World Perspectives

Latest Economic Data’s Relevance to Farm Economy Outlook

The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 25 basis points this week, for the third time in a row.  The new target for the federal funds rate is now 1.5 to 1.75 percent, which was what the equity markets were hoping for.   Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq indexes hit intraday records today, catalyzed by the October jobs and payroll report released this morning. Payrolls contracted in October but not as much as in previous months’ reports, nor nearly as much as the pre-report expectations. Non-farm payroll increased 128,000 in October; the pre-report expectation was 85,000. This increase was despite the GM strike that took 42,000 jobs off the October monthly report.   Probably more important, however, was the c...

WPI on Twitter

Related Articles

Q1 GDP Comes in Low, Interest Rate Expected to Stay High

The Q1 2024 GDP was 1.6 percent, well below the pre-report consensus expectation of 2.4 percent, and down from 3.1 percent in Q1 2023 and 3.4 percent in Q4 2023. That rate was the slowest in almost two years, dating back to Q2 2022.  Recall that in the 2 February Ag Perspectives report on...

U.S. Consumer Spending, Financial Health Supports 2024 Economic Outlook

As WPI readers likely well know by now, U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an inflation- and seasonally-adjusted 1.6 percent rate in Q1 2024, which missed economist’s 2.4 percent expectations. The data sent shockwaves through U.S. financial markets with U.S. stocks and bonds openin...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Thursday April 25, 2024...

Q1 GDP Comes in Low, Interest Rate Expected to Stay High

The Q1 2024 GDP was 1.6 percent, well below the pre-report consensus expectation of 2.4 percent, and down from 3.1 percent in Q1 2023 and 3.4 percent in Q4 2023. That rate was the slowest in almost two years, dating back to Q2 2022.  Recall that in the 2 February Ag Perspectives report on...

U.S. Consumer Spending, Financial Health Supports 2024 Economic Outlook

As WPI readers likely well know by now, U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an inflation- and seasonally-adjusted 1.6 percent rate in Q1 2024, which missed economist’s 2.4 percent expectations. The data sent shockwaves through U.S. financial markets with U.S. stocks and bonds openin...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Thursday April 25, 2024...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Wheat Extends Weather Rally; Corn, Soybeans Steady While Eyeing Weather

Wheat remains the star of the ag commodity space this week with the rally continuing on challenging weather prospects for the U.S. HRW region, Europe, and the Black Sea. Until a few weeks ago, there were few doubts about the 2024 crop being able to supply the expected demand, but now reduced yi...

Image
From WPI Consulting

Accountability and a comprehensive approach to export programming

WPI’s team helped construct a strategic approach to develop, implement, and track promotional activities in 8 key regions across the globe for an agricultural export association. With continued progress measurement and strategic advisory services from WPI, the association has seen its ROI from investments in promotional programming increase by 44 percent over the past 5 years. Not only does this type of holistic approach to organizational strategy provide measurable results to track and analyze, it fosters top-down and bottom-up organizational accountability.

Search World Perspectives

Sign In to World Perspectives

Don’t have an account yet? Sign Up