The CBOT was mostly higher heading into the WASDE as funds were cautiously covering shorts and paring back risk before the holidays. The WASDE proved to be slightly bullish corn and mostly neutral soybeans and wheat, proving the short-covering trend to have been a good idea. Aside from the WASDE, there was little fresh news for the commodity markets and with the report now past, commodity markets are likely to enter their seasonal holiday lull while keeping a close eye on export demand, which is the major factor driving price action right now. The major theme from the WASDE was for tighter U.S. and global corn stocks on rising demand, and a mostly steady scenario for the wheat market. USDA raised the demand outlook for U.S. wheat exports an...
Beef packer margins deteriorated sharply to -$167/head last week, down $89 from the prior week as fed cattle prices rebounded while the Choice cutout continued to weaken. The cutout slipped to $363/cwt, while fed cattle prices climbed to $235/cwt, reversing much of the recent improvement in pac...
What You Need to Know Today: Tensions in the Middle East escalated over the weekend with Iran demanding the U.S. make multiple concessions that are likely non-starters before traffic can flow through the Strait of Hormuz again. Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey signed a mutual defense agreeme...
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.