Market Barometer

Cash markets were very quiet this week as U.S. traders left their offices early ahead of the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday.  Price direction ranged anywhere from sideways to lower. WSPF #2&btr 2x4s were quoted in a wide range of $390 – $410 per Mbf, but most trades centred around $400. Quotes at this time

Market Direction Seasonally, this is the time for the industry to start anticipating lumber requirements for the spring build paired with rail issues as winter approaches. Pricing typically follows the uptick in speculative buying by moving higher through the end of November and into December. Looking forward the big question is how much of an

Market Direction Market direction is rudderless, with conditions in constant flux. This is not entirely unusual for this time of the year. The lead-up to the U.S. Thanksgiving weekend is often filled with minimal buyer participation with a focus on items that are needed immediately or that can quickly ship. The goal is usually near-term

Cash market trading remained highlighted by an over persistent level of caution. While activity in the Western markets remained steady, due to the ongoing Weyerhaeuser strike, the bulk of the industry struggled to gain any significant traction. Prices crept forward, but significant gains were near impossible to achieve. WSPF #2&btr 2x4s were quoted in a

Market Direction The market is working its way through the 41st-42nd week of the year where historically lumber prices tend to bottom out and edge higher. However, this year, unlike the previous two years, a demand-driven rally is not at hand as the underlying fundamentals are not here to support the move higher in either

Cash market trading was sluggish this week with Canadian traders off Monday for their Thanksgiving long weekend. SYP mills remained open to discounts, in search of an elusive bottom. Fir and spruce markets were firmer with a mix of sales levels. WSPF #2&btr 2x4s were quoted in a range of $445 – $455 per Mbf.

Market Direction Softwood lumber prices established a bottom in the first week of October last year, then followed a flatter trend with some retraction until the first week of November.  After this, prices shot up to over $1,000 per Mbf for WSPF #2&btr 2×4 through the end of the year as buyers scrambled to acquire

Cash market trading was listless this week with some regions reporting vulnerability while others still had good liquidity and more flat pricing. WSPF #2&btr 2x4s were quoted in a range of $480 – $500 per Mbf. Quotes at this time last year were below cash values today, trading in a range of $510 to $520