General Comments It was a very quiet day from a news perspective. Following yesterday's debacle, financial markets were steady early but then gradually gained strength. Crude oil was up $1.50-2.00 and solidly above $80. The dollar traded both sides of unchanged.Agricultural markets were back to trading weather following yesterday's clobbering in the general bearish assault on all markets. The weather story is the same as it has been for weeks. There is little or no rain in sight for the southern and eastern Corn Belt, and it might getter hotter than the hubs of Hell in the far western Corn Belt. The far extended forecasts still show a hint of improved moisture chances, but that puts us into the week of 4 July without relief. The market i...
What You Need to Know Today: Cattle futures extended their sharp selloff Friday as weakening cash cattle prices, deteriorating feedlot profitability, and reduced packer demand continued to weigh on the market. The inability of futures to sustain a rally following last week's bullish Cattle on...
As predicted, the Federal Reserve held rates steady at the last meeting before the midterm elections, likely in part because of the election (see WPI 19 October and 22 September). The decision comes at the tail end of a midterm election cycle that has been marked by the two parties campaigning...
Key Takeaways: WPI’s new EU rapeseed crushing margin models point to weaker processing returns over the next four months due to higher rapeseed procurement costs and weaker product values. Statistical forecasts call for German crushing margins to decline from €181/MT to €...
From WPI Consulting
Weighing in on strategic realignment
WPI’s team was retained by the governing board of a U.S. industry organization to review a decision, reached by vote, to invest significant assets into the development and management of an export trading company. WPI’s team conducted a formal review of this decision and concluded that the current level of market saturation would limit the benefits of the investment. Based on WPI’s analysis and recommended actions, the board subsequently reversed its decision and undertook a strategic planning effort to identify more impactful investments. On behalf of numerous clients, WPI has not only assisted in identifying strategic paths but also advised their implementation.