Market trends: Europe--Flat rolled products: Start to the year exceeds expectations

摘要

A strong start to the year has boosted confidence in the industry. Despite doom-mongering predictions of imminent disaster, negative official statistics, and the inevitable vulnerability of the market given the wider economic context, the situation remains stable. Business goes on and orders are still being booked. Indeed, January got the year off to a solid start. The outlook from market participants, while not overbearingly bullish, does seem generally bright as they look towards what should be a steady second quarter. Expectations are that orders may see an increase on current levels, but also potentially y-o-y. The optimism seems to be far exceeding expectations, however low the bar may was set in Q4 2011.