World Perspectives
feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Where Fools Rush In

Long ago an old trader friend once told us that predicting the future is a harmless game unless one actually bets real money on his predictions. After all, he said, futures markets are nothing more than predictions about the future, and look how many people lose money betting on those predictions. Of course, his comments were made before funds and technical analyses were as prominent as they are today. Nevertheless, what he said way back then still retains some truth today. We occasionally play the harmless game of predicting the future, but we seldom bet money on our predictions. And when we do, it usually involves very little money and the outcome of a football game.In recent years we have taken the occasion of the New Year to make ad h...

Related Articles
feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Mostly a Low Volume, Higher Close Day

It was the lowest trading volume day of the week for grains and soybeans. It started with soyoil the only major contract trading lower, but by mid-session it had been joined by old crop corn. New crop corn joined all three wheats and soybeans with a higher close. Hogs opened lower but then reve...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Jul 25 Corn closed at $4.69/bushel, down $0.0325 from yesterday's close.  Jul 25 Wheat closed at $5.43/bushel, up $0.12 from yesterday's close.  Jul 25 Soybeans closed at $10.58/bushel, up $0.0775 from yesterday's close.  Jul 25 Soymeal closed at $296.9/short ton, up $2.6 from ye...

Trade Deals Being Worked on With Japan, China, and the EU

Japanese trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa is in D.C. to talk trade. During a two-hour meeting with various officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Akazawa called for a review of recent U.S. tariffs, and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said today Japan will not sacrifice its national...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Mostly a Low Volume, Higher Close Day

It was the lowest trading volume day of the week for grains and soybeans. It started with soyoil the only major contract trading lower, but by mid-session it had been joined by old crop corn. New crop corn joined all three wheats and soybeans with a higher close. Hogs opened lower but then reve...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Jul 25 Corn closed at $4.69/bushel, down $0.0325 from yesterday's close.  Jul 25 Wheat closed at $5.43/bushel, up $0.12 from yesterday's close.  Jul 25 Soybeans closed at $10.58/bushel, up $0.0775 from yesterday's close.  Jul 25 Soymeal closed at $296.9/short ton, up $2.6 from ye...

Trade Deals Being Worked on With Japan, China, and the EU

Japanese trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa is in D.C. to talk trade. During a two-hour meeting with various officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Akazawa called for a review of recent U.S. tariffs, and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said today Japan will not sacrifice its national...

FOB Prices and Freight Rates App (Updated 2 May)

Transportation and Freight Market Comments - 2 May 2025 By Matt Herrington Dry-Bulk Ocean Freight Dry bulk markets are finding some support from spot and 30-day demand but the Section 301 rules are depressing grain demand past July. Cargo orders from northern Brazil are increasing as South Amer...

Image
From WPI Consulting

Illuminating the value of technical research

On behalf of a commodity producer organization, WPI evaluated the outputs from a project that featured a $5 million investment into technical research over multiple years. WPI’s team captured the results of this extensive effort and synthesized them for presentation to the organization’s governing board; among the findings uncovered and presented for the first time was the development of genomic traits proven, via rigorous testing, to provide crop yield advantages of 50 percent or more to U.S. farmers in times of drought. Capturing measurable results from long-term efforts can be challenging. Educating clients on the dynamics of success measurement when quantifiable results are not readily available requires deep client-consultant collaboration and an ability to consider both near- and long-term client aspirations with market/policy dynamics – attributes that WPI brings to every consulting engagement.

Search World Perspectives

Sign In to World Perspectives

Don’t have an account yet? Sign Up