Random Lengths: Information Services for the Forest Products Industry

A snapshot of lumber and panel activity at the retail level, derived from a monthly survey of a nationwide sample of dealers. A set of 12 charts tracks retailers’ expectations and inventory levels, broken down by region. Published once a month.

Framing Lumber and Structural Panel Monthly Averages

These tables of monthly price averages for key lumber and panel items are published in the issue closest to the beginning of each month. The tables allow you to compare the current year’s price levels to the previous year’s. Five-year averages indicate month-to-month trends, so that you are aware of recent seasonal trends. Added to the tables are averages for 14 product and species composite prices.

Quarterly Price Patterns

A set of six charts shows trends for weekly prices of 17 key commodities over the most recent five quarters. The charts are Green Douglas Fir - Portland, KD Std/#2&Btr/#2 2x4, KD #2&Btr/#2 2x10, KD 2x4 - 8' PET Studs, KD Ponderosa Pine Boards, and Panels. Published every three months.

Quarterly Product and Species Composite Prices

A set of 14 charts shows trends for weekly prices of the 14 Random Lengths Lumber and Panel Product and Species Composite Prices over the most recent five quarters. Published quarterly. Just as the widely used and popular Random Lengths Framing Lumber and Structural Panel Composites provide a broad measure of price movement, the 14 other composites allow traders to measure price trends in specific product groups and species. The composite items are: Random-Length Dimension; Stud; Low-Grade Random Dimension; Board; Shop and Mldg&Btr; Coast Dry Random and Stud; Inland; Southern Pine; Western S-P-F; Eastern S-P-F; Green Douglas Fir; Oriented Strand Board; Southern Pine Plywood; and Western Fir Plywood. Each item’s previous 5-year average appears behind the weekly price line to provide a quick comparison of the product or species movement in relation to its recent historical trend.

Industry Financial Results

This table presents the financial performance of publicly-held wood products companies in the U.S. and Canada.
Included is a profit margin figure for each company, based on net earnings as a percentage of sales.

Housing Indicators

Four times each year, graphs of data relating to the housing industry are published. Regional starts and permits, sales and prices of new and existing homes, manufactured home shipments, mortgage rates, and treasury bill rates can be tracked in a glance.

Trader’s Notebook

Near the end of each quarter you are reminded of trends and events that frequently take place in the markets during the coming quarter

Yardnotes

One of the most widely read sections in Random Lengths, “Yardnotes” covers news of companies and individuals in the industry. Also included are announcements of meetings, conventions, and seminars. Items are submitted to Random Lengths by readers and published in “Yardnotes” free of charge.
Yardnotes may be called in to the Random Lengths staff toll-free at (888) 686-9925 in the U.S. and Canada, or (541) 686-9925; faxed to the editorial offices toll-free at (800) 874-7979 in the U.S. and Canada, or (541) 686-9629; or sent via e-mail to rlmail@rlpi.com.

StatLine

An “at-a-glance” look at key industry trends. As many as nine weeks each quarter, one of a group of statistical series is presented in chart form. Among the subjects: stumpage costs; housing affordability; lumber production by region; structural panel output; and lumber imports from overseas.

U.S. Imports

This chart appears periodically, and provides detailed information about trends in U.S. imports from offshore sources. The chart tracks shipments from key plantation pine suppliers in the Southern Hemisphere and dimension and stud mills in Europe.

North American Lumber and Panel Output

This table shows historical and the most up-to-date information about North American lumber production. The structural panel table breaks down North American production by region and product group.