Livestock Industry Margins
Beef packer margins plunged $105/head last week to $36/head as higher cattle prices combined with declining wholesale beef values to sharply compress packer profits. Fed cattle prices rose nearly $3/cwt to $227/cwt while the Choice cutout fell $4.75/cwt to $368/cwt. Margins have deteriorated $1...
Summary of Futures
Dec 26 Corn closed at $4.55/bushel, down $0.01 from yesterday's close. Dec 26 Wheat closed at $6.16/bushel, down $0.09 from yesterday's close. Nov 26 Soybeans closed at $12.4125/bushel, down $0.1525 from yesterday's close. Dec 26 Soymeal closed at $340.2/short ton, down $5.9 f...
Market Commentary: Brazil’s Election Results Have Broader Market Implications
What You Need to Know Today: Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva secured reelection on Sunday, defeating right-wing Senator Flávio Bolsonaro despite trailing in the first round of voting. The surprise victory triggered a sharp selloff in Brazilian financial market...
Congressional Flip May Hinge on Agriculture
The 2026 midterm elections are a week from tomorrow, but early voting has been taking place for weeks. At stake is control of Congress, including the House of Representatives, where all 435 seats are contested, and the Senate, where approximately one-third of the seats are up for election. Farm...
2027 Acreage Outlook: Oilseed Expansion Continues
Key Takeaways: Total U.S. crop acres (excluding hay) are forecast to expand fractionally this year due to greater oilseed crop and winter wheat plantings. One of the key drivers of this year’s crop outlook is input costs, and crops with a lower cost profile have an advantage in producers...
Market Commentary: CBOT Ends Bearish Week on a Mixed Note; Bullish COF and Cold Storage Data
What You Need to Know Today: Crude oil prices extended their rally today, supported by several developments, including escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabian oil infrastructure and growing concerns about supply disruptions. The Trump administration is reportedly preparing to remove 50 perc...
The Ag Trade Balance: Gradually and Suddenly
Key Takeaways: The agricultural trade surplus has become a sizable deficit: the balance swung from a $40.1 billion surplus in 2011 to a $40.7 billion deficit in 2025. Imports kept growing while exports lost momentum: between 2020 and 2025, agricultural imports increased 45 percent, compa...
Cattle on Feed Report: Record-Low Placements and Marketings Extend Their Streaks
USDA released its October Cattle on Feed report Friday, showing 11.4 million cattle in feedlots with capacity for 1,000 head or more, slightly below last year. September placements were the lowest for the month since records began in 1996, marking the third consecutive month of placements sett...
Cold Storage Report Summary and Analysis
Total Red Meat & Poultry September 2026 total red meat and poultry stocks totaled 1.97 billion pounds, down 1.4 percent from August despite typically increasing 0.8 percent during the month, and were 1.5 percent below September 2025 levels. The decline pushed total inventories to a new five...
CFTC COT Report Analysis
Managed money was a net seller across agricultural markets for the fifth straight week, selling a net 159,000 contracts through Tuesday's reporting deadline and reducing the combined net-long position by 20.1 percent to 633,000 contracts. Corn again accounted for roughly half the weekly selling...
Cattle on Feed - Oct 2026
U.S. Cattle on Feed for the slaughter totaled 11.4 million head on October 1, 2026. Placements in feedlots during September totaled 1.78 million head - 12 percent below 2025. Marketings of cattle during September totaled 1.52 million head - 7 percent below 2025. Marketings were the...
Summary of Futures
Dec 26 Corn closed at $4.56/bushel, down $0.045 from yesterday's close. Dec 26 Wheat closed at $6.25/bushel, up $0.0025 from yesterday's close. Nov 26 Soybeans closed at $12.565/bushel, up $0.035 from yesterday's close. Dec 26 Soymeal closed at $346.1/short ton, down $1.2 from...
Livestock Industry Margins
Beef packer margins plunged $105/head last week to $36/head as higher cattle prices combined with declining wholesale beef values to sharply compress packer profits. Fed cattle prices rose nearly $3/cwt to $227/cwt while the Choice cutout fell $4.75/cwt to $368/cwt. Margins have deteriorated $1...
Summary of Futures
Dec 26 Corn closed at $4.55/bushel, down $0.01 from yesterday's close. Dec 26 Wheat closed at $6.16/bushel, down $0.09 from yesterday's close. Nov 26 Soybeans closed at $12.4125/bushel, down $0.1525 from yesterday's close. Dec 26 Soymeal closed at $340.2/short ton, down $5.9 f...
Market Commentary: Brazil’s Election Results Have Broader Market Implications
What You Need to Know Today: Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva secured reelection on Sunday, defeating right-wing Senator Flávio Bolsonaro despite trailing in the first round of voting. The surprise victory triggered a sharp selloff in Brazilian financial market...
Congressional Flip May Hinge on Agriculture
The 2026 midterm elections are a week from tomorrow, but early voting has been taking place for weeks. At stake is control of Congress, including the House of Representatives, where all 435 seats are contested, and the Senate, where approximately one-third of the seats are up for election. Farm...
2027 Acreage Outlook: Oilseed Expansion Continues
Key Takeaways: Total U.S. crop acres (excluding hay) are forecast to expand fractionally this year due to greater oilseed crop and winter wheat plantings. One of the key drivers of this year’s crop outlook is input costs, and crops with a lower cost profile have an advantage in producers...
Market Commentary: CBOT Ends Bearish Week on a Mixed Note; Bullish COF and Cold Storage Data
What You Need to Know Today: Crude oil prices extended their rally today, supported by several developments, including escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabian oil infrastructure and growing concerns about supply disruptions. The Trump administration is reportedly preparing to remove 50 perc...
The Ag Trade Balance: Gradually and Suddenly
Key Takeaways: The agricultural trade surplus has become a sizable deficit: the balance swung from a $40.1 billion surplus in 2011 to a $40.7 billion deficit in 2025. Imports kept growing while exports lost momentum: between 2020 and 2025, agricultural imports increased 45 percent, compa...
Cattle on Feed Report: Record-Low Placements and Marketings Extend Their Streaks
USDA released its October Cattle on Feed report Friday, showing 11.4 million cattle in feedlots with capacity for 1,000 head or more, slightly below last year. September placements were the lowest for the month since records began in 1996, marking the third consecutive month of placements sett...
Cold Storage Report Summary and Analysis
Total Red Meat & Poultry September 2026 total red meat and poultry stocks totaled 1.97 billion pounds, down 1.4 percent from August despite typically increasing 0.8 percent during the month, and were 1.5 percent below September 2025 levels. The decline pushed total inventories to a new five...
CFTC COT Report Analysis
Managed money was a net seller across agricultural markets for the fifth straight week, selling a net 159,000 contracts through Tuesday's reporting deadline and reducing the combined net-long position by 20.1 percent to 633,000 contracts. Corn again accounted for roughly half the weekly selling...
Cattle on Feed - Oct 2026
U.S. Cattle on Feed for the slaughter totaled 11.4 million head on October 1, 2026. Placements in feedlots during September totaled 1.78 million head - 12 percent below 2025. Marketings of cattle during September totaled 1.52 million head - 7 percent below 2025. Marketings were the...
Summary of Futures
Dec 26 Corn closed at $4.56/bushel, down $0.045 from yesterday's close. Dec 26 Wheat closed at $6.25/bushel, up $0.0025 from yesterday's close. Nov 26 Soybeans closed at $12.565/bushel, up $0.035 from yesterday's close. Dec 26 Soymeal closed at $346.1/short ton, down $1.2 from...