Current situation:
- Spot HDPE saw a high spot price of .50/lb, up from .53/lb. at this time last month. Contract prices remain steady at .48/lb. The spot HDPE high in 2018 was .68/lb.
- Producer prices for HDPE pipe were down 1.1% M/M, but were up 1.3% Y/Y. Plastic pipe fittings and unions were down .9% M/M and up more sharply by 9.2% Y/Y.
Key factors that could affect supply or price:
- New housing starts hit an annualized rate of 1.230 million in January (latest data available), which is an increase of 18.6% M/M from December, but down -7.8% Y/Y.
- Home construction is expected to accelerate on a regional basis in the front-half of 2019. Forecasts suggest a lukewarm 2% growth rate in new single-family housing starts in 2019 with the primary growth driver being mid-market priced homes (30% of all new starts will be for starter-homes). Reconstruction and remodeling activities in disaster-impacted regions in California and along the East Coast will keep demand very strong in those markets through mid-year.
Some of the fastest demographically-growing markets include Florida, North Carolina, Texas, Georgia, and Washington State.
The American Supply Association (ASA) and its Industrial Piping Division (IPD) is the national organization serving wholesaler-distributors and their suppliers in the industrial and mechanical pipe-valve-fitting industry. As a powerful alliance of channel partners, we provide a forum for your upstream trading partners to exchange critical information and address key issues.
In particular, ASA’s IPD members constantly check the pulse of the materials and commodities they proudly supply to you. ASA’s IPD members are knowledgeable industry leaders, and those who volunteer their service on the IPD Executive Council compile and prepare the IPD Commodity Reports. The Reports contain some of the most current and qualified market data and information available from the industry’s leading manufacturers and distributors about emerging trends and other price-influencing actions and events.
This information is an example of how ASA’s IPD manufacturer and distributor members are constantly looking ahead to ensure you have information and resources you need to be successful. Learn more at www.AdvanceYourAbility.com.
