The topic of high frequency trading (HFT) of equities and commodities has become all the rage and raises several questions that generate a wide difference of opinion.The topic of high frequency trading (HFT) of equities and commodities has become all the rage. The CFTC, the SEC, the FBI and New York's attorney general are all investigating it. However, the topic has really taken off as a result of financial writer Michael Lewis's latest book entitled "Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt," which is about a group of computer nerds who use HFT programs to gain an unfair advantage over less technologically-adept investors. The financial press is filled with the topic, including the lead editorial in today's Wall Street Journal. It is a subject, th...
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
Forecasting developments in production agriculture
On behalf of a private U.S. agricultural technology provider, WPI’s team generated an econometric model to forecast the movement of concentrated corn production north and west from the traditional U.S. Corn Belt. WPI’s model has subsequently provided quantitative support to a multi-million-dollar investment into short-season corn variety development. WPI’s methodology included a series of interviews with regional grain elevators and seed consultants. Emphasizing outreach and communication with stakeholders who possess intimate sectoral knowledge – on-the-ground insights – is a regular component of WPI’s methodologies, made possible by WPI’s ever-growing network of industry contacts.