The CBOT was mostly calm before Thursday’s October WASDE – a report that often produces volatile reactions from the market. Corn and wheat drifted mostly lower, but corn managed to squeeze out a gain of a few cents in quiet trade. Soybeans dropped sharply lower despite daily “flash” export sales due to strong harvest progress, export competition, and sharply lower export sales bookings. Soy products were lower as well but the soyoil market took a brief pause from its recent, dramatic selloff. Funds were net sellers in soybeans for the day but were relatively flat the other markets as they executed final position-adjusting ahead of the report. The USDA re-issued its weekly Export Inspections data, which were co...
What You Need to Know Today: Cattle futures extended their sharp selloff Friday as weakening cash cattle prices, deteriorating feedlot profitability, and reduced packer demand continued to weigh on the market. The inability of futures to sustain a rally following last week's bullish Cattle on...
As predicted, the Federal Reserve held rates steady at the last meeting before the midterm elections, likely in part because of the election (see WPI 19 October and 22 September). The decision comes at the tail end of a midterm election cycle that has been marked by the two parties campaigning...
Key Takeaways: WPI’s new EU rapeseed crushing margin models point to weaker processing returns over the next four months due to higher rapeseed procurement costs and weaker product values. Statistical forecasts call for German crushing margins to decline from €181/MT to €...
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.