World Perspectives
softs

Going up with a Bang

A futures contract that persistently moves up or down by just a penny or two each day imposes its own burden on the market. While speculators are said to prosper from volatility, and sellers want higher prices and buyers prefer them lower, everyone prefers a story. Apparently, the cotton market is boring everyone involved. It has traded in the same 69₵ to 72₵ range for months, and the October WASDE failed to provide any other direction.  While the U.S. cotton market has seen volatility in recent years, over three-quarters of it is exported to the world market, which has been flatter than a pancake for years.  The lack of demand growth against synthetics has been a challenge. Expectations lean bearish. However, war-torn Ukrai...

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livestock

Livestock Roundup: Cattle on Feed Preview

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Market Commentary: Markets Hopeful but Guarded on China; CBOT Falls on Demand Worries

Technical selling, disappointment with the USDA’s latest policy moves, and favorable rains across the Midwest took a bearish toll on the CBOT markets Wednesday. The Federal Reserve, as expected, cut interest rates today and signaled a more dovish approach for the next several months, whic...

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Summary of Futures

Dec 25 Corn closed at $4.2675/bushel, down $0.0275 from yesterday's close.  Dec 25 Wheat closed at $5.2825/bushel, down $0.0575 from yesterday's close.  Nov 25 Soybeans closed at $10.4375/bushel, down $0.06 from yesterday's close.  Dec 25 Soymeal closed at $285.7/short ton, down...

livestock

Livestock Roundup: Cattle on Feed Preview

USDA’s monthly Cattle on Feed report will be released tomorrow. Analysts’ pre-report consensus estimates are for the total inventory on feed to be 99.1 percent of last year with the range of estimates between 98.7 and 99.7 percent of 1 September 2024. Those estimates imply an on-fee...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Markets Hopeful but Guarded on China; CBOT Falls on Demand Worries

Technical selling, disappointment with the USDA’s latest policy moves, and favorable rains across the Midwest took a bearish toll on the CBOT markets Wednesday. The Federal Reserve, as expected, cut interest rates today and signaled a more dovish approach for the next several months, whic...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Dec 25 Corn closed at $4.2675/bushel, down $0.0275 from yesterday's close.  Dec 25 Wheat closed at $5.2825/bushel, down $0.0575 from yesterday's close.  Nov 25 Soybeans closed at $10.4375/bushel, down $0.06 from yesterday's close.  Dec 25 Soymeal closed at $285.7/short ton, down...

WTO and Trump; Analytically Correct, Predictably Wrong

WTO and Trump To quote Wikipedia, James Bacchus is “an American statesman, scholar, writer, and politician". He also served as a founding member and twice chairman of the WTO’s Appellate Body. He now writes from the Libertarian Cato Institute and provocatively asks why the WTO is no...

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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.

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