AP Quant: WASDE Wheat
WPI offers the following PDF of key supply and demand tables and charts relating to the USDA’s latest WASDE report. This is not an all-inclusive compilation of relevant market factors, only those which we feel are of top priority. WPI will seek to expand the offerings in this report and w...
AP Quant: WASDE Soybeans
WPI offers the following PDF of key supply and demand tables and charts relating to the USDA’s latest WASDE report. This is not an all-inclusive compilation of relevant market factors, only those which we feel are of top priority. WPI will seek to expand the offerings in this report and w...
AP Quant: WASDE Corn
WPI offers the following PDF of key supply and demand tables and charts relating to the USDA’s latest WASDE report. This is not an all-inclusive compilation of relevant market factors, only those which we feel are of top priority. WPI will seek to expand the offerings in this report and w...
Summary of Futures
Jul 26 Corn closed at $4.8/bushel, up $0.0475 from yesterday's close. Jul 26 Wheat closed at $6.79/bushel, up $0.45 from yesterday's close. Jul 26 Soybeans closed at $12.2675/bushel, up $0.1375 from yesterday's close. Jul 26 Soymeal closed at $328.4/short ton, up $3.6 from yes...
U.S. to Temporarily Suspend TRQs on Over-Quota Tariffs on Beef
The Trump Administration is planning a suspension of tariff rate quotas (TRQs) on beef from all exporters for 200 days as a means to address high beef prices in the U.S. U.S. cattle and beef prices have increased based on exceptionally strong consumer demand, the smallest U.S. cattle herd in 75...
Livestock Industry Margins
Beef packer margins deteriorated to -$208/head last week, down $24 from the prior week as higher fed cattle prices continued to outpace wholesale beef values. The Choice cutout held near $389/cwt, but fed cattle prices climbed to nearly $259/cwt, extending the seasonal squeeze on packer spreads...
Market Commentary: Risks Abound During Headline Week
What You Need to Know Today: Energy markets are sharply higher after President Trump rejected a weekend Iranian counter proposal that did not include limits on the country’s nuclear program. The ceasefire looks increasingly fragile, with energy markets unlikely to return to normal soon...
Policy Potpourri
Tax Policy Teed Up The debate over taxes on billionaires is heating up a larger fight over tax policy for the next U.S. Congress. This is good news because a fight solely over whether the wealthy are evil overlooks many larger issues plaguing the system. The journalist Josh Barro says that ever...
DOJ USDA Give Update on Antitrust Investigation into Beef Packing
At a joint press conference last week between the Department of Justice and USDA, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that he and Rollins were present to “... talk about our progress here at the Justice Department to hold meat packers accountable.” The structure of the beef...
WPI Crop Progress and Conditions App (Updated 11 May)
Update for 6 April 2025: Last year, users pointed out differences between the 5-year averages reported in this app and what USDA estimates in its weekly report. The difference exists because WPI calculates average based on the last 5 years of observations for the current week. In cases where ob...
Summary of Futures
Jul 26 Corn closed at $4.7525/bushel, up $0.04 from yesterday's close. Jul 26 Wheat closed at $6.34/bushel, up $0.15 from yesterday's close. Jul 26 Soybeans closed at $12.13/bushel, up $0.05 from yesterday's close. Jul 26 Soymeal closed at $324.8/short ton, up $5.1 from yester...
CFTC COT Report Analysis
Friday’s CFTC report showed funds adding to net long positions across the major ag futures contracts for the third straight week as weather concerns sustained risk-on buying. Funds added 97,000 contracts (9.8 percent) to their all-ags net long position last week, essentially reversing the...
Market Commentary: Equities Easily Outperform Ags
What You Need to Know Today Ag markets have placed bets on new soybean demand from China after next week’s Xi-Trump meeting. While the media predicts no major deals or agreements, Beijing sees Trump as transactional so it will “buy” some stability, and soybeans are relatively...
Summary of Futures
Jul 26 Corn closed at $4.7125/bushel, up $0.0375 from yesterday's close. Jul 26 Wheat closed at $6.19/bushel, up $0.0675 from yesterday's close. Jul 26 Soybeans closed at $12.08/bushel, up $0.1575 from yesterday's close. Jul 26 Soymeal closed at $319.7/short ton, up $0.8 from...
Solid Jobs Report, but the Devil is in the Details
Nonfarm payrolls rose 115,000 in April, beating the consensus expectation for a gain of 65,000. Payroll gains for February and March were revised down by a combined 16,000, resulting in a net gain of 99,000, including revisions. The largest increases in April were health care and social a...
Al Gore and the Unidentified Opportunity Costs
Twenty years ago, An Inconvenient Truth helped bring climate risk into the public foreground. Al Gore’s film and book contributed to a transformation in how climate change was understood, moving it from a largely scientific discussion into a broad political and cultural movement. Its infl...
Market Commentary: Prices Slide on a Hiatus in the Market
What You Need to Know Today Agricultural futures spent a third straight session mostly lower after partially recovering from morning lows. The war in Iran continues to drive energy markets with spillover into ags. After two days lower, crude oil turned higher after Iran demanded unlikely...
Summary of Futures
Jul 26 Corn closed at $4.675/bushel, down $0.01 from yesterday's close. Jul 26 Wheat closed at $6.1225/bushel, down $0.05 from yesterday's close. Jul 26 Soybeans closed at $11.9225/bushel, down $0.025 from yesterday's close. Jul 26 Soymeal closed at $318.9/short ton, up $1.6 f...
Livestock Round Up: Summer Grilling Season and Exports
It is now May, the kick-off of the retail meat demand surge, and a shift in the types of products. There are a variety of events that result in a notable spike in spending. First, just passed, is Cinco de Mayo, on 5 May, in which shoppers seek out such items as taco fixings and ready-to-heat me...
Transportation Perspectives - 7 May
WPI has officially launched Transportation Perspectives as a standalone weekly report separate from our Ag Perspectives articles and analysis. Current Ag Perspectives subscribers will have gratis access to the report through 16 April 2026. Please email us or subscribe o...
Market Commentary: War Premium Out. Weather Premium Next?
Key Market Insights Macros: Macro markets traded a sharp shift in tone Wednesday as traders aggressively pulled risk premium from the market on growing optimism surrounding a possible U.S.–Iran agreement. Crude oil briefly traded back below $89/barrel while the NASDAQ and S&P 500 push...
Dressed Carcass Politicians
Gutless politicians are an unsurprising feature, but are nonetheless disappointing. Their constituents often do not care why beef prices are high; they just want them lowered. And if there is no easy solution, then the politician’s goal is to deflect the criticism toward anyone else, whet...
Livestock Industry Margins
Beef packer margins deteriorated to -$184/head last week, down $84 from the prior week as sharply higher fed cattle prices outpaced a modest rebound in the Choice cutout. The cutout firmed to $388/cwt, but fed cattle prices surged to nearly $255/cwt, continuing to compress packer spreads despit...
Summary of Futures
Jul 26 Corn closed at $4.685/bushel, down $0.115 from yesterday's close. Jul 26 Wheat closed at $6.1725/bushel, down $0.105 from yesterday's close. Jul 26 Soybeans closed at $11.9475/bushel, down $0.1675 from yesterday's close. Jul 26 Soymeal closed at $317.3/short ton, down $...
AP Quant: WASDE Wheat
WPI offers the following PDF of key supply and demand tables and charts relating to the USDA’s latest WASDE report. This is not an all-inclusive compilation of relevant market factors, only those which we feel are of top priority. WPI will seek to expand the offerings in this report and w...
AP Quant: WASDE Soybeans
WPI offers the following PDF of key supply and demand tables and charts relating to the USDA’s latest WASDE report. This is not an all-inclusive compilation of relevant market factors, only those which we feel are of top priority. WPI will seek to expand the offerings in this report and w...
AP Quant: WASDE Corn
WPI offers the following PDF of key supply and demand tables and charts relating to the USDA’s latest WASDE report. This is not an all-inclusive compilation of relevant market factors, only those which we feel are of top priority. WPI will seek to expand the offerings in this report and w...
Summary of Futures
Jul 26 Corn closed at $4.8/bushel, up $0.0475 from yesterday's close. Jul 26 Wheat closed at $6.79/bushel, up $0.45 from yesterday's close. Jul 26 Soybeans closed at $12.2675/bushel, up $0.1375 from yesterday's close. Jul 26 Soymeal closed at $328.4/short ton, up $3.6 from yes...
U.S. to Temporarily Suspend TRQs on Over-Quota Tariffs on Beef
The Trump Administration is planning a suspension of tariff rate quotas (TRQs) on beef from all exporters for 200 days as a means to address high beef prices in the U.S. U.S. cattle and beef prices have increased based on exceptionally strong consumer demand, the smallest U.S. cattle herd in 75...
Livestock Industry Margins
Beef packer margins deteriorated to -$208/head last week, down $24 from the prior week as higher fed cattle prices continued to outpace wholesale beef values. The Choice cutout held near $389/cwt, but fed cattle prices climbed to nearly $259/cwt, extending the seasonal squeeze on packer spreads...
Market Commentary: Risks Abound During Headline Week
What You Need to Know Today: Energy markets are sharply higher after President Trump rejected a weekend Iranian counter proposal that did not include limits on the country’s nuclear program. The ceasefire looks increasingly fragile, with energy markets unlikely to return to normal soon...
Policy Potpourri
Tax Policy Teed Up The debate over taxes on billionaires is heating up a larger fight over tax policy for the next U.S. Congress. This is good news because a fight solely over whether the wealthy are evil overlooks many larger issues plaguing the system. The journalist Josh Barro says that ever...
DOJ USDA Give Update on Antitrust Investigation into Beef Packing
At a joint press conference last week between the Department of Justice and USDA, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that he and Rollins were present to “... talk about our progress here at the Justice Department to hold meat packers accountable.” The structure of the beef...
WPI Crop Progress and Conditions App (Updated 11 May)
Update for 6 April 2025: Last year, users pointed out differences between the 5-year averages reported in this app and what USDA estimates in its weekly report. The difference exists because WPI calculates average based on the last 5 years of observations for the current week. In cases where ob...
Summary of Futures
Jul 26 Corn closed at $4.7525/bushel, up $0.04 from yesterday's close. Jul 26 Wheat closed at $6.34/bushel, up $0.15 from yesterday's close. Jul 26 Soybeans closed at $12.13/bushel, up $0.05 from yesterday's close. Jul 26 Soymeal closed at $324.8/short ton, up $5.1 from yester...
CFTC COT Report Analysis
Friday’s CFTC report showed funds adding to net long positions across the major ag futures contracts for the third straight week as weather concerns sustained risk-on buying. Funds added 97,000 contracts (9.8 percent) to their all-ags net long position last week, essentially reversing the...
Market Commentary: Equities Easily Outperform Ags
What You Need to Know Today Ag markets have placed bets on new soybean demand from China after next week’s Xi-Trump meeting. While the media predicts no major deals or agreements, Beijing sees Trump as transactional so it will “buy” some stability, and soybeans are relatively...
Summary of Futures
Jul 26 Corn closed at $4.7125/bushel, up $0.0375 from yesterday's close. Jul 26 Wheat closed at $6.19/bushel, up $0.0675 from yesterday's close. Jul 26 Soybeans closed at $12.08/bushel, up $0.1575 from yesterday's close. Jul 26 Soymeal closed at $319.7/short ton, up $0.8 from...
Solid Jobs Report, but the Devil is in the Details
Nonfarm payrolls rose 115,000 in April, beating the consensus expectation for a gain of 65,000. Payroll gains for February and March were revised down by a combined 16,000, resulting in a net gain of 99,000, including revisions. The largest increases in April were health care and social a...
Al Gore and the Unidentified Opportunity Costs
Twenty years ago, An Inconvenient Truth helped bring climate risk into the public foreground. Al Gore’s film and book contributed to a transformation in how climate change was understood, moving it from a largely scientific discussion into a broad political and cultural movement. Its infl...
Market Commentary: Prices Slide on a Hiatus in the Market
What You Need to Know Today Agricultural futures spent a third straight session mostly lower after partially recovering from morning lows. The war in Iran continues to drive energy markets with spillover into ags. After two days lower, crude oil turned higher after Iran demanded unlikely...
Summary of Futures
Jul 26 Corn closed at $4.675/bushel, down $0.01 from yesterday's close. Jul 26 Wheat closed at $6.1225/bushel, down $0.05 from yesterday's close. Jul 26 Soybeans closed at $11.9225/bushel, down $0.025 from yesterday's close. Jul 26 Soymeal closed at $318.9/short ton, up $1.6 f...
Livestock Round Up: Summer Grilling Season and Exports
It is now May, the kick-off of the retail meat demand surge, and a shift in the types of products. There are a variety of events that result in a notable spike in spending. First, just passed, is Cinco de Mayo, on 5 May, in which shoppers seek out such items as taco fixings and ready-to-heat me...
Transportation Perspectives - 7 May
WPI has officially launched Transportation Perspectives as a standalone weekly report separate from our Ag Perspectives articles and analysis. Current Ag Perspectives subscribers will have gratis access to the report through 16 April 2026. Please email us or subscribe o...
Market Commentary: War Premium Out. Weather Premium Next?
Key Market Insights Macros: Macro markets traded a sharp shift in tone Wednesday as traders aggressively pulled risk premium from the market on growing optimism surrounding a possible U.S.–Iran agreement. Crude oil briefly traded back below $89/barrel while the NASDAQ and S&P 500 push...
Dressed Carcass Politicians
Gutless politicians are an unsurprising feature, but are nonetheless disappointing. Their constituents often do not care why beef prices are high; they just want them lowered. And if there is no easy solution, then the politician’s goal is to deflect the criticism toward anyone else, whet...
Livestock Industry Margins
Beef packer margins deteriorated to -$184/head last week, down $84 from the prior week as sharply higher fed cattle prices outpaced a modest rebound in the Choice cutout. The cutout firmed to $388/cwt, but fed cattle prices surged to nearly $255/cwt, continuing to compress packer spreads despit...
Summary of Futures
Jul 26 Corn closed at $4.685/bushel, down $0.115 from yesterday's close. Jul 26 Wheat closed at $6.1725/bushel, down $0.105 from yesterday's close. Jul 26 Soybeans closed at $11.9475/bushel, down $0.1675 from yesterday's close. Jul 26 Soymeal closed at $317.3/short ton, down $...