Tag: Grains

04 Nov 2022

Agriculture, Corn, Cotton, Dow Jones, Grain, Market Commentary, Market Updates, Research, Risk Management, Soybeans, U.S. Dollar, USDA Report, Weather, Weekly Prices rcmagserv 0 comment

AG MARKET UPDATE: OCTOBER 21 – NOVEMBER 4

Corn had small losses on the week again as it has been range bound the last month. The market holding at this level certainly is not a bad thing when it traded $1 lower than current levels in July, it just needs a catalyst to push it one way or the other. The catalyst could be next week’s USDA Report as there could always be a surprise or two for the market. Many estimates see the USDA raising production from the October estimates, but by how much will be the question. Ultimately with US harvest coming to a close and South America ramping up, the global outlook and weather will begin to dominate the markets. The US will also need plenty of moisture over the coming weeks and winter to 1. Raise river levels to help grain exports and 2. Improve subsoil moisture heading into 2023. Exports remain underwhelming and will likely be lowered for the year in next week’s report.

Unlike Corn, Beans have had a much wider range after an initial flat start to harvest have rallied back hard over the past 2 weeks. This move higher is welcome and appears to be heading toward a test of the highs from early September – can it break through? The USDA report will be the big news next week along with any news out of South America for weather and China potentially coming out of zero covid restrictions. Like corn, the USDA will likely raise US production next week and may lower exports. For any sustained move higher China will need to be a regular buyer and South American conditions would need to become less favorable.

Cotton has had quite the week with 4 days that traded limit up at one point. With a lot of speculative positions in the market being short, this could be seen as a short covering rally as specs must exit their positions before expiration. On the physical side, the global cash market is a mess. Mills have massive inventories of both cotton and converted goods with no companies buying. The lack of buying by apparel companies shows their concern for the holiday season as inflation and market uncertainty will weigh on spending this year.

Equity Markets

The equity markets have gained over the last 2 weeks; however, gains were muted after the Fed raised rates another 75 points earlier this week. This was expected but the comments by chair Powell after they came out were more hawkish than expected setting up an interesting point in next month’s meeting. Powell said the Fed is not likely to slow down yet setting up the potential for another 75 points in December, while analysts were leaning towards 50 before he spoke. The unemployment rate did tick higher in October while many companies also announced hiring freezes and grim outlooks for the first half of 2023. Crude oil spiked back above $90 a barrel on Friday continuing to bolster energy stocks. Midterm elections next week will also be closely watched as it may lay out what, if anything, will be done over the next 2 years.

Drought Monitor

Podcast

Are the Fed’s hikes starting to dampen inflation? Oil, grains, and metals have all fallen from their highs. But the rarely spoken of Cotton market was one of the first to crack…falling from 1.58/lb to 0.95/lb in just a few short days. We’re digging into this sharp drop and just why and how Cotton is involved in seemingly everything with RCM’s very own cotton king, LOGIC advisors Ron Lawson.

In this episode, Ron is giving us the low down on how and why he believes it’s not Dr. Copper which acts as the global economic barometer, but how Cotton is the real Canary and leading indicator on global demand. In between those talks, we’re covering all things Cotton including crop insurance, irrigated vs dry land, the scam that was Pima and Egyptian Cotton, the process of cotton – which countries have it, which want it, ginning it, spinning it, dyeing it, global commodity merchant co’s pushing it around, and even micro-plastics, climate change, and how Cotton always flows to the cheapest labor source. Finally, we’re walking in some high Cotton putting Ron in the hot seat. Will we ever get the growth back? Tune in to get these critical hot takes — SEND IT!

Via Barchart.com

Contact an Ag Specialist Today

Whether you’re a producer, end-user, commercial operator, RCM AG Services helps protect revenues and control costs through its suite of hedging tools and network of buyers/sellers — Contact Ag Specialist Brady Lawrence today at 312-858-4049 or [email protected].

02 Nov 2022

Agriculture, Cash Basis, CME, Grain, Options, Other News, Risk Management rcmagserv 0 comment

So, Harvest is Done, and Your Grain Bins are Full, What Now?

Grain storage has expanded across the country over the last decades as farmers try and time selling to maximize profit potential. While holding the grain until you decide to make a sale is one option, there are several different strategies when it comes to managing the grain. In this short piece we will look at the 4 main strategies and talk about the potential benefits and risks.

1. Hold in bin

As stated above the “sit and hold” method is the most basic and long used method of grain storage. This method makes you long the market as you hope that prices go up from harvest levels over the course of the next year. You are long the market because you will only profit if prices go up, if prices go lower, you miss out on what a sale at harvest could have been.

Here are a few risks that come with this method:

Price deterioration
- If prices for future months is lower, or moves lower before your sale, you miss out on the price difference between harvest price and sale price. There are numerous factors that can cause this making it your biggest risk.
Cost of storage
- Running storage bins to keep the quality of the grain at deliverable levels costs money that will cut into the profit potential the longer it is stored.
Act of God
- While insurance covers AOGs in most situations it is still very much a risk as many farmers face the threat of strong storms and the damage that comes with it.

Now the potential benefits:

Price appreciation
- The price for future months could go higher, by either improving futures prices or improved basis, and you could potentially profit making a sale at a higher price (minus the extra costs of storage)
Taxes
- The timing of sales obviously affects your income, meaning there will always be taxes involved. Pay them now or pay them later…Uncle Sam always wins, but if you can write off against income, DO IT.

These are the basic costs and benefits of this method. While this is the most popular method it does carry the risk of prices falling below your breakeven from factors completely out of your control. Now let’s look at the other methods that involve active risk management.

2. Sell and re-own the board

This strategy is for farmers who do not want to store the grain, or do not have the storage, but don’t want to miss out on the potential of higher prices. You can sell the grain to your preferred elevator (lock in a future delivery or current) and buy futures or options to try and take advantage of a price increase. The downside to this is that if the prices move lower, you lose whatever difference is between your sale and the future price.

Examples:

You sell 10,000 bushels of corn for $6.50 Dec contract with +$0.20 basis for a $6.70 sale. You think prices are going to go up over the winter, so you purchase 2 March futures contracts at the current market value of $6.60. Your hunch was correct and March futures goes up to $7.00 and you take profit on your trade by selling them to capture the $0.40 profit minus fees and commissions*. This makes your corn sale equal to $7.10 ($6.50 sale + $0.40 trade profit + $0.20 basis – minus fees and commissions* = $7.10).

Now suppose you were wrong, and prices go down. Using the same information above but prices of the March contract go lower to $6.20. This would result in a loss of $0.40 plus fees and commissions making the value of your corn sale equal to $6.30 – fees and commissions* ($6.50 sale – $0.40 cent trade loss + $0.20 basis – fees and commissions* = $6.30).

*Fees and commissions vary by broker

If the thought of large losses of sales scares people there are other options, such as using options. You can use option trades to limit the capital risk using specific strategies (not all will limit capital risk as some will increase the loss potential). These strategies are not suitable for all investors and each farmer should discuss the risk associated with such trading with their broker or elevator where they offer. For more information on options click here.

3. Sell for delivery in future month

Some farmers will store the grain themselves after selling it for a future delivery month. This strategy is used by farmers when the price difference is worth the cost of storage or they like the futures price but believe basis will improve. Historically, in a “normal market”, the future months will offer some premium to the current month for the crop marketing year. This is because of the risk and unknowns that are present in the market.

Example:

The March contract for corn is trading 15 cents higher than December. If the farmer can store the grain for less than 15 cents leading up to the delivery period, they would consider this sale to capitalize in the margins.

The other way farmers try to maximize selling for future delivery and storage is basis. Elevators change their basis based upon demand in the area. If farmers like the futures price, but no the basis, they may elect this method hoping basis improves.

4. Hold and sell futures against

The final strategy we will discuss is storing grain, while selling futures against it. Farmers will do this if they think the market price is strong, but the basis is poor, or they are unsure of the price direction but do not want to miss out on current levels. This is a way of locking in the futures price on the bushels while allowing time for basis improvement, but not total price risk. If prices move up from when you sell the futures, what you get paid when you decide to sell the physical grain will make up the difference in what your trade lost. On the other side if the price goes down your trade profit makes up for the difference in the cash price come time of sale.

Example:

A farmer believes basis, currently -$0.20, will improve over the next couple months but is happy with a $6.50 price. They sell $6.50 March futures while storing the grain. They were right and basis is flat come February, but the price fell to $6.40. This would result in a final price of $6.50 for the farmer minus fees and commissions ($0.10 trade profit + $0.00 basis + $6.40 cash price – fees and commissions). If they had just made the sale at the time when basis was -$0.20 they would have only received a price of $6.30.

On the other side if prices had gone up to $7.00 and basis had remained at -$0.20 the farmer would receive that $6.30 price minus fees and commissions ($7.00 price at time of sale to elevator -$0.50 loss from trade – $0.20 basis – fees and commissions = $6.30). If they were right about basis and if did improve to $0.00, then the price they would receive is $6.50 minus fees and commissions ($7.00 price from elevator – $0.50 loss from trade + $0.00 basis – fees and commissions).

This is one of the more straightforward strategies as it establishes the price of the sale limiting market factors to only effect basis.

While there are many strategies farmers employ with their stored grain, these are the most common. Each farmer faces their own unique challenges in producing a crop but the decisions about when and how to sell effects everyone. There is no cookie cutter plan as one strategy may make more sense for one farmer than another, therefore it is important to have a plan. Knowing your breakeven and having a marketing plan and sticking to it are how farmers can be successful year in and year out.

RCM Ag Services offers customized risk management solutions for both cash markets and forward pricing opportunities through futures and options. Contact one of our risk managers today: https://rcmagservices.com/contact/

21 Oct 2022

Agriculture, Corn, Dow Jones, Grain, Market Commentary, Market Updates, Podcast, Research, Risk Management, Soybeans, Weather, Weekly Prices rcmagserv 0 comment

AG MARKET UPDATE: OCTOBER 14 – 21

Corn had small losses on the week as harvest continues to roll on. The major ongoing story is the low river levels impacting barge travel along the Mississippi and other major water ways. This is having an impact on basis levels along with exports. Exports for the week were within estimates and ethanol output got back above 1 million barrels for the first time since early August. The exports will be the main factor to keep an eye on in the short term with no immediate relief expected for the Mississippi River with barges backed up and delays on both sides of the supply chain. The drought conditions compared to this time last year can be seen at the bottom, showing how much moisture is needed over the winter.

Beans made gains this week with China showing back up as buyers but still has a bearish outlook with South America expecting neutral weather. Harvest continues to roll on with 63% done and nothing slowing it down. As always, the US needs to sell their beans before Brazil gets closer to harvest, with a potentially record crop coming from Brazil this year. If China continues to buy and Brazil begins to have weather issues, we could see a rally, but the Mississippi river issues and other bearish problems may have the upper hand currently.

Equity Markets

The equity markets were positive again this week with mixed earnings and option expiration pushing markets higher. Next week’s earnings will be the most important and set the tone for the rest of the year with Apple, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Exxon, Visa, Facebook, and many more. The guidance these company’s give will show where the largest companies in the world see the economy in the next 3-12 months. While this month’s trade has been encouraging, many investors think is just a pause before we move lower again, next week may give us a better idea. Mortgage rates topped 7% again this week as the housing market continues to face the fallout.

Drought Monitor

The drought monitor below shows where we stand compared to this time last year.

October 18, 2022 Valid 8 a.m. EDT (Released Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022)

October 19, 2021 Valid 8 a.m. EDT (Released Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021)

Podcast

Are the Fed’s hikes starting to dampen inflation? Oil, grains, and metals have all fallen from their highs. But the rarely spoken of Cotton market was one of the first to crack…falling from 1.58/lb to 0.95/lb in just a few short days. We’re digging into this sharp drop and just why and how Cotton is involved in seemingly everything with RCM’s very own cotton king, LOGIC advisors Ron Lawson.

In this episode, Ron is giving us the low down on how and why he believes it’s not Dr. Copper which acts as the global economic barometer, but how Cotton is the real Canary and leading indicator on global demand. In between those talks, we’re covering all things Cotton including crop insurance, irrigated vs dry land, the scam that was Pima and Egyptian Cotton, the process of cotton – which countries have it, which want it, ginning it, spinning it, dyeing it, global commodity merchant co’s pushing it around, and even micro-plastics, climate change, and how Cotton always flows to the cheapest labor source. Finally, we’re walking in some high Cotton putting Ron in the hot seat. Will we ever get the growth back? Tune in to get these critical hot takes — SEND IT!

Via Barchart.com

Contact an Ag Specialist Today

Whether you’re a producer, end-user, commercial operator, RCM AG Services helps protect revenues and control costs through its suite of hedging tools and network of buyers/sellers — Contact Ag Specialist Brady Lawrence today at 312-858-4049 or [email protected].

14 Oct 2022

Agriculture, Corn, Cotton, Dow Jones, Grain, Market Commentary, Market Updates, Other News, Podcast, Research, Risk Management, Soybeans, USDA Report, Weekly Prices rcmagserv 0 comment

AG MARKET UPDATE: OCTOBER 7 – 14

The USDA report this week did not make any major changes to the US corn crop estimating a yield of 171.9 bushels per acres, down .6 bu/ac from September. The lack of surprises in the report kept corn trading along its path of late with no major losses or gains. The ending stocks were raised on lower demand with a high USD and world recession fears looming. While the balance sheets remain tight for corn but the recession fears lowering demand eases the balance sheet worries, for now. Harvest is still rolling along with much of the US experiencing drought conditions and no major rains in the forecast for many areas to slow it down much.

Beans were the surprise of the report with estimated yields falling to 49.8 bu/ac, down 0.7 bu/ac from the September report. US ending stocks were also cut with the yield lowering getting an appropriate reaction higher aster the report. The main concern for beans right now is low demand and the potential of a record Brazil bean crop. The strong USD weighs on bean exports with China being slow buyers, as we have said before to start feeling better about the direction of beans’ price, we need China to show up more often in larger quantities.

Cotton continued lower this week following the USDA report that saw a bearish reaction despite lower production estimates. Cotton is still fighting the supply vs demand issue to figure out where to go. Right now, the demand, or lack thereof, is winning as prices have been moving lower over the last 2 months. World recession fears impact the demand for cotton with lower demand balancing the lower production. The lack of demand makes it difficult to see a sizeable move higher in the near term but for cotton to be planted in areas that could grow corn and soybeans these price levels will not be attractive. We could potentially see a sideways trade until there is more certainty economically (demand) going forward.

Equity Markets

The equity markets were positive this week due to a massive rally on Thursday to gain back the week’s losses and some. Inflation came in hot, again, this week giving the Fed the go ahead to raise rates another 75 basis points in November if they want to with a 15% chance of a 100 point raise. The market rallied on the CPI number, despite it being high, showing that there is still room for bounces in a bear market. It is hard to find much good news in the market with the proposed deal between the Biden administration and Rail workers unions falling apart this week as well, bringing the possibility of shutdowns back.

Drought Monitor

The drought monitor below shows where we stand week to week. As you can see much of the country is in drought conditions and will need moisture over the winter.

Podcast

Are the Fed’s hikes starting to dampen inflation? Oil, grains, and metals have all fallen from their highs. But the rarely spoken of Cotton market was one of the first to crack…falling from 1.58/lb to 0.95/lb in just a few short days. We’re digging into this sharp drop and just why and how Cotton is involved in seemingly everything with RCM’s very own cotton king, LOGIC advisors Ron Lawson.

In this episode, Ron is giving us the low down on how and why he believes it’s not Dr. Copper which acts as the global economic barometer, but how Cotton is the real Canary and leading indicator on global demand. In between those talks, we’re covering all things Cotton including crop insurance, irrigated vs dry land, the scam that was Pima and Egyptian Cotton, the process of cotton – which countries have it, which want it, ginning it, spinning it, dyeing it, global commodity merchant co’s pushing it around, and even micro-plastics, climate change, and how Cotton always flows to the cheapest labor source. Finally, we’re walking in some high Cotton putting Ron in the hot seat. Will we ever get the growth back? Tune in to get these critical hot takes — SEND IT!

Via Barchart.com

Contact an Ag Specialist Today

Whether you’re a producer, end-user, commercial operator, RCM AG Services helps protect revenues and control costs through its suite of hedging tools and network of buyers/sellers — Contact Ag Specialist Brady Lawrence today at 312-858-4049 or [email protected].

07 Oct 2022

Agriculture, Corn, Dow Jones, Grain, Market Commentary, Market Updates, Risk Management, Soybeans, U.S. Dollar, USDA Report, Weekly Prices rcmagserv 0 comment

AG MARKET UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 30 – OCTOBER 7

As you can see in the chart below the relatively sideways trade continued this week. Harvest is rolling along, about 20% done at the start of the week, with no issues across much of the country as most areas are experiencing drought conditions. The upcoming USDA report on Wednesday will update US and South American estimated yields. The low river levels from lack of rain are starting to cause bottlenecks and problems for exports. Elevators may ask farmers to delay delivery until they know they will be able to ship it out of their facility. A continued strong US Dollar will continue to weigh on export demand.

Beans were relatively flat this week but are still much lower than the highs from last month. Beans have struggled on lack of exports and relatively strong yields. The strong USD and barge situation is hurting bean export demand same as corn. China will be coming out of their week long market shut down on Sunday and hopefully we will see them as buyers more regularly in larger quantities. Harvest was 22% complete this week, off to a great start. The bean market is more vulnerable than corn at this point with less supportive news and poor technical.

Equity Markets

The markets had a nice two-day rally before losing a solid chunk of those gains heading into the weekend. The hard sell off on Friday was fueled by the strong jobs report. While a strong job report sounds like a good thing, it is one of the indicators the Fed has been using when deciding to raise rates and this would incline them to raise again instead of slowing down. There is not a lot of good news in the market right now with many analysts seeing more downside, while a few thinks this most recent bounce may have put in a good floor.

Drought Monitor

The drought monitor below shows where we stand week to week.

Podcast

Are the Fed’s hikes starting to dampen inflation? Oil, grains, and metals have all fallen from their highs. But the rarely spoken of Cotton market was one of the first to crack…falling from 1.58/lb to 0.95/lb in just a few short days. We’re digging into this sharp drop and just why and how Cotton is involved in seemingly everything with RCM’s very own cotton king, LOGIC advisors Ron Lawson.

In this episode, Ron is giving us the low down on how and why he believes it’s not Dr. Copper which acts as the global economic barometer, but how Cotton is the real Canary and leading indicator on global demand. In between those talks, we’re covering all things Cotton including crop insurance, irrigated vs dry land, the scam that was Pima and Egyptian Cotton, the process of cotton – which countries have it, which want it, ginning it, spinning it, dyeing it, global commodity merchant co’s pushing it around, and even micro-plastics, climate change, and how Cotton always flows to the cheapest labor source. Finally, we’re walking in some high Cotton putting Ron in the hot seat. Will we ever get the growth back? Tune in to get these critical hot takes — SEND IT!

Via Barchart.com

Contact an Ag Specialist Today

Whether you’re a producer, end-user, commercial operator, RCM AG Services helps protect revenues and control costs through its suite of hedging tools and network of buyers/sellers — Contact Ag Specialist Brady Lawrence today at 312-858-4049 or [email protected].

30 Sep 2022

Agriculture, Corn, Dow Jones, Grain, Market Commentary, Market Updates, Research, Risk Management, Soybeans, USDA Report, Weekly Prices, Wheat rcmagserv 0 comment

AG MARKET UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 15 – 30

What a day…what a week for grain market volatility! With the anticipated shrinking US Corn crop, Corn has been moving higher over the last few weeks and today did not disappoint. The Sept 30 USDA report was bullish for corn coming in with quarterly stocks of 1.377 billion bushels. This was below the trade estimate (by roughly 1.6 bu/ac), giving corn prices a boost. The charts remain range bound but are starting to look more bullish. The October USDA report is in 2 weeks and is sure to have some surprises, be prepared for the volatility ahead and take advantage of rallies to catch up on sales.

Beans have not had any good news over the last 2 weeks as they continue lower into harvest. Friday’s report did nothing to help this, having 274 million bushels in quarterly stocks where the average trade estimate was 242 M/bu. While exports for beans have been slow, this number was much higher than expected and beans had an appropriate reaction lower. With a stronger USD vs international currency, there is limited expectation of any major export news in the near future. While beans are still about $1 higher than the July lows, there is little hope that additional supportive news around beans is coming to bail out the bulls…higher stocks reported today, Brazil off to a great start to their planting, and limited exports…Bears win (not talking about the @Chicagobears).

Wheat has had a good run since the August lows and received more bullish news in today’s USDA report. Wheat stocks came in below estimates at 1.650 billion bushels (1.778 billion estimate). The tight world wheat stocks are supportive for prices, along with the continued war in Ukraine. Any developments in the Black Sea trade corridor would add volatility to the grain markets, specifically wheat. Beyond the unknown factors of war sixty four percent of US winter wheat production is in areas that are currently experiencing moderate to exceptional drought. In this case the Bulls are the clear winners (not the @Chicagobulls).

Equity Markets

The markets were decimated in September with inflation not cooling off, increasing US & global recession fears and continued Fed rate hikes. There is no way around it, the news for the markets has been horrendous, with unemployment numbers remaining the limited good news. The S&P blew through the June lows today and is set to finish the quarter down -4.7% and the YTD down approximately – 24.8%. It’s anyone’s guess from there where the FED will go next; but as of now, they are set to continue to raise rates adding additional pressure to capital markets.

Drought Monitor

The drought monitor below shows where we stand week to week.

Podcast

Are the Fed’s hikes starting to dampen inflation? Oil, grains, and metals have all fallen from their highs. But the rarely spoken of Cotton market was one of the first to crack…falling from 1.58/lb to 0.95/lb in just a few short days. We’re digging into this sharp drop and just why and how Cotton is involved in seemingly everything with RCM’s very own cotton king, LOGIC advisors Ron Lawson.

In this episode, Ron is giving us the low down on how and why he believes it’s not Dr. Copper which acts as the global economic barometer, but how Cotton is the real Canary and leading indicator on global demand. In between those talks, we’re covering all things Cotton including crop insurance, irrigated vs dry land, the scam that was Pima and Egyptian Cotton, the process of cotton – which countries have it, which want it, ginning it, spinning it, dyeing it, global commodity merchant co’s pushing it around, and even micro-plastics, climate change, and how Cotton always flows to the cheapest labor source. Finally, we’re walking in some high Cotton putting Ron in the hot seat. Will we ever get the growth back? Tune in to get these critical hot takes — SEND IT!

Via Barchart.com

Contact an Ag Specialist Today

Whether you’re a producer, end-user, commercial operator, RCM AG Services helps protect revenues and control costs through its suite of hedging tools and network of buyers/sellers — Contact Ag Specialist Brady Lawrence today at 312-858-4049 or [email protected].

26 Aug 2022

Agriculture, Corn, Dow Jones, Grain, Market Commentary, Market Updates, Research, Risk Management, Soybeans, Weekly Prices rcmagserv 0 comment

AG MARKET UPDATE: AUG 12 – AUG 26

Corn has had a good couple weeks with more news coming out of the pro farmer tour. The PFT pegged the US corn yield at 168.1 bu/acre, well below the 175.4 that the USDA has. This would be very bullish for the long run, while this seems low there is still time to help and hurt the crop. A sub 170 number would be a shock to the system and unlikely the USDA would admit they are that far off anytime soon. Crop ratings continue to fall with a national 55 good/excellent rating. The drought out west has taken its toll on the crop and the numbers show that. Balance sheets would get very tight very quickly with at 168 yield, the cash market is already telling us the demand is there so now we begin the home stretch.

Beans made small gains with some volatility over the last 2 weeks. There were good exports and sales to China that are welcome news. The PFT pegged the US crop at 51.7 bu/acre close to the 51.9 the USDA had. This seems on par for what we are hearing with a strong bean crop and tough looking corn crop. Beans will benefit from the bearish corn numbers but will need their own story to continue their move higher with continued exports. The weather over the next month looks beneficial for beans as well.

Equity Markets

The equity markets have taken it on the chin in the last week as markets faded further to end the week on hawkish comments by Fed chair Powell. As we still battle inflation the Fed will continue to look at all data to determine the necessary steps come next months meeting. While it is expected they will continue to raise rates the guidance going forward is up in the air.

Drought Monitor

The drought monitor below shows where we stand week to week.

Podcast

Are the Fed’s hikes starting to dampen inflation? Oil, grains, and metals have all fallen from their highs. But the rarely spoken of Cotton market was one of the first to crack…falling from 1.58/lb to 0.95/lb in just a few short days. We’re digging into this sharp drop and just why and how Cotton is involved in seemingly everything with RCM’s very own cotton king, LOGIC advisors Ron Lawson.

In this episode, Ron is giving us the low down on how and why he believes it’s not Dr. Copper which acts as the global economic barometer, but how Cotton is the real Canary and leading indicator on global demand. In between those talks, we’re covering all things Cotton including crop insurance, irrigated vs dry land, the scam that was Pima and Egyptian Cotton, the process of cotton – which countries have it, which want it, ginning it, spinning it, dyeing it, global commodity merchant co’s pushing it around, and even micro-plastics, climate change, and how Cotton always flows to the cheapest labor source. Finally, we’re walking in some high Cotton putting Ron in the hot seat. Will we ever get the growth back? Tune in to get these critical hot takes — SEND IT!

Via Barchart.com

Contact an Ag Specialist Today

Whether you’re a producer, end-user, commercial operator, RCM AG Services helps protect revenues and control costs through its suite of hedging tools and network of buyers/sellers — Contact Ag Specialist Brady Lawrence today at 312-858-4049 or [email protected].

12 Aug 2022

Agriculture, Corn, Grain, Market Commentary, Market Updates, Other News, Risk Management, Soybeans, USDA Report, Weekly Prices rcmagserv 0 comment

AG MARKET UPDATE: JULY 28 – AUGUST 12

Corn had had a good couple weeks heading into the August USDA report which gave updated ending stocks and yield numbers. The USDA lowered yield to 175.4 bu/acre from 177 in July (average estimate pre-report has 175.9). They raised old crop ending stocks but lowered 22/23 US and world ending stocks. Corn was rated 58% good/excellent this week, dropping 3% nationally from last week to help add bullish news to the corn market. The next month of weather will be important for kernel fill as the weather remains uncertain with some areas expecting hot and dry with others more seasonal weather in the ECB. Seeing world demand pick up would help corn whether it be China, ethanol demand, whatever it is the markets will gladly accept it.

Beans have made small gains over the last 2 weeks and rallied after the report following an initial reaction lower. The initial reaction lower was due to the surprise of a higher yield with the USDA estimating the US crop at 51.9 bu/acre, well above the pre report estimates of 50.4. The slow export pace was also factored into the larger ending stocks but could speed up as beans out of the PNW to Asia are very competitive in the world market. The would be record yield still has ways to go with August and September weather still having mixed expectations.

Cotton

Cotton was limit up after several up days following the report as the US’ crop continues to shrink with abandonment expected to continue to grow. 1.8 million bales ending stocks would be one of the lowest on record since 1960 and potentially problematic with world demand if we avoid a worldwide recession.

Russia and Ukraine

Vessels carrying grain have left Ukraine but the first cargo was not accepted due to quality concerns at its intended location. While the grain was sitting for a long time this is not surprising as the quality was always going to be a concern. The newest problem is the Zaporzhye nuclear power plant, with the UN Security Council meeting to discuss what needs to be done to make sure there is a not a “catastrophe on a scale much greater than the consequences of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant”.

Equity Markets

The equity markets have seen a strong and steady rally higher with consumer sentiment rising. CPI came in at 8.5% again this month so the positive is it did not go up from last month, the negative is it is still at 8.5% YOY so this number will need to start going down before there is too much confidence we have peaked with the Fed still raising rates. Production at several offshore drilling sights were paused for a short period this week while a problem was fixed causing some volatility in the energy sector.

Drought Monitor

The drought monitor below shows where we stand week to week.

Podcast

Are the Fed’s hikes starting to dampen inflation? Oil, grains, and metals have all fallen from their highs. But the rarely spoken of Cotton market was one of the first to crack…falling from 1.58/lb to 0.95/lb in just a few short days. We’re digging into this sharp drop and just why and how Cotton is involved in seemingly everything with RCM’s very own cotton king, LOGIC advisors Ron Lawson.

In this episode, Ron is giving us the low down on how and why he believes it’s not Dr. Copper which acts as the global economic barometer, but how Cotton is the real Canary and leading indicator on global demand. In between those talks, we’re covering all things Cotton including crop insurance, irrigated vs dry land, the scam that was Pima and Egyptian Cotton, the process of cotton – which countries have it, which want it, ginning it, spinning it, dyeing it, global commodity merchant co’s pushing it around, and even micro-plastics, climate change, and how Cotton always flows to the cheapest labor source. Finally, we’re walking in some high Cotton putting Ron in the hot seat. Will we ever get the growth back? Tune in to get these critical hot takes — SEND IT!

Via Barchart.com

Contact an Ag Specialist Today

Whether you’re a producer, end-user, commercial operator, RCM AG Services helps protect revenues and control costs through its suite of hedging tools and network of buyers/sellers — Contact Ag Specialist Brady Lawrence today at 312-858-4049 or [email protected].

29 Jul 2022

Agriculture, Corn, Dow Jones, Grain, Market Commentary, Market Updates, Other News, Podcast, Research, Risk Management, Soybeans, Weather, Weekly Prices rcmagserv 0 comment

AG MARKET UPDATE: JULY 21 – 28

Corn bounced back this week as hot and dry August forecasts returned across the western corn belt, and eventually are forecasted to move east right in the middle of pollination. To be clear – hot and dry while pollinating is less than ideal. In addition, the weekly crop ratings came in lower with the national good/excellent ratings estimates at 61%. Ratings have lowered 6% in the last month, and with the current forecast this trend is likely to continue. All these factors together, along with a weaker US dollar, helped the rebound for the week. While this turnaround has been nice on prices, the yields are a concern, and it will continue to be important to monitor pricing into the weekend and start of trade on Sunday.

The forecast change has also been supportive of bean prices as August is an important month for yield development. Soybean supply and demand has been tighter over the years and if we lose 1 or 2 bushels in national yield it will result in a big hit to world supply. September beans traded over the $15 mark for the first time in a month with this week’s gains. The November contract has the potential to reach back over $15 with the current momentum, assuming no new bearish forecast changes over the weekend. Soybeans good/excellent ratings came in at 59% nationally, following the worsening trend that corn has had, losing 4% g/e in July.

Russia and Ukraine

Reports were that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to a safe export corridor, and then…. Russia bombed another port (imagine that)… so that did not last long. Russia wants any obstacles to Russian agriculture exports to be eliminated, which seems unlikely. White House spokesman John Kirby either majorly misspoke or lied this week claiming that there were 80 ships ready to leave the ports with 20 million tons of Ukrainian grain. The largest grain shipping vessels can only hold about 60,000 tons so if there are 80 ships. Quick math here = they will only be able to ship 4-5 million tons. Luckily this did not spook the markets as traders knew this to be the case with SovEcon saying there are no more than 10 such ships ready to ship grain. The mines remain in the shipping corridors and this conflict will continue to drag out through the summer.

Equity Markets

The equity markets had a good week following a few down days with some strong earnings and some misses. The Fed unsurprisingly raised rates 75 points this week leaving what comes in the next rate hike up in the air. The 2^nd quarter GDP posted another negative number after posting a negative first quarter. Historically 2 consecutive quarters of negative growth signals a recession. There are lots of challenges right now with inflation still a major problem but with companies lowering guidance for the rest of the year the current economic slowdown may continue.

Drought Monitor

The drought monitor below shows where we stand week to week.

Podcast

Are the Fed’s hikes starting to dampen inflation? Oil, grains, and metals have all fallen from their highs. But the rarely spoken of Cotton market was one of the first to crack…falling from 1.58/lb to 0.95/lb in just a few short days. We’re digging into this sharp drop and just why and how Cotton is involved in seemingly everything with RCM’s very own cotton king, LOGIC advisors Ron Lawson.

In this episode, Ron is giving us the low down on how and why he believes it’s not Dr. Copper which acts as the global economic barometer, but how Cotton is the real Canary and leading indicator on global demand. In between those talks, we’re covering all things Cotton including crop insurance, irrigated vs dry land, the scam that was Pima and Egyptian Cotton, the process of cotton – which countries have it, which want it, ginning it, spinning it, dyeing it, global commodity merchant co’s pushing it around, and even micro-plastics, climate change, and how Cotton always flows to the cheapest labor source. Finally, we’re walking in some high Cotton putting Ron in the hot seat. Will we ever get the growth back? Tune in to get these critical hot takes — SEND IT!

Via Barchart.com

Contact an Ag Specialist Today

Whether you’re a producer, end-user, commercial operator, RCM AG Services helps protect revenues and control costs through its suite of hedging tools and network of buyers/sellers — Contact Ag Specialist Brady Lawrence today at 312-858-4049 or [email protected].

22 Jul 2022

Agriculture, Corn, Dow Jones, Grain, Market Commentary, Market Updates, Other News, Podcast, Research, Risk Management, Soybeans, Weather, Weekly Prices rcmagserv 0 comment

AG MARKET UPDATE: JULY 14 – 21

Despite a brutal stretch of hot and dry conditions, Corn prices have continued to struggle, tied in with ever changing forecasts looking at favorable conditions ahead. In total, the trend is clearly down with the cooler forecast for the corn belt and a potential for trade in the Black Sea to resume. Energy prices have also fallen pulling other commodities with it as Russia re-opened the Nord Stream pipeline into Europe (at less than 50% capacity). While prices have retreated to pre-Russia invasion of Ukraine, the potential for a sub trend line corn crop in the US remains. Basis is still strong in many areas showing that there is a disconnect and some areas are very worried about potential yield loss. Weather during the first half of August will be huge for this crop – as forecasts change so will prices. Expect more volatility ahead!

Patterns in Soybeans have been almost identical to Corn – ever changing weather conditions along with uncertainty in global demand are driving prices lower. 26% of soybean production is in areas currently experiencing moderate to severe drought. The weather coming up is important for beans as well; if the cooler forecasts do not come to pass and hot and dry conditions continue beans should see a bump in price. Old crop exports were strong this week while new crop fell in the expected range.

Equity Markets

The equity markets rallied this week stringing together several positive days despite all the concerns of recession and inflation remaining in the market. This appears to be an area that is tradable as many equities are off their lows on the year but still well below the highs. Q2 Earnings have also given some guidance as companies have taken inflation and other rising costs into account for what to expect ahead. Tech stocks have also gotten a big boost this week along with crypto.

Drought Monitor

The drought monitor below shows where we stand week to week.

Podcast

Are the Fed’s hikes starting to dampen inflation? Oil, grains, and metals have all fallen from their highs. But the rarely spoken of Cotton market was one of the first to crack…falling from 1.58/lb to 0.95/lb in just a few short days. We’re digging into this sharp drop and just why and how Cotton is involved in seemingly everything with RCM’s very own cotton king, LOGIC advisors Ron Lawson.

In this episode, Ron is giving us the low down on how and why he believes it’s not Dr. Copper which acts as the global economic barometer, but how Cotton is the real Canary and leading indicator on global demand. In between those talks, we’re covering all things Cotton including crop insurance, irrigated vs dry land, the scam that was Pima and Egyptian Cotton, the process of cotton – which countries have it, which want it, ginning it, spinning it, dyeing it, global commodity merchant co’s pushing it around, and even micro-plastics, climate change, and how Cotton always flows to the cheapest labor source. Finally, we’re walking in some high Cotton putting Ron in the hot seat. Will we ever get the growth back? Tune in to get these critical hot takes — SEND IT!

Via Barchart.com

Contact an Ag Specialist Today

Whether you’re a producer, end-user, commercial operator, RCM AG Services helps protect revenues and control costs through its suite of hedging tools and network of buyers/sellers — Contact Ag Specialist Brady Lawrence today at 312-858-4049 or [email protected].

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Disclaimers
RCM Ag Services is a registered DBA of Reliance Capital Markets II LLC. Trading futures, options on futures, and retail off-exchange foreign currency transactions are complex and involve substantial risk of loss and are not suitable for all investors. Loss-limiting strategies such as stop loss orders may not be effective because market conditions or technological issues may make it impossible to execute such orders. Likewise, strategies using combinations of options and/or futures positions such as “spread” or “straddle” trades may be just as risky as simple long and short positions. There are no guarantees of profit. You should carefully consider whether trading is suitable for you in light of your circumstances, knowledge and financial resources. You may lose all or more than your initial investment. You should not rely on any of the information herein as a substitute for the exercise of your own skill and judgment in making such a decision on the appropriateness of such investments. Opinions, market data and recommendations are subject to change without notice. Reliance Capital Markets II LLC shall not be held responsible for any actions taken based on this website or attached links. Parties acting on this electronic communication are responsible for their own actions. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.

Disclaimer

RCM Ag Services is a registered DBA of Reliance Capital Markets II LLC. Trading futures, options on futures, and retail off-exchange foreign currency transactions are complex and involve substantial risk of loss and are not suitable for all investors. Loss-limiting strategies such as stop loss orders may not be effective because market conditions or technological issues may make it impossible to execute such orders. Likewise, strategies using combinations of options and/or futures positions such as “spread” or “straddle” trades may be just as risky as simple long and short positions. There are no guarantees of profit. You should carefully consider whether trading is suitable for you in light of your circumstances, knowledge and financial resources. You may lose all or more than your initial investment. You should not rely on any of the information herein as a substitute for the exercise of your own skill and judgment in making such a decision on the appropriateness of such investments. Opinions, market data and recommendations are subject to change without notice. Reliance Capital Markets II LLC shall not be held responsible for any actions taken based on this website or attached links. Parties acting on this electronic communication are responsible for their own actions. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.