Markets had an interesting finish to a mostly bearish holiday-shortened trading week. Prices were steady to firm overnight and started today’s session with small gains. Those gains didn’t last long, and the result was significant price swings throughout the session. The U.S. trade delegation will be meeting in China this weekend. No one seems to have high hopes of significant progress there. The imposition of tariffs on steel and aluminum against Canada, Mexico and the EU were not a good sign for progress in the NAFTA talks. The trade talk that was so positive last week turned negative this week. The weekly Export Sales report was delayed until this morning because of Monday’s holiday. Note the 2018/19 wheat market...
What You Need to Know Today: President Trump suspended the planned attacks on Iran and announced that the pieces for a framework for peace were in place in a weekend social media post. Iran, however, later said no efforts were underway to conduct negotiations with the U.S., though Oman indicat...
Key Takeaways: E15 expansion would support corn and ethanol demand by increasing domestic biofuel consumption and reducing reliance on petroleum-based fuels. Year-round E15 has gained bipartisan momentum, but the policy remains in legislative limbo as lawmakers continue to negotiate provisions...
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.