It was a quiet session (December corn contract volume was down 55 percent from the five-day average) in an early close before a long weekend as some profit was taken off the table, but there are still things to talk about.
Economists polled by Reuters ahead of today’s U.S. jobs report predicted a payroll increase of 3 million jobs in June; they were only off by 60 percent (+4.8 million). In a similar fashion, the average trade guess about Tuesday’s plantings report was a 2-million-acre reduction in corn and 1.8-million-acre increase in soybeans; they were only off by 177 percent and 75 percent, respectively. Do you see the pattern? Information markets based solely on opinion are highly dubious. USDA reports are the best...
What You Need to Know Today: As was widely expected, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 25 basis points to a target range of 3.75–4.00 percent, its first rate increase since 2023, as policymakers respond to persistent inflation pressures. The Fed also signaled that additi...
Key Takeaways: USDA data access is equal; the ability to use it is not. Larger operations can afford experts who turn public reports into business decisions. Analytical capacity is the true advantage. Forecasts matter only when converted into profit, purchasing, and risk-management decisions...
Russian Grain Markets: 7–11 September 2026 During the first week of September, the Russian grain market remained volatile but predominantly bearish. Among the few commodities that continued to show a bullish trend was rye, which is in short supply this year and has few offers available. I...