Analysts see a 20 percent (-4 MMT) downgrade in Australia’s wheat production possibly in this week’s WASDE report, and rising expectations that Russia’s production may be off a bit. Wheat prices have been firming on the board as a result. Still, global stocks are large. The stocks to use ratio is a standard metric for considering the value of wheat and while they correlate, they are not perfect. There tends to be an over-reaction in price or tail effect when stocks look to be tighter, as in 2007 and 2012 (see graph below). If the same over-reaction were to occur when stocks are larger than deemed necessary, the current price would be lower than it is currently. However, there is always a stronger reaction to fear of...
What You Need to Know Today: Funds remain in control of the market, which means broadly bearish trade for the ag sector. Monday’s massive corn export sale to Mexico helped trigger some short covering and a bit of other end-user buying in corn, which could help stabilize the market. Wheat...
Crop Conditions-Argentina Corn Corn planting in Argentina has reached 47.3 percent of the projected 8.4 Mha, advancing 7.5 percentage points over the week and running 12.3 points ahead of last season, partly due to a larger early-planted area. Fieldwork gained momentum across western and southe...
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.