World Perspectives
soy-oilseeds wheat equities

Common Thread: Commodity Indexes

Indexes that track the prices of a specified group of commodities have become the subject of considerable controversy ever since 2008, when commodity prices bubbled and then crashed. The price crash was seen as a part of the larger U.S. economic collapse into a deep recession. Commodity index funds used investor money to go long futures contracts in the exact proportion as they were weighted in a particular commodity index. They had become an important part of the long side of a wide variety of commodity futures markets. In some markets index funds accounted for 30-40 percent of total open interest.Thanks to CFTC reports, the size of index fund long positions was highly visible. Index funds were and still are generally passive. They estab...

Related Articles
feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Mostly a Low Volume, Higher Close Day

It was the lowest trading volume day of the week for grains and soybeans. It started with soyoil the only major contract trading lower, but by mid-session it had been joined by old crop corn. New crop corn joined all three wheats and soybeans with a higher close. Hogs opened lower but then reve...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Jul 25 Corn closed at $4.69/bushel, down $0.0325 from yesterday's close.  Jul 25 Wheat closed at $5.43/bushel, up $0.12 from yesterday's close.  Jul 25 Soybeans closed at $10.58/bushel, up $0.0775 from yesterday's close.  Jul 25 Soymeal closed at $296.9/short ton, up $2.6 from ye...

Trade Deals Being Worked on With Japan, China, and the EU

Japanese trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa is in D.C. to talk trade. During a two-hour meeting with various officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Akazawa called for a review of recent U.S. tariffs, and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said today Japan will not sacrifice its national...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Mostly a Low Volume, Higher Close Day

It was the lowest trading volume day of the week for grains and soybeans. It started with soyoil the only major contract trading lower, but by mid-session it had been joined by old crop corn. New crop corn joined all three wheats and soybeans with a higher close. Hogs opened lower but then reve...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Jul 25 Corn closed at $4.69/bushel, down $0.0325 from yesterday's close.  Jul 25 Wheat closed at $5.43/bushel, up $0.12 from yesterday's close.  Jul 25 Soybeans closed at $10.58/bushel, up $0.0775 from yesterday's close.  Jul 25 Soymeal closed at $296.9/short ton, up $2.6 from ye...

Trade Deals Being Worked on With Japan, China, and the EU

Japanese trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa is in D.C. to talk trade. During a two-hour meeting with various officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Akazawa called for a review of recent U.S. tariffs, and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said today Japan will not sacrifice its national...

FOB Prices and Freight Rates App (Updated 2 May)

Transportation and Freight Market Comments - 2 May 2025 By Matt Herrington Dry-Bulk Ocean Freight Dry bulk markets are finding some support from spot and 30-day demand but the Section 301 rules are depressing grain demand past July. Cargo orders from northern Brazil are increasing as South Amer...

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From WPI Consulting

Forecasting developments in production agriculture

On behalf of a private U.S. agricultural technology provider, WPI’s team generated an econometric model to forecast the movement of concentrated corn production north and west from the traditional U.S. Corn Belt. WPI’s model has subsequently provided quantitative support to a multi-million-dollar investment into short-season corn variety development. WPI’s methodology included a series of interviews with regional grain elevators and seed consultants. Emphasizing outreach and communication with stakeholders who possess intimate sectoral knowledge – on-the-ground insights – is a regular component of WPI’s methodologies, made possible by WPI’s ever-growing network of industry contacts.

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