Trading in framing lumber calmed down from its frenetic January pace. However, prices continued to advance in all species. Wintry weather in northern markets and rain in the South cooled consumption. Buyers widely expressed wariness about record prices and extended mill order files. Some traders also said the pullback in the stock market gave them pause. Even so, mills levered prices higher, and the Random Lengths Framing Lumber Composite Price rose $11, to $492.
This Week Feb 9 |
Last Week Feb 2 |
Year Ago 2017 |
|
Random Lengths Framing Lumber Composite Price* | $492 | $481 | $391 |
KD Western S-P-F #2&Btr 2x4 R/L Mill Price | 516 | 510 | 387 |
KD Eastern S-P-F #1&2 2x4 R/L, delivered Great Lakes | 601 | 594 | 438 |
Green Douglas Fir Std&Btr 2x4 R/L (Portland) | 580 | 560 | 365 |
Southern Pine (Westside) #2 2x4 R/L | 541 | 524 | 454 |
KD Coast Hem-Fir #2&Btr 2x4 R/L | 545 | 535 | 390 |
Ponderosa Pine (Inland) #2&Btr 1x12 R/L | 735 | 735 | 580 |
* Weighted average of 15 key items |
Random Lengths Panel Market Report
Demand for structural panels outpaced supply, and prices climbed. OSB buyers scrambled for coverage amid unrelenting supply shortages. Mill offerings were limited, most notably in the Southwest and Western Canada, where most producers were off the market. In Southern Pine plywood markets, sparse offerings and extended order files supported another week of price increases amid steady demand. Western Fir plywood trading was steady, but not at the pace seen in recent weeks.
(f.o.b. mill prices) | This Week Feb 9 |
Last Week Feb 2 |
Year Ago 2017 |
Random Lengths Structural Panel Composite Price* | $512 | $493 | $387 |
Southern (west-east) 15/32-inch 3-ply rated sheathing plywood | 510-555 | 500-540 | 380-395 |
Southern (west-east) 15/32-inch 4-ply rated sheathing plywood | 515-560 | 505-545 | 380-395 |
Western 1/2-inch 4-ply rated sheathing plywood | 540 | 531 | 405 |
North Central 7/16-inch Oriented Strand Board | 375 | 355 | 288 |
*Weighted average of 11 key items |