Analysts see a 20 percent (-4 MMT) downgrade in Australia’s wheat production possibly in this week’s WASDE report, and rising expectations that Russia’s production may be off a bit. Wheat prices have been firming on the board as a result. Still, global stocks are large. The stocks to use ratio is a standard metric for considering the value of wheat and while they correlate, they are not perfect.  There tends to be an over-reaction in price or tail effect when stocks look to be tighter, as in 2007 and 2012 (see graph below). If the same over-reaction were to occur when stocks are larger than deemed necessary, the current price would be lower than it is currently. However, there is always a stronger reaction to fear of...

TAGS – Wheat, Australia, South America