It has taken a few days, but the effect of Tuesday’s USDA reports, which were seen as surprisingly bullish, seems to have largely worn off. Meanwhile, USDA/FAS’s weekly export sales report for the week ending 7 January was a bit better with corn and soybean sales topping expectations. General Comments Uncertainty breeds volatility, and volatility has dominated world financial markets so far in 2016. U.S. equity markets are doing their share in this regard. Yesterday the Dow posted its biggest loss since last September, plunging 364 points. Today it turned upward to post a gain of 227 points, its biggest one-day gain so far this year. The U.S. Dollar Index fell below 99.00 yesterday, but it came back to close above that today. Brent crude...
What You Need to Know Today: Russia rejected calls for a ceasefire in the Black Sea, including a proposal to halt attacks on civilian shipping that could help restore grain flows from Ukrainian ports. Tyson Foods announced plans to permanently close its Joslin, Illinois, beef processing facili...
The big news in the cattle markets yesterday was Tyson Foods’ move to close two more beef plants. One of them, the Joslin, Illinois, plant was shuttered immediately after the announcement. The other, in Eagle Mountain, Utah, is a case-ready plant that does not slaughter cattle. Tyson also...
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) on Wednesday. In July, the CPI rose 0.1 percent, seasonally adjusted, and rose 3.4 percent over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted. The index for all items less food and energy, or the “core” infla...
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.