Grains and the soy complex were trading factors other than interest rates today. Weather and technical considerations once again dominated grain markets, beginning with the overnight session. General Comments The U.S. Federal Reserve Bank concluded its June meeting with a statement emphasizing the U.S. economy has bounced back from its first quarter slump, but that it wants to see more improvement in the job market and inflation closer to its 2 percent goal before raising interest rates. This statement was largely as expected and is seen as preparing markets for a rate increase sometime this year. If the economy continues to improve, as it seems to be doing during the second quarter, many economists predict a rate hike at the Fed's Septem...
What You Need to Know Today: Oil prices surged today following reports of tanker attacks off the coast of Saudi Arabia by Houthi rebels and renewed U.S. threats to escalate military strikes against Iran, heightening concerns over potential disruptions to Middle East energy supplies. Brent crud...
Key Takeaways: The latest UN data shows solid progress reducing global hunger and food insecurity. The geography of hunger-affected people has shifted substantially, however, and Africa is now the most affected region. To understand why hunger patterns have shifted and what policy option...
USDA’s monthly cattle on feed report for 1 July will be released tomorrow. Analysts’ pre-report consensus estimates are for the total inventory on feed to be 102.2 percent of last year. Those estimates imply an on-feed inventory of 11.327 million head. If accurate, that would be the...
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.