World Perspectives
livestock

Hog Market’s Bearish Outlook

The world’s largest pork market, China, may be experiencing a more than 50 percent decline in production and yet U.S. hog prices are softening. Part of the problem is that hog slaughter as a percent of packing capacity is well above year-ago levels (see graph below). The ratio of slaughter to packing capacity is running at 89.6 percent, versus 86.6 percent in 2018. As this ratio increases, prices tend to decrease since packers don’t want to buy hogs when their hook space is full.  The increase in slaughter to packing ratio is occurring at the same time there is a seasonal downturn in hog and pork prices. Prices this year began to soften a month or two earlier.  Some analysts this week highlighted how U.S. pork expo...

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feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Ags Sink on Risk-Off Day Despite Weaker Dollar

The CBOT was higher overnight as the U.S. dollar fell to a three-year low, but the day session saw the major ag market slip lower and end in the red with pressure from macroeconomic markets increasing. In addition to sparking trade wars with nearly every major U.S. trading partner, U.S. Preside...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

May 25 Corn closed at $4.8175/bushel, down $0.005 from yesterday's close.  May 25 Wheat closed at $5.385/bushel, down $0.1025 from yesterday's close.  May 25 Soybeans closed at $10.295/bushel, down $0.07 from yesterday's close.  May 25 Soymeal closed at $292.9/short ton, down $2...

Barriers are Good; Squeezed in the Trade War; Calculating the Impacts; Tax is a Tax

Barriers are Good The issue de jour is tariffs. Donald Trump is vilified by conventionalists for the self-induced wound of raising this single barrier to business. As a businessman, Trump sees a complex web of market barriers. Domestic regulations, domestic taxes, but also foreign tariffs (taxe...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Ags Sink on Risk-Off Day Despite Weaker Dollar

The CBOT was higher overnight as the U.S. dollar fell to a three-year low, but the day session saw the major ag market slip lower and end in the red with pressure from macroeconomic markets increasing. In addition to sparking trade wars with nearly every major U.S. trading partner, U.S. Preside...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

May 25 Corn closed at $4.8175/bushel, down $0.005 from yesterday's close.  May 25 Wheat closed at $5.385/bushel, down $0.1025 from yesterday's close.  May 25 Soybeans closed at $10.295/bushel, down $0.07 from yesterday's close.  May 25 Soymeal closed at $292.9/short ton, down $2...

Barriers are Good; Squeezed in the Trade War; Calculating the Impacts; Tax is a Tax

Barriers are Good The issue de jour is tariffs. Donald Trump is vilified by conventionalists for the self-induced wound of raising this single barrier to business. As a businessman, Trump sees a complex web of market barriers. Domestic regulations, domestic taxes, but also foreign tariffs (taxe...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Mercosur Regional Analysis

Argentina Macroeconomic Updates Argentina saw a shortened trading week, with no markets last Thursday and Friday. It was also the first week of trading under the new exchange rate regulations, so it took the markets a few days to adjust. Regarding the official exchange rate, it opened on Monday...

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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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