World Perspectives
feed-grains farm-inputs

Tough Time to Make a Profit

There’s no question that big profits were made during the boom times and balance sheets looked wonderful. The problem is that money is now going out the door at an alarming rate, and those balance sheets can change quickly in this environment.It was easy to make money in the grain business from about 2007 through 2014. Markets were always going up, and U.S. crop production was good except for the poor corn yield in 2012. We’ve often written that when prices are high, margins are also high. That was the case across the U.S. and world grain trade. Every level of agriculture from the producer through the suppliers, handlers, exporters, processors, etc. had great years. Of course big profits also allowed management to become sloppy, and budgets...

Related Articles
feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Today was Green but Headwinds for the Week

Corn, soymeal, live cattle and lean hogs all traded lower during the morning start but by the end of the day, only lean hogs ended lower. There were modest volumes being traded on Friday for most contracts, except feeder cattle where it was nearly double the five-day average.December soymeal hi...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Export Sales

Export Sales and Shipments for November 1-7, 2024. Wheat: Net sales of 380,100 metric tons (MT) for 2024/2025 were up 1 percent from the previous week, but down 17 percent from the prior 4-week average. Export shipments of 301,300 MT were up 27 percent from the previous week and 5 percent...

livestock

Cow-Calf Margins Steady in November, Herd Expansion Still Likely

Despite recent decreases in feeder cattle futures and rising feedstuff costs, estimated cow-calf producer margins are largely unchanged from WPI’s October estimate. The stable and positive financial environment means that producers are still facing strong financial incentives to expand the U.S...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Today was Green but Headwinds for the Week

Corn, soymeal, live cattle and lean hogs all traded lower during the morning start but by the end of the day, only lean hogs ended lower. There were modest volumes being traded on Friday for most contracts, except feeder cattle where it was nearly double the five-day average.December soymeal hi...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Export Sales

Export Sales and Shipments for November 1-7, 2024. Wheat: Net sales of 380,100 metric tons (MT) for 2024/2025 were up 1 percent from the previous week, but down 17 percent from the prior 4-week average. Export shipments of 301,300 MT were up 27 percent from the previous week and 5 percent...

livestock

Cow-Calf Margins Steady in November, Herd Expansion Still Likely

Despite recent decreases in feeder cattle futures and rising feedstuff costs, estimated cow-calf producer margins are largely unchanged from WPI’s October estimate. The stable and positive financial environment means that producers are still facing strong financial incentives to expand the U.S...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Dec 24 Corn closed at $4.24/bushel, up $0.05 from yesterday's close. Dec 24 Wheat closed at $5.365/bushel, up $0.0625 from yesterday's close. Jan 25 Soybeans closed at $9.985/bushel, up $0.11 from yesterday's close. Dec 24 Soymeal closed at $289.6/short ton, up $2.6 from yesterda...

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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.

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