President Trump’s critique of the Federal Reserve’s recent steps has put a new focus on inflation. He has commented that the Fed is too tight as it keeps a lid on inflationary pressures with incremental increases in the federal funds rate. The latest release of the monthly inflation numbers shows that prices rose less than expected in September. The overall Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase was 0.1 percent, which was below the private sector’s expectations of 0.2 percent growth as forecast by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). September is a transition month for consumer spending, and the monthly inflation coming in lower or higher than expectations is not unusual nor typically indicative of a new trend. Bolstering...
What You Need to Know Today: Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva secured reelection on Sunday, defeating right-wing Senator Flávio Bolsonaro despite trailing in the first round of voting. The surprise victory triggered a sharp selloff in Brazilian financial market...
The 2026 midterm elections are a week from tomorrow, but early voting has been taking place for weeks. At stake is control of Congress, including the House of Representatives, where all 435 seats are contested, and the Senate, where approximately one-third of the seats are up for election. Farm...
Key Takeaways: Total U.S. crop acres (excluding hay) are forecast to expand fractionally this year due to greater oilseed crop and winter wheat plantings. One of the key drivers of this year’s crop outlook is input costs, and crops with a lower cost profile have an advantage in producers...
From WPI Consulting
Infrastructure investment due diligence
On behalf of a Canadian oilseed processer WPI's team provided market analysis, econometric modeling and financial due diligence in support of a $24 million-dollar investment in a Ukrainian crush plant. Consistent with WPI's findings, local production to supply the plant and the facility's output have expanded exponentially since the investment. WPI has conducted parallel work on behalf of U.S., South American and European clients, both private and public, in the agri-food space.