Traders began the first trading day of 2019 figuratively wearing the blindfold resulting from the lack of USDA information due to the partial government shutdown, which in now in its 13th day. This afternoon, President Trump is meeting again with congressional leaders of both parties in another effort to resolve the dispute over paying for the Mexican border wall that is blocking efforts to fund the departments of the government now shut down. Before the meeting, Trump indicated he was prepared for an extended government shutdown unless Congress, which is to say congressional Democrats, agree to his demands. We see no sign that this will happen, and both sides appear to be firmly dug in. Obviously, some sort of a compromise has to be reache...
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...
Tomorrow is the Juneteenth federal holiday, and the USDA, along with the rest of the federal government and the CME, will be closed, so the monthly Cattle on Feed report was released a day early. The total number of cattle on feed in feedlots with 1,000 head or more capacity on 1 June amounted...
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.