China keeps canceling, weighing on wheat

Recap for March 14

• Wheat futures declined Thursday under pressure from the latest China wheat cancellation, this time an Australian purchase. Additional pressure from a lackluster export sales report pushed wheat near the lowest levels since 2020 and dragged corn lower in spillover weakness. Short covering contributed to soybean futures’ volatile day, one that ended with declines attributed to profit taking. May corn dropped 7½¢ to close at $4.33¾ per bu. Chicago May wheat was down 12¢ to close at $5.32¼ per bu. Kansas City May wheat dropped 12¾¢ to close at $5.74¾ per bu. Minneapolis May wheat lost 8¼¢ and closed at $6.55¼ per bu. May soybeans eased 1½¢ to close at $11.95¼ per bu, but August and beyond were higher. May soybean meal added $1 to close at $337.40 per ton. May soybean oil fell 0.18¢ to close at 48.39¢ a lb.

• US equity indices closed lower Thursday after a Department of Labor report indicated producer prices rose 0.6% in February from the prior month, more than the 0.3% increase economists had projected, on the heels of Tuesday’s data indicating consumer prices climbed more than forecast over the past year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 137.66 points, or 0.35%, to close at 38,905.66. The Standard & Poor’s 500 pared 14.83 points, or 0.29%, to close at 5,150.48. The Nasdaq Composite shed 49.24 points, or 0.3%, to close at 16,128.53. 

• US crude oil prices were higher Thursday. The April West Texas Intermediate light, sweet crude future added $1.54 to close at $81.26 per barrel. 

• The US dollar index strengthened on Thursday. 

• US gold futures flipped direction again Thursday. The April contract declined $13.30 to close at $2,167.50 per oz.

Recap for March 13

• Wheat futures were mostly lower Wednesday, pressured by substantial global supplies. Corn futures were mostly flat, notching only modest gains on concerns of weather negatively impacting Brazil’s main corn crop. Soybean futures were mixed, with front-end months supported by delayed harvests in Argentina, but abundant South American supplies weighed on later months. May corn slipped ½¢ to close at $4.41¼ per bu; later months narrowly mixed. Chicago May wheat was down 3¼¢ to close at $5.44¼ per bu; later months were mixed, mostly lower. Kansas City May wheat dropped 9¾¢ to close at $5.87½ per bu. Minneapolis May wheat lost 8½¢ and closed at $6.63½ per bu. May soybeans gained ¾¢ to close at $11.96¾ per bu, but September and beyond were lower. May soybean meal lost $2.80 to close at $336.40 per ton. May soybean oil advanced 0.75¢ to close at 48.57¢ a lb.

• A drop in technology company shares, including Intel, Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices sent the S&P 500 and Nasdaq indexes lower Wednesday while the Dow industrials index posted a gain as traders continued to digest the latest inflation reports. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 37.83 points, or 0.1%, to close at 39,043.32. The Standard & Poor’s 500 eased 9.96 points, or 0.19%, to close at 5,165.31. The Nasdaq Composite pared 87.87 points, or 0.54%, to close at 16,177.77. 

• US crude oil prices were higher Wednesday. The April West Texas Intermediate light, sweet crude future added $2.16 to close at $79.72 per barrel. 

• The US dollar index closed lower Wednesday. 

• US gold futures reverted to a high-side move Wednesday. The April contract added $14.70 to close at $2,180.80 per oz.

Recap for March 12

• Despite data indicating the latest CPI numbers were hotter-than-expected, major US equity indexes closed higher Tuesday with the S&P 500 notching its 17th record high of 2024. While the latest inflation reading was higher than expected, it wasn’t as high as investors had feared, and many continue to expect cuts to interest rates will begin sometime this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 235.83 points, or 0.61%, to close at 39,005.49. The Standard & Poor’s 500 gained 57.33 points, or 1.12%, to close at 5,175.27. The Nasdaq Composite jumped 246.36 points, or 1.54%, to close at 16,265.64. 

• Soybean futures jumped Tuesday on short-covering and technical trading. Meanwhile, wheat futures were mixed, still drawing strength from technical positioning and short covering, but analysts indicated market fundamentals were weak. Corn futures were mostly flat. May corn was steady at $4.41¾ per bu; later months were steady to narrowly mixed. Chicago May wheat gained ¼¢ to close at $5.47½ per bu, but later months were lower. Kansas City May wheat ticked down 1½¢ to close at $5.97¼ per bu; later months were mixed in a narrow range. Minneapolis May wheat added 2¢ and closed at $6.72 per bu. May soybeans jumped 16¾¢ to close at $11.96 per bu. May soybean meal added $2 to close at $339.20 per ton. May soybean oil advanced 1.18¢ to close at 47.82¢ a lb.

• US crude oil prices were lower Tuesday. The April West Texas Intermediate light, sweet crude future eased 37¢ to close at $77.56 per barrel. 

• The US dollar index closed higher again on Tuesday. 

• US gold futures paused their meteoric rise and closed lower Tuesday. The April contract fell $22.50 to close at $2,166.10 per oz.

Recap for March 11

• A significant round of technical positioning and bargain buying helped push wheat futures higher Monday despite pressures from a third cancellation of US soft red winter wheat sales by China, bringing the total voided sum to 504,000 tonnes, nearly a third of what China purchased late last year. Ideas were traders already had factored in the cancellations and may be expecting more. Corn futures firmed on spillover support from wheat. But soybean futures settled lower, pressured by ample production in South America. The May corn future edged up 2¢ to close at $4.41¾ per bu. Chicago May wheat gained 9½¢ to close at $5.47¼ per bu. Kansas City May wheat jumped 10¢ to close at $5.98¾ per bu. Minneapolis May wheat added 7¼¢ and closed at $6.70 per bu. May soybeans slipped 4¾¢ to close at $11.79¼ per bu. May soybean meal lost $4.20 to close at $337.20 per ton. May soybean oil added 0.47¢ to close at 46.64¢ a lb.

• Major US equity indexes were mixed Monday as traders processed economic signals ahead of key inflation data, which likely will determine the extent and start of potential interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 46.97 points, or 0.12%, to close at 38,769.66. The Standard & Poor’s 500 lost 5.75 points, or 0.11%, to close at 5,111.94. The Nasdaq Composite dropped 65.84 points, or 0.41%, to close at 16,019.27. 

• US crude oil prices were mixed Monday. The April West Texas Intermediate light, sweet crude future eased 8¢ to close at $77.93 per barrel. Later months edged higher.

• The US dollar index reversed course and closed higher Monday, ending a six-session downward streak. 

• US gold futures continued to rise Monday. The April contract added $3.10 to close at $2,188.60 per oz.

Recap for March 8

• Wheat futures settled higher Friday, despite another cancellation from China of soft red winter wheat sales and a 15-million-bu bump up in total US 2024 wheat carryout by the USDA in the March 8 supply-and-demand report. Traders attributed the rally to bargain buying after futures fell to a fresh 3½-year-low following the cancellation announcement. Corn futures rose to their highest level in nearly a month on technical positioning following the USDA reports. Soybean futures also advanced on short covering ahead of the weekend. The May corn future ticked up 1¾¢ to close at $4.39¾ per bu. Chicago May wheat gained 9¼¢ to close at $5.37¾ per bu. Kansas City May wheat jumped 14¢ to close at $5.88¾ per bu. Minneapolis May wheat added 8¢ and closed at $6.62¾ per bu. May soybeans jumped 17¾¢ higher to close at $11.84 per bu. May soybean meal rose $7 to close at $341.40 per ton. May soybean oil eased 0.18¢ to close at 46.17¢ a lb; later months were narrowly mixed.

• Major US equity indexes closed lower Friday and ended down for the week following mixed signals from the latest US jobs report. US employers added 275,000 jobs in February, sharply higher than the 198,000 jobs expected. But the unemployment rate ticked up to 3.9% while wage growth slowed and strong figures from recent jobs reports were revised downward. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 68.66 points, or 0.18%, to close at 38,722.69. The Standard & Poor’s 500 dropped 33.67 points, or 0.65%, to close at 5,123.69. The Nasdaq Composite fell 188.26 points, or 1.16%, to close at 16,085.11. 

• US crude oil prices eased Friday. The April West Texas Intermediate light, sweet crude future dropped 92¢ to close at $78.01 per barrel.

• The US dollar index closed lower for a sixth consecutive trading day Friday. 

• US gold futures soared higher Friday. The April contract jumped $20.30 to close at $2,185.50 per oz.