The CBOT was sharply lower to start the week as markets had a negative reaction to surprising policy developments from South America. Argentina’s government announced a zero-export tax policy on grains through 31 October in an attempt to boost domestic reserves of U.S. dollars (for details, see this week’s MERCOSUR analysis from WPI). The move punished CBOT futures as it threatens the U.S. export program for the next several weeks. The export tax update came after grains and oilseeds had a poor finish to last week’s trade, which had technical traders primed for bearish action. Too, the lack of news about a trade deal with China – other than some progress on the sale of TikTok – and absolute silence on the issue...
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.