CBOT July 2020 wheat with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat declines as USDA estimates record global stocks

Corn gains on ethanol estimates; soybean traders eye Chinese demand

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat futures slid on Thursday after the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated global stocks were at a record high in its monthly supply and demand report, traders said. Soybean futures ended nearly unchanged as the USDA lowered export expectations, even after recent purchases from China supported prices. Corn advanced as […] Read more



Money held in mutual funds dwarfs the rapidly growing exchange-traded funds industry.

Utilizing exchange-traded funds in an investment portfolio

Buy broad indexes and hold for long periods of time

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) came into existence in the 1990s in response to the high fees of the mutual fund industry. They provide broad diversification and are traded like stocks. The original premise of ETFs is because the vast majority of mutual fund managers fail to outperform the market, it’s best to simply invest in the […] Read more

(USDA.gov via Flickr)

CBOT weekly outlook: Global grain stocks exert pressure

MarketsFarm — A forecast of sizeable global ending stocks is weighing on values at the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), according to Terry Reilly, senior commodity analyst for Futures International in Chicago. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Tuesday issued its monthly supply and demand report in which it forecast global corn carryout to […] Read more


CBOT July 2020 corn with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn up despite USDA forecast for ballooning stocks

Soybeans drift lower; wheat weaker on improving crop weather

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago corn ended higher on Tuesday after the U.S. Department of Agriculture forecast U.S. corn stockpiles would top 3.3 billion bushels by the end of the 2020-21 marketing year, a 33-year high that nonetheless fell below an average of trade expectations. USDA’s forecast for 2019-20 corn ending stocks, at 2.098 billion […] Read more

CBOT July 2020 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans up on export demand

USDA data awaited

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures firmed on Monday, reaching a 3-1/2 week high on fresh export sales to top global buyer China, traders said. Corn and wheat futures drifted lower as traders adjusted positions a day ahead of a monthly supply/demand report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in which analysts expect the […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Tighter canola stocks, more wheat in updated ag department tables

MarketsFarm — Updated supply/demand tables released by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada on Wednesday include only minor adjustments to stocks and usage numbers, with slightly tighter canola ending stocks and a small increase in wheat supplies. Canola ending stocks for 2020-21 are forecast at 2.7 million tonnes in the updated tables. That would be down from […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Pandemic to delay StatsCan’s agriculture reports

MarketsFarm — Farmers, commodity traders and market analysts will have to wait a while for agriculture-related reports from Statistics Canada in 2020. The main reason for the delay is the COVID-19 pandemic, said John Seay, an analyst with StatsCan’s agriculture, energy, environment and transportation statistics branch in Ottawa. “Given the COVID-19 outbreak, senior management is […] Read more


New-crop CBOT December 2020 corn with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn drops after USDA pegs plantings above expectations

USDA forecasts largest U.S. corn acres in eight years

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures settled lower on Tuesday after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) forecast 2020 plantings at the largest in eight years, well above trade expectations, while soybeans firmed on a lower-than-anticipated acreage outlook. A tighter-than-expected USDA quarterly corn stocks estimate limited losses, but most contracts notched life-of-contract lows after […] Read more

(USDA.gov via Flickr)

U.S. projects wheat acres at record lows, increases for soy, corn

Grain stocks as of March 1 down on year

MarketsFarm — As with last year, total wheat acres in the United States are projected to remain at all-time lows, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The department issued its prospective plantings estimates Tuesday. MarketsFarm director of markets and weather Bruce Burnett called USDA’s wheat and soybean estimates positive, while he said its […] Read more