- The price of lumber futures is on pace to plunge 45% in June after a record-breaking rally.
- Experts believe the red-hot commodity is approaching a more reasonable price.
- Some though have expressed concern about impending supply chain disruptions caused by natural disasters.
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The price of lumber futures is on pace to plunge 45% in June for one of the largest monthly drops ever, as the hot commodity comes off a record-breaking rally.
Lumber prices have been on a rapid decline since their May 7 peak of $1,670 per thousand board feet.
As of June 30, the price of lumber has slipped around 45% to $721 per thousand board feet- and is now on track to have its worst month since 1978. Exactly a year ago, lumber futures closed at $435.
"I would not be surprised at all if we see the price continue to trail lower than $600 or below toward the year-end," Mace McCain, president and managing director at Frost Investment Advisors, told Insider. "We will continue to see supply come on board but we will not see demand continue to grow."
McCain added that this level will be more sustainable for the wood industry and will make housing more affordable.
While it is difficult to point to one specific reason why the price of lumber futures has pulled back, some experts attribute it to the economic reopening, which has caused more people to spend less time at home.
To begin with, the price skyrocketed at the start of the pandemic when restrictions forced Americans to shelter at home, prompting many to either build new houses or renovate existing ones.
Chip Setzer, director of trading and growth for Mickey Group, a commodity trading platform, agreed that this range is what he would consider a fair valuation as well.
He has told Insider in the past that the sweet spot would be $600-$900 as this range gives sawmill operators, truck drivers, and other players in the industry more cushion for capital upgrades and operational improvements.
Setzer did express concern that while the prices are much more reasonable now due in part to a more functional supply chain, the industry simply cannot afford another disruption.
"I have strong concerns that we will have interruptions, which will have adverse effects on supply," he told Insider.
Setzer mentioned the recent wildfires in British Columbia, where the US gets part of its lumber supply, as well as the upcoming hurricanes in Texas and Virginia.
"If the forest is on fire we can't get logs," he said. "That will change the tables."
Apart from supply chain issues, Brad McMillan, CIO at Commonwealth Financial Network, said the wild price fluctuations could also be due to market distortions, where a "real lumber shortage" turned into "something much worse."
He said this, then, resulted in higher prices, which caused more panic buying, until some sort of limit was "reached." At this point, which seems to be now, the price will head down, he said.
Earlier in 2021, lumber prices surged, triggered by a confluence of factors – a pandemic, concerns of an overheating housing market, and millennials reaching home-buying age. On top of this, there was already a shortage of lumber supply before the pandemic even began.