CME August 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures end lower ahead of weekend

CME lean hogs mostly up

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures retreated on Friday in a profit-taking and technical selling setback ahead of the weekend amid weakening beef prices and concerns about lower-than-normal summer demand as much of the economy remains partially closed. Lean hog futures clawed back earlier losses to end mostly higher as an early drop […] Read more

CME July 2020 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs lower on China tensions

CME live cattle futures mostly higher

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures dropped by as much as the daily trading limit on Thursday on worries that rising tensions between Washington and Beijing could limit U.S. pork purchases by China, the world’s largest pork consumer. Sino-U.S. relations have worsened as the White House has threatened China with sanctions over its […] Read more


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

U.S. grains: Corn, wheat up as weather, currency spark short-covering

Hong Kong row tempers hopes of China demand for U.S. soy

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures jumped on Thursday to a five-week high as a weaker dollar, forecasts for hotter, drier weather in the Midwest corn belt and a further rebound in ethanol production triggered bargain buying and short-covering by managed funds. Wheat futures also rallied on expanding dryness across the Plains wheat belt […] Read more

CBOT July 2020 soybeans with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans firm on slowed planting progress

Wheat rangebound as Northern Hemisphere weather watched

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures firmed on Wednesday as a slowdown in plantings in the Midwest and forecasts for more disruptive weather lifted prices to two-week highs, although technical selling kept a lid on gains. Corn also edged higher after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported slower-than-anticipated planting in a weekly crop […] Read more

CME June 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle rise on economic optimism, discount to cash prices

U.S.-China tensions keep hogs in check

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle futures rallied for a second straight day on Wednesday as easing coronavirus restrictions around the country bolstered optimism about the outlook for the economy and beef demand. U.S. stocks rose, with the S+P 500 closing above 3,000 for the first time since March 5, as further easing of lockdowns […] Read more


CME August 2020 feeder cattle with 10-, 20- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle, hog futures follow equities higher

August feeder cattle close limit-up

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle and hog futures rallied on Tuesday in tandem with rising stock markets as optimism about developing coronavirus vaccines and the revival of business activity buoyed livestock markets battered by the coronavirus pandemic. Supportive cattle and meat supply data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture late last week showing accelerated […] Read more

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

U.S. grains: Soybeans firm on China demand, economic optimism

Equities rally as economies reopen, dollar eases

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures firmed and soybeans posted their strongest advance in a month on Tuesday as rising equities and energy markets and a weakening U.S. dollar triggered short-covering in commodities battered by the coronavirus pandemic. Wheat followed corn and soy higher but reversed course amid forecasts for crop-boosting rains in rival […] Read more

Cargill-led fund to pay U.S. farmers for carbon capture

Cargill-led fund to pay U.S. farmers for carbon capture

Reuters – Global commodities trader Cargill Inc. starting this spring plans to pay American farmers for capturing carbon in their field soils and reducing fertilizer runoff, an executive said. The Soil and Water Outcomes Fund, a partnership with the Iowa Soybean Association and third-party verification company Quantified Ventures, will then sell the environmental credits created […] Read more


CME June 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: June cattle limit up on surging beef prices, meat shortages

Lean hogs down on profit-taking

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures surged by their daily trading limits for a second straight session on Thursday on soaring beef prices and concerns about meat shortages because of recent packing plant closures due to the coronavirus. Shuttered slaughterhouses across North America due to the pandemic have left ranchers nowhere to ship […] Read more

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

U.S. grains: Futures rebound on Chinese buying, Midwest frost concerns

Freezing forecast raises concern about Midwest crops

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. grain and soybean futures prices rebounded on Thursday on renewed Chinese buying of corn and soy and as forecasts for sub-freezing temperatures across the country stoked concerns that some vulnerable crops may sustain damage. Gains, however, were tempered by plentiful supplies and worries about demand as traders started positioning ahead […] Read more