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The release of an economic data report can dramatically increase the degree of volatility facing a broad spectrum of asset classes. Metals, energies, currencies, and agricultural futures contracts are susceptible to wild swings in pricing following an official announcement.
The production of ag commodities is more than just a business, it’s a lifestyle. Whether a producer is cultivating grains, nurturing livestock, or processing dairy goods, efficiently delivering a tangible product to market is the name of the game.
Energy costs are an unavoidable reality facing a broad spectrum of industries. For example, if you’re involved in transportation, agriculture, or even retail, it’s likely that you have a line item on the monthly budget exclusively for energy.
One of the most unpredictable and influential factors facing economic output is the weather. Natural disasters, abnormal seasonal extremes, and even unexpected precipitation levels can have dramatic consequences on both industry and consumption.
From a production standpoint, it’s an undeniable truth that core-business proficiency is crucial to staying profitable over the long haul. Whether you’re marketing energies, metals, or agricultural products, efficiency is a primary determinant of your success.
The relationship between the cash value of a commodity and its counterpart in the futures market can be complicated. Depending upon the product and market being traded, strategies to capitalize upon the correlation may be equally complex or relatively simple. The modern futures marketplace gives producers and processors the ability to efficiently mitigate risk through “hedging” the value of their products.
After a market becomes parabolic on news or events, unfounded or not, it may not necessarily retrace to prior price levels. Or at least retrace even in the expected timeframe. There may be actual underlying fundamental or technical reasons for such a move that comes to light in the after math. However, if you can identify low cost and low risk opportunities you may be able to take advantage of a potential retracement. Look no further than the recent hurricane season.
Politics and commerce often collide, leaving the business community mulling uncertainty while preparing for fallout. With the election of pro-business candidate Donald J. Trump to the U.S. presidency, foreign trade policy was slated to undergo intense scrutiny. A focal point of the new administration was to be a swift reduction of the U.S.–China trade imbalance.
The introduction of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in the mid 1990s marked the beginning of current U.S.–Mexico economic relations. With a legislative backdrop conducive to the free-flow of imports and exports across the U.S. southern border, both countries were in a position to expand economically through broadened regulatory cooperation.
CORN Corn futures posted a solid close on Friday, despite the higher than expected acreage figure. We continued to trade higher in the overnight session. Weather was getting the attention of traders and that helped to support the market. Crop condition ratings will be updated on Wednesday morning. Expectations are for steady to lower conditions… Read more.