Platts Metals Alert Enhanced with Expanded Steel News, Prices and Market Commentary

NEW YORK, May 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Platts Metals Alert, a real-time service of Platts, the leading global provider of energy and metals information, has been enhanced with vastly expanded news, prices and market commentary covering steel, one of the world's most strategic commodities.  With a nearly five-fold increase in steel coverage, Platts Metals Alert delivers vital market information on the full spectrum of nonferrous metals, precious metals, iron ore, steel and ferroalloys directly to subscribers' desktops.  

"With the players and pricing in the steel industry undergoing massive transformation, producers, consumers, traders and other market participants need instant information from an independent source they can trust," said Karen McBeth, Platts global director of metals.  "Platts, which has been covering metals for more than 35 years, fulfills that role, and Platts Metals Alert, with its new heightened focus on steel, addresses their growing need for intraday news and commentary on the commodities that drive their businesses."

Platts Metals Alert's expanded steel coverage complements its ongoing news and price reporting for iron ore and metallurgical coal, key commodities for the production of steel.  The enhanced real-time service now contains all the steel price assessments published since 2007 in Platts' newsletter Steel Markets Daily.  These assessments reflect pricing in all critical global markets, and include cold-rolled coil, ferrous scrap, hot-rolled coil, plate, rebar, iron ore fines and an iron ore paper swap daily forward curve.

As part of its enhanced steel offering, Platts will also be launching a number of new steel product price assessments in 2010, which may include such products as: hot-dipped galvanized coil, basis Indiana and U.S. Gulf Coast; billet, basis Black Sea; hot- and cold-rolled coil, basis Black Sea; hot-rolled coil, basis Brazil and Persian Gulf; reinforcement bar, basis Persian Gulf; and steel slab, basis Commonwealth of Independent States and Brazil.

Subscribers can access Platts Metals Alert via Platts' proprietary platforms or through Platts' partnerships with a number of the world's leading data delivery and analysis companies. More information on Platts Metals Alert and other metals products and services can be found on www.platts.com.  

About Platts: Platts, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), is a leading global provider of energy and commodities information. With a century of business experience, Platts serves customers across more than 150 countries. An independent provider, Platts serves the oil, natural gas, electricity, emissions, nuclear power, coal, petrochemical, shipping, and metals markets from 17 offices worldwide. Platts' real-time news, pricing, analytical services and conferences help markets operate with transparency and efficiency. Traders, risk managers, analysts, and industry leaders depend upon Platts to help them make better trading and investment decisions. Additional information is available at http://www.platts.com.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies: Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) is a global information and education company providing knowledge, insights and analysis in the financial, education and business information sectors through leading brands including Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, Platts, and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2009 were $5.95 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.

SOURCE Platts