World Steel Dynamics' Information Matrix

WSD’s “early warning system” is a series of reports based on: marketplace pricing feedback; our comprehensive monthly database for shipments, imports and exports; our global metallics balances system; our effective steelmaking operating rates by country, and other key WSD indicators. We are determined to always see the industry with “new eyes.”  WSD’s staff has more than 150 years of aggregated experience in studying the industry. Access to information from contacts globally is unprecedented.

Our World Cost Curve (WCC) for 150 flat-rolled sheet mills, with a gross capacity of about 490 million tonnes, is generated annually.  World Cost Curves also created for wire rod mills, plate mills and steel scrap substitute plants.  Updates take into account shifts in currency values, productivity gains, new input costs, internal cost cuts and other items.  Benchmarks useful for a variety of purposes.  Also available are detailed process-by-process costs for selected flat and long product steel plants.

WSD tracks domestic and export, spot and contract, big buyer and dealer prices, including monthly hot-rolled band prices for nine countries.  Shifts in "pricing power" are assessed from a variety of perspectives based on ongoing marketplace feedback from our contacts globally.  Steel demand on a crude-steel-equivalent and product basis by region and globally is analyzed in Global Steel Alert Reports, Monitor and Core Reports and the Global Metallics Balances system.

WSD has conducted detailed plant-by-plant capacity surveys since 1976.  Surveys include steelmaking capacity by furnace type, DRI and related facilities, blast furnaces, continuous casting units.  Intermittent capacity surveys are performed on wire rod mills, hot strip mills and plate mills.  A gross versus effective capacity relationship is determined for each of the major regions of the world.  Capacity information is combined with other WSD information systems to provide our readers with breakthrough analyses.

This annual report is both a "think piece" and an unparalleled database.  Includes update, summary and forecast of many of WSD's information systems.  Macro assessments include changes in  "driving forces," probability of events, and factors impacting the structure of the industry.  Comprehensive subject coverage including capacity, production, steelmakers' raw materials and finished products.  More than 2,000 items are forecast quarterly two years ahead and annually 10 years ahead.  The "Strat" brings the WSD system together in one place.

Financial Analysis of International Steelmakers has been published annually since 1972.  Information is provided on balance sheets, income statements, sources and uses of funds, employee wage costs, labor productivity and many other measures. Global Steel Finance (GSF) reports include an ongoing analysis of the historic quarterly earnings performance for steel mills the world over and forecasts.   Estimates are provided for EBITDA and net income.  Valuations measures include P/E and enterprise value/EBITDA. 

Breakthrough company studies have been performed over the years on Nippon Steel of Japan, POSCO of South Korea, Siderar of Argentina, Essar Gujarat of India, Severstal of Russia, Sidor of Venezuela, BHP of Australia, and ISG of the United States.  Core Reports analyze the Indian and Chinese steel industries.  All of these reports are included as part of the regular annual subscription service.

World Cost Curves updated annually for steel sheet, and bi-annually for plate, wire rod and steel scrap substitutes.

Steelmakers' Process-by-Process Costs (annual).  Substantial information provided on costs by stage of the steel plant process.

North  American Integrated Producer Facility Ratings and Capability Flow Charts (annual).

Global Steel Slab Marketplace.

The breakthrough GMB system covers 56 countries and 11 global regions. Data on each country includes a 200-line worksheet, with annual figures since 1975 and forecasts to 2015.  Includes steel production by furnace type; foundry data; metallic input in the steelmaking furnaces; home, new and obsolete steel scrap generation.  Extensive analysis of obsolete steel generation historically relative to the size of the steel scrap reservoir.  Ties into our country-by-country long and flat steel product forecasts.