSI).
Global economic fragmentation and ongoing conflicts are injecting structural volatility into steel markets, threatening the stability of long term growth and making future business planning around Nucor steel prices and HRC costs significantly more complex for mills and buyers alike.
