Market to Market - Market Analysis

The grain markets finished in the green despite calls by commodity traders to be cautious due to the scarce details of the 90-day trade war truce. For the week, shortened by one day to honor the late President George H.W. Bush, March wheat gained 16 cents and the nearby corn contract rose 8 cents. Soybean bulls ignored trade tensions as the January contract bumped up 22 cents. The January meal contract followed along moving up 70 cents per ton. March cotton added $1.32 per hundredweight. Over in the dairy parlor, January Class III milk futures fell 41 cents. The livestock market was mixed.

The build up to the G20 summit and export reports were main drivers in the commodity trade. For the week, March wheat gained 9 cents and the nearby corn contract increased 7 cents. The soy complex shook off Monday’s bearish outlook for the G20 to move the January contract higher by 14 cents. January meal improved $2.50 per ton. March cotton added $1.69 per hundredweight. Over in the dairy parlor, December Class III milk futures fell 23 cents. The livestock market was mixed. February cattle went up $3.40. January feeders plummeted $4.15. And February lean hog contract retreated $1.20.

We are producing this episode ahead of Thanksgiving to allow our production staff a chance to enjoy the holiday with friends and family. As of Wednesday, December wheat fell 8 cents and the nearby corn contract declined 3 cents. The soy complex mirrored the news surrounding trade talks with China as January soybeans dropped 9 cents. The December meal contract shed $4.30 per ton. March cotton improved 49 cents per hundredweight. Over in the dairy parlor, December Class III milk futures plummeted 61 cents.

Pre-G20 positioning provided both optimism and pessimism on the trade this week as harvest neared completion. For the week, December wheat improved a nickel and the nearby corn contract fell 5 cents. The January soybean contract surged on news of China’s written response to U.S. trade demands but was off-set by the biggest single-month crush on record to end the week up 6 cents. The December soybean meal contract increased $5.30 per ton. March cotton finished $1.57 lower per hundredweight. Over in the dairy parlor, December Class III milk futures added 42 cents.

Announcer: Next, the market to market report.

A phone call between world leaders, lackluster exports and election week eve moved the commodity markets mostly higher. For the week, December wheat gained 4 cents, and the nearby corn contract rose 4 cents. The January soybean contract added 30 cents as President Trump told the nation he had discussed trade issues during a phone call with China’s President Xi. The December soybean meal contract bumped up $3.70 per ton. December cotton finished 26 cents higher per hundredweight. Over in the dairy parlor, December Class III milk futures lost five cents.

Weather, lack of demand and weakness in the equity markets pushed the bulk of the grain markets lower. For the week, December wheat lost a dime, and the nearby corn contract found a floor and bounced back to finish nearly even with last week’s close. The January soybean contract dropped 13 cents as the oilseed market continues to suffer from the loss of Chinese demand. The December soybean meal contract dropped $5.80 per ton. December cotton finished 61 cents higher per hundredweight lower. Over in the dairy parlor, December Class III milk futures fell 26 cents.

Delaney Howell:               Weather cancellation of exports to destinations unknown and a South American trucker strike pushed the commodity markets lower. For the week, December wheat lost three cents and the nearby corn contract fell seven cents. The November soybean contract sank eleven cents as news of an Argentine trucker's strike did little to hold back the effects of good harvest weather and canceled Chinese orders. The December soybean meal contract followed along dropping $380 per ton. December cotton finished forty five cents per hundred weight lower.

Howell:                                 Wet weather a government report and a potential meetup between leaders of the world's most powerful economies made for mixed commodity markets. For the week, December, wheat lost four cents and the nearby corn contract gained 6 cents. November soybeans were down 15 cents mid session, but managed to fight off a bearish was due to finish flat. News that president trump, and Xi would meet next month was a contributing factor as well. The December soybean meal contract fell $2.70 per ton.

Announcer:                        Next, the Market to Market report.

Market to Market #4406 transcript Announcer:                        This is the Friday, September 28 edition of market to market, the weekly Journal of Rural America.

Delaney Howell:  This is the Friday, September 21st, 2018 version of the market analysis segment from Market to Market. Trade winds and harvest bins coupled with export transactions, powered the sale of commodities. For the week, December, we gained a dime while the nearby corn contract increased six cents. Expanded sales to Europe along with Argentine buying pushed the November soybean contract seventeen cents higher. The December soybean meal contract added twenty cents per ton. December cotton declined 2.70 per hundred weight.

Delaney Howell: This is the Friday, September 14th, 2018 version of the Market Analysis segment from Market to Market. Joining us now to offer insight on these and other trends is one of our regular market analysts, Brian Roach. Brian, welcome back. Brian Roach: Thanks for having me.

Delaney Howell: President Trump has yet to drop the hammer on nearly $500 billion dollars in tariffs. The commodity markets chewed on this fact in private harvest projections. For the week December wheat plunged thirty four cents while the nearby corn contract rose 2 cents. Private yield estimates helped push the November soybean market lower during the week only to return to the starting line by the final session. Soybean meal went the opposite direction, as the December contract gained $9.80 per ton. December cotton shrank 23 cents per hundred weight.

News of trade talks and the continued prospect of burdensome supplies left the commodity markets mixed just before the start of the Labor Day weekend. For the week, December wheat gained 9 cents, while the nearby corn contract rose 2 cents. A lack of movement in Chinese trade negotiations helped cut 12 cents from the November soybean contract. Soybean meal continued its downturn as the December contract fell $9.10 per ton. December cotton continued to rally rising 59 cents per hundred weight. Over in the dairy parlor, September Class III milk futures gained 34 cents.