World Perspectives
livestock

Cattle Inventory Report: U.S. Cattle Herd Still in Contraction

USDA released its January Cattle Inventory report today. The U.S. cattle herd is still in a contraction phase.  The total inventory of all cattle and calves as of 1 January was 86.7 million head, down 500,000 head from last year. Key numbers from today’s report are: The cattle on feed estimate showed 87.2 percent on feedlots of 1,000 head or more capacity, slightly higher than last year.  The combined total of calves under 500 pounds, other heifers, plus steers over 500 pounds, representing the number of feeder cattle outside of feedlots, was 24.6 million head, just slightly below 1 January 2024. The 1 January number of feeder cattle outside of feedlots is the lowest since 2015. Feeder cattle outside feed lots make up 63 p...

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Export Sales

Export Sales and Shipments for Dec 11, 2025...

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Market Commentary: Grains Give up Gains while Cattle Turn Higher on Cash Trade

The CBOT saw its typical low-volume post-Christmas trading session on Friday, but low trading volume didn’t stop the markets from making some notable technical moves. The first of which, on a broad scale, is that early strength in corn, the soy complex, and to a lesser extent wheat, all f...

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Summary of Futures

Mar 26 Corn closed at $4.5/bushel, down $0.01 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Wheat closed at $5.19/bushel, down $0.0275 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Soybeans closed at $10.725/bushel, down $0.04 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Soymeal closed at $307.4/short ton, down $0.7 fro...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Export Sales

Export Sales and Shipments for Dec 11, 2025...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Grains Give up Gains while Cattle Turn Higher on Cash Trade

The CBOT saw its typical low-volume post-Christmas trading session on Friday, but low trading volume didn’t stop the markets from making some notable technical moves. The first of which, on a broad scale, is that early strength in corn, the soy complex, and to a lesser extent wheat, all f...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Mar 26 Corn closed at $4.5/bushel, down $0.01 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Wheat closed at $5.19/bushel, down $0.0275 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Soybeans closed at $10.725/bushel, down $0.04 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Soymeal closed at $307.4/short ton, down $0.7 fro...

Holiday Schedule

Financial markets will be closed on Thursday, 25 December for the Christmas holiday. As a result, there will be no Ag Perspectives report on Thursday. WPI wishes everyone a joyous and safe holiday. WPI will resume operations on Friday, 26 December. Note that Ag Perspectives will be providing ma...

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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.

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