China has been on a wheat buying binge, reportedly picking up 2 MMT of Australian wheat in October and another 2.5 MMT of French wheat. It is surprising that Russia is not the key supplier given the strategic relationship. The purchases are due to rain damage to China’s crop that will send a fifth of this year’s output to the animal feed market. However, this ignores what has been a developing trend. China’s increased consumption of wheat has been outpacing domestic output for a few years. Imported wheat jumped to the MMT level back in 2020 and has continued to grow. There may be an anomalous strain on the domestic supply this year, but trendline analysis suggests that China is turning into a long-term larger wheat import...
The corn and soy complex closed higher, with the wheat market mixed, as winter wheat closed up but spring wheat and livestock ended lower. Part of the strength for corn and soybeans may have been a weather premium, as crop planting has started out fast but warm weather has been slow to develop...
WPI recently completed an expansion of our methodology for estimating and forecasting U.S. and global soybean crushing margins. The new approach incorporates the energy market’s expanding influence on the oilseed sector and the structural changes in global biofuel demand. This report is i...
Key Market Insights Macros: Inflation isn’t cooling — it’s moving higher again. March PCE inflation (Personal Consumption Expenditures index — the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation) rose 0.7 percent month-over-month, pushing the annual rate to 3.5 percent, the h...
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.