Superalloy prices decreased across most grades on Thursday in a quiet market set against weaker LME Nickel prices.
The weekly Davis Index for Hastelloy C dropped by 6¢/lb to $4.86/lb for a single truckload delivered processor yard and fell for Hastelloy X by the same amount to $3.40/lb delivered.
The index for Inconel 600 and 601 also declined by 4¢/lb to $4.60/lb and $3.65/lb delivered processor yard, respectively.
Inconel 617 dropped by 2¢/lb to $3.36/lb delivered processor yard, while Inconel 625 Vac decreased by 4¢/lb to $4.01/lb delivered. The Inconel 718 Vac index moved down by 2¢/lb to $2.97/lb delivered processor yard on Thursday.
The official LME Nickel three-month contract closed on Thursday at $16,607/mt, down by $406/mt from $17,013/mt on Dec 24.
Mill demand remains robust, but suppliers are willing to hold out on selling scrap material until after January 1, 2021, and squeezing supply further in the hopes of better pricing. At the same time, consumers have reminded them that the markets are unpredictable and have lowered their prices in tandem with the decline in LME Nickel prices.