World Perspectives

What is a Recession and Why Does it Matter if We’re in One?

The news and political talk shows have been abuzz about whether the economy is in a recession, moreover, it has become political, with some Republican politicians and conservative commentators, almost giddy that the GDP contracted two quarters in a row, and some Democrat politicians and liberal commentators arguing that the economy is not in a recession – necessarily now. First, the two quarters of negative GDP is a rule of thumb; when it happens there is almost always a recession. But it is not, as we’ve heard on TV, the “technical” definition of a recession. In 2001, there were three consecutive quarters of negative GDP before the recession was declared. The actual technical definition is maintained by the Bureau...

Related Articles
feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

May 26 Corn closed at $4.5775/bushel, up $0.02 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Wheat closed at $6.1625/bushel, up $0.0925 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soybeans closed at $11.71/bushel, up $0.1125 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soymeal closed at $316.4/short ton, up $1.5 from...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Grains Rally on USDA Data, Hopes for End to Middle East Conflict

Except for lean hog futures, the CBOT and CME markets were higher on Tuesday in a combination of bullish factors. The day’s strength started after the Wall Street Journal reported that President Trump told aides he is willing to end hostilities in the Middle East even if the Strait of Hor...

Lots To Do for Congress When They Return to Washington

Congress is in recess this week ahead of the Easter and Passover holidays, with much yet to do, including ending a partial shutdown and considering the “skinny” farm bill. Congress is scheduled to return on 13 April, though that may change, especially if the Homeland Security fundin...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

May 26 Corn closed at $4.5775/bushel, up $0.02 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Wheat closed at $6.1625/bushel, up $0.0925 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soybeans closed at $11.71/bushel, up $0.1125 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soymeal closed at $316.4/short ton, up $1.5 from...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Grains Rally on USDA Data, Hopes for End to Middle East Conflict

Except for lean hog futures, the CBOT and CME markets were higher on Tuesday in a combination of bullish factors. The day’s strength started after the Wall Street Journal reported that President Trump told aides he is willing to end hostilities in the Middle East even if the Strait of Hor...

Lots To Do for Congress When They Return to Washington

Congress is in recess this week ahead of the Easter and Passover holidays, with much yet to do, including ending a partial shutdown and considering the “skinny” farm bill. Congress is scheduled to return on 13 April, though that may change, especially if the Homeland Security fundin...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

March Grain Stocks Summary

The attached PDF offers graphical depiction and analysis of the latest USDA Grain Stocks data for key commodities. The data is, of course, taken from the quarterly Grain Stocks report. WPI recently completed an expansion of the analysis and welcomes any feedback/suggestions.  ...

Image
From WPI Consulting

Communicating importance of value-added products

Facing increasing pressure to quantify the value of export promotion efforts to investors, a U.S. industry organization retained WPI to develop a quantitative model that better communicated the importance of exports. The resulting model concluded that value-added meat exports contributed $0.45 cents per bushel to the price of corn, increasing support for that sector’s financial support of WPI’s client. In addition to serving the red meat industry with this type of analysis, WPI has generated similar deliverables for the U.S. soybean and poultry/egg industries.

Search World Perspectives

Sign In to World Perspectives

Don’t have an account yet? Sign Up