USDA’s 1 March quarterly stocks and initial planting intentions reports have a history of providing market-moving surprises, and today’s releases add to that history. The corn and soybean stocks had been expected to be record large, and they were. Along with those of wheat, they all exceeded the average trade guesses as reported by newswire services. For corn and soybeans, the difference was substantial at 173 million bushels and 67 million bushels, respectively. Meanwhile, wheat’s stocks were less than 10 million bushels more than expected. By contrast, grain sorghum stocks were considerably smaller than expected, reflecting how tight that balance sheet is becoming.
Stocks of corn and soybeans were surprisingly and bea...
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...
