You are reading this report to better understand the issue of risk. This might make you unusual since the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center reports that respondents to its surveys show only 35 percent answer questions correctly about the topic. Then again, it is a tricky subject. Even those that study risk intently can differ in their views about various factors. Take the current macroeconomic situation. The Atlanta Fed model suggests the U.S. economy grew at 5.8 percent in Q2. Many expected a recession and now it seems too good to be true [emphasis added]. Cash flows indicate some in trepidation. Consumer demand is weakening, and U.S. business activity reportedly approached stagnation in August. New business demand in serv...
What You Need to Know Today: The corn and soybean markets closed slightly higher in low-volume trade. The wheat market was mixed, with HRW continuing its downward trek on improved moisture. As expected, the bearish cattle on feed report drove down cattle prices and pulled hogs down with it. Mi...
Monday, 25 May is a U.S. holiday, and both the markets and our office will be closed. Please note that the next issue of Ag Perspectives will be published on Tuesday, 26 May. The WPI staff wishes everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend...
USDA’s monthly cattle on feed report was released today. The total number of cattle on feed in feedlots with 1,000 head or more capacity amounted to 11.6 million head, 102 percent of last year. Source: USDA, WPI Placements were up, but part of that is attributable to persistent drought c...
From WPI Consulting
Communicating importance of value-added products
Facing increasing pressure to quantify the value of export promotion efforts to investors, a U.S. industry organization retained WPI to develop a quantitative model that better communicated the importance of exports. The resulting model concluded that value-added meat exports contributed $0.45 cents per bushel to the price of corn, increasing support for that sector’s financial support of WPI’s client. In addition to serving the red meat industry with this type of analysis, WPI has generated similar deliverables for the U.S. soybean and poultry/egg industries.