Who Takes the Long Side? It is too often unclear whether commentary from politicians is based on the required expediency of their craft, or reflects actual economic ignorance. We always fear the latter. Either way, they act as opinion leaders so that the net effect all too often is the spread of ignorance to the masses. The phrase "addicted to oil" for example, is catchy but a deeply flawed description of the economic dynamic. Drivers do not have a compulsive psychological need for gasoline; it is simply the lowest cost, concentrated and portable energy source available.For the past few years, politicians like Presidents Sarkozy and Obama have made speculators their scapegoats for higher food and oil prices. As Senator Byron Dorgan (D-No...
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.