World Perspectives
feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

USDA’s January Reports

There is no question that the tone of today’s USDA reports is at least mildly bullish, and markets have reacted accordingly. However, it is worth asking what has really changed.USDA’s final corn and soybean production estimates were both lower than expected. Most observers anticipated slight increases based on the trend for big crops to get bigger. However, the national average yield and planted area for both crops were reduced. The corn yield was put at 174.6 bushels/acre, down .7 bushels/acre, and harvested acres were lowered by about 100,000. The soybean yield was lowered .4 bushels/acre to 52.1 bushels/acre, and harvested acres were down 300,000. Although yields were down from USDA’s November estimates, they still represent new records...

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feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Green Despite Many Obstacles

There was mostly green on the board for Friday and for the week as a whole. Another contract high was printed by soyoil as higher energies, higher inflation, and heightened geopolitical tensions all favored commodities.  There are some topical contrasts. For example, the cattle market is t...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

May 26 Corn closed at $4.485/bushel, up $0.05 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Wheat closed at $5.915/bushel, up $0.17 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soybeans closed at $11.7075/bushel, up $0.0725 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soymeal closed at $320.5/short ton, down $0.4 from...

livestock

Cold Storage Report: Up over Last Month, Down on the Year

The Cold Storage report for January showed that red meat and poultry supplies rose from the month ending December, but total supplies are down from a year ago and well below the 5-year average. Total supplies were 1.878 billion pounds, down 2.5 percent from a year ago. This indicates a tighteni...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Green Despite Many Obstacles

There was mostly green on the board for Friday and for the week as a whole. Another contract high was printed by soyoil as higher energies, higher inflation, and heightened geopolitical tensions all favored commodities.  There are some topical contrasts. For example, the cattle market is t...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

May 26 Corn closed at $4.485/bushel, up $0.05 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Wheat closed at $5.915/bushel, up $0.17 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soybeans closed at $11.7075/bushel, up $0.0725 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soymeal closed at $320.5/short ton, down $0.4 from...

livestock

Cold Storage Report: Up over Last Month, Down on the Year

The Cold Storage report for January showed that red meat and poultry supplies rose from the month ending December, but total supplies are down from a year ago and well below the 5-year average. Total supplies were 1.878 billion pounds, down 2.5 percent from a year ago. This indicates a tighteni...

livestock

Hog and Pork Outlook

The recent volatility in lean hog futures — from fresh contract highs at the end of January to the dramatic early-February selloff — has many in the industry (and WPI clients) wondering what will happen next. WPI’s latest analysis indicates that while pork demand remains stron...

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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.

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