World Perspectives

Weaker Consumer Finances Darken Economic Outlook, Despite Interest Rate Cuts

The past two weeks have seen the typical influx of macroeconomic data releases, most of which helped prompt the Federal Reserve to issue its 50-bps interest rate cut on Wednesday. While the interest rate cut was initially viewed as a positive signal (lower interest rates generally increase economic activity), history suggests rate cuts can precede market corrections or recessions. This is highly dependent on other factor at play in the economy, which WPI attempts to examine here.  WPI looks at macroeconomics through three primary lenses: national-level factors, consumer income and finances, and consumer spending. The first, national-level factors, includes items such as stock market valuation, the Treasury yield curve, and the inflati...

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Summary of Futures

May 26 Corn closed at $4.41/bushel, down $0.03 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Wheat closed at $5.71/bushel, down $0.035 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soybeans closed at $11.7575/bushel, up $0.105 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soymeal closed at $331.8/short ton, up $14.2 from...

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Market Commentary: Conflicting Factors Equals Mixed Day

There are so many conflicting narratives between war and peace, rain and drought, hopes and fears, that it was a mixed day of trading on Friday, and a mixed outcome for the week.  For today, corn suffered its sixth lower day in the past seven trading sessions. There was high volume in soyb...

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Inflation Ramps Up on Energy and Food Away from Home

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the March Consumer Price Index (CPI) today, showing that it rose 0.9 percent, seasonally adjusted, month over month, after being up 0.3 percent in February, and rose 3.3 percent over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted.  Energy was the...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

May 26 Corn closed at $4.41/bushel, down $0.03 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Wheat closed at $5.71/bushel, down $0.035 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soybeans closed at $11.7575/bushel, up $0.105 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soymeal closed at $331.8/short ton, up $14.2 from...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Conflicting Factors Equals Mixed Day

There are so many conflicting narratives between war and peace, rain and drought, hopes and fears, that it was a mixed day of trading on Friday, and a mixed outcome for the week.  For today, corn suffered its sixth lower day in the past seven trading sessions. There was high volume in soyb...

energy

Inflation Ramps Up on Energy and Food Away from Home

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the March Consumer Price Index (CPI) today, showing that it rose 0.9 percent, seasonally adjusted, month over month, after being up 0.3 percent in February, and rose 3.3 percent over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted.  Energy was the...

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Wheat’s Fall from Grace

Buried in the many mountains of USDA data last week was the March 2026 Prospective Plantings report. There you will find one specific figure among the many that was a record: USDA’s lowest ever prospective plantings estimate for wheat. It was not a surprise. U.S. wheat plantings and harve...

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From WPI Consulting

Accountability and a comprehensive approach to export programming

WPI’s team helped construct a strategic approach to develop, implement, and track promotional activities in 8 key regions across the globe for an agricultural export association. With continued progress measurement and strategic advisory services from WPI, the association has seen its ROI from investments in promotional programming increase by 44 percent over the past 5 years. Not only does this type of holistic approach to organizational strategy provide measurable results to track and analyze, it fosters top-down and bottom-up organizational accountability.

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