Corn and cattle opened down but settled up; soyoil opened up but closed down with the rest of the complex; and wheat never saw the light of day. The rationale for the doldrums at the open was news of a March increase in the Federal Funds rate. That would reduce liquidity and inflation, starving capital from commodities. However, petroleum is the biggest commodity and it closed higher, equities closed lower but in low percentage terms, leaving wheat to get clobbered. An interest rate hike is not a surprise and technicals remain at play.
Despite the down day in soybeans, the March contract remains nearly 50 cents higher over the past five days of trading. Corn also remains higher, but wheat has been demonstrably the victim of bears. ...
What You Need to Know Today: Crude oil prices extended their rally today, supported by several developments, including escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabian oil infrastructure and growing concerns about supply disruptions. The Trump administration is reportedly preparing to remove 50 perc...
Key Takeaways: The agricultural trade surplus has become a sizable deficit: the balance swung from a $40.1 billion surplus in 2011 to a $40.7 billion deficit in 2025. Imports kept growing while exports lost momentum: between 2020 and 2025, agricultural imports increased 45 percent, compa...
USDA released its October Cattle on Feed report Friday, showing 11.4 million cattle in feedlots with capacity for 1,000 head or more, slightly below last year. September placements were the lowest for the month since records began in 1996, marking the third consecutive month of placements sett...
Regional News Dry weather across the UK and Europe is becoming increasingly concerning for the 2027 crops as planting intentions are lowered amid dry soil conditions. Delayed sowing or establishment under adverse conditions could leave crops more vulnerable to frost/freeze events and dise...