Macroeconomics Food Prices Up Nearly 5 Percent In December For the ninth straight month, the average cost of food across various categories climbed. It was up 4.8 percent this past December from a year ago. That is up from the increase in November, which amounted to an annualized uptick of 3.7 percent. With hog prices seeing a sharp decline, the average price of pork meat rose year-on-year by 22.2 percent last month, which was down from a 34.4 percent rise in November. Fresh vegetables continued to decline, edging down 8 percent. In contrast, fresh fruit, milk, eggs, and cooking oils were up last month by 11 percent, 1.2 percent, 9.6 percent, and 7.2 percent, respectively. With food prices edging up, inflation on an annual basis ros...
What You Need to Know Today: Commodities were mostly lower across the board today after yesterday’s Federal Reserve meeting hinted at a potential interest rate hike later in 2026. The dollar index reached its highest level in over a year, and a strong dollar makes U.S. agricultural expor...
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.