World Perspectives

October Jobs Report Tepid

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the October jobs report this morning.  Total nonfarm payroll employment was essentially unchanged in October (+12,000), and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.1 percent.  The pre-report consensus was for an additional 100,000 payroll jobs.  The October report was, excluding 2020, which was the first year of COVID, the smallest gain for any month since early 2019. As WPI noted on 29 October, the September payroll report had some bullish topline numbers, but digging deeper into the report showed some signs of potential concern.   Despite job growth (of 254,000 new jobs), the total hours worked slipped downward in September, to an average of 34.2-hour work week.&...

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Market Commentary: Trade Deals, Emerging Dryness Spark CBOT Short Covering

Traders seemed content to take short risk off the table heading into the weekend with USDA’s June Acreage and Grain Stocks reports due out Monday. Funds in particular are comfortable with positions ahead of these reports and saw little reason to push markets further into oversold territor...

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feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

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Jul 25 Corn closed at $4.175/bushel, up $0.08 from yesterday's close.  Sep 25 Wheat closed at $5.4075/bushel, up $0.04 from yesterday's close.  Nov 25 Soybeans closed at $10.2475/bushel, up $0.0825 from yesterday's close.  Jul 25 Soymeal closed at $271.1/short ton, up $0.2 from y...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Trade Deals, Emerging Dryness Spark CBOT Short Covering

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Trade Negotiation Update; Miscellaneous

Trade Negotiation Update There were no shortages of eye-opening news reports this week and the notable one on trade late today was President Trump’s announcement that he is ending trade negotiations with Canada. Ottawa’s decision to impose a retroactive digital services tax on Ameri...

Input Costs Forecast to Rise, Led by Fertilizer

After rising sharply in 2022, input costs remain stubbornly high yet today. At the same time, the prices received for major crops like corn, soybeans and wheat have fallen by as much as 30 percent over the same period.   In response to these economic headwinds, Congress stepped up thr...

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From WPI Consulting

Infrastructure investment due diligence

On behalf of a Canadian oilseed processer WPI's team provided market analysis, econometric modeling and financial due diligence in support of a $24 million-dollar investment in a Ukrainian crush plant. Consistent with WPI's findings, local production to supply the plant and the facility's output have expanded exponentially since the investment. WPI has conducted parallel work on behalf of U.S., South American and European clients, both private and public, in the agri-food space.

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