Tag: Lumber

03 Nov 2025

Leonard Lumber Report: It was another tough week as futures continue to decline

Recap:

It was another tough week as futures continue to decline. January futures are down $88 in just two weeks. This decline is scaring away all buyers from the cash market. Last week, the only activity was EFP’s layups. The market is showing signs of a shrinking business environment, even as reports still indicate steady sales. The main issue worsening the trade is inventories, which remain the key focus. Things have returned to a new normal pace. The slowdown occurred months ago, and the market is now settling into a slow rhythm. Once pipeline inventories decrease further, conditions will tighten again. Meanwhile, we are heading into a season of heavy holiday shutdowns, just as shipments from outside the US are slowing down. This situation resembles last year, when the market struggled most of November and December before turning up. Last year, we feared a reduction in supply caused by duties and tariffs. This year, we must be concerned about their actual effects. On Friday, I saw a 5.65% rate for a 15-year loan. Additionally, shipments from Canada and Europe are dropping. While these factors alone don’t resolve the housing market slump, they are moving in the right direction to help reduce producers’ losses.

Open interest was growing as the week came to an end. We are back in an area where the short funds add to their big winning position while the industry adds to their long position. We don’t get a CFTC report, but it would be the norm. Watch the open interest in November. It is holding over 2169 contracts with 10 sessions left. There is always a lag with the funds offsetting trades, so I’m not looking at it as important just yet. We also had the same open interest dynamics building last year at this time. There is a lot of deja vu on this one.

Technical:

January ended the week with a 19.40% RSI. It came into the week with a 34.60% RSI. It was off 1 to 1. Technically, the market is oversold. While not a perfect science, it usually isn’t off by more than a few days.

 

Daily Bulletin:

https://www.cmegroup.com/daily_bulletin/current/Section23_Lumber_Options.pdf

Southern Yellow Pine:

https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/agriculture/lumber-and-softs/southern-yellow-pine.volume.html

The Commitment of Traders:

https://www.cftc.gov/dea/futures/other_lf.htm

About the Leonard Report:
The Leonard Lumber Report is a column that focuses on the lumber futures market’s highs and lows and everything else in between. Our very own, Brian Leonard, risk analyst, will provide weekly commentary on the industry’s wood product sectors.

 

Brian Leonard
bleonard@rcmam.com
312-761-263
27 Oct 2025

LEONARD LUMBER REPORT: What is the definition of insanity?

Recap:

What is the definition of insanity? Hoping the market will rise to get a better hedge in place. That’s where the trade was coming into last week, only to see the market give back over two weeks of gains in a few minutes. What made it worse is that the market continued to decline for the rest of the week. The January contract settled at 619.50, which is still a good place to hedge, barring any shutdown announcement.  The fundamentals point to a well-supplied pipeline. This is early in the cycle and will need a pickup in demand to clean it up before going into the first quarter decision time. There is nothing out there to indicate that possibility. What is more likely to occur is more shutdown news. That will increase the buying patterns. The issue is that you are just throwing more wood on the pile. It still needs to go out the door. A substantial announcement tomorrow would spike prices but then end up being bearish.

The January contract at $600 equates to $490 mill. The mills have no choice but to find ways to lessen their losses. That will keep a slight premium in the market. $600 January might be a good support area with the current dynamics. There would have to be some undefined issues in housing lurking to think we are going back to last year’s lows.

Technical:

The good news after last week’s debacle is that the January contract broke through the 61% retracement area of $618.20 and then closed above it. That isn’t a glass-half-full statement; rather, the glass has a few drops left in it. Fridays are tough to gauge. More rumors were swirling about potential shutdowns, which could have prompted added short covering late. Whatever the case, we will see direction right off the bat tomorrow. The downside momentum is in place. It will start again when the bell rings. If not, the market is in correction mode.

This is a tough time. The spread is indicating that the November expiration will be weak. It will be hard to build a bullish case in January with a Nov heading towards zero. You have three weeks of rumors and November selling in front of you.

Daily Bulletin:

https://www.cmegroup.com/daily_bulletin/current/Section23_Lumber_Options.pdf

Southern Yellow Pine:

https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/agriculture/lumber-and-softs/southern-yellow-pine.volume.html

The Commitment of Traders:

https://www.cftc.gov/dea/futures/other_lf.htm

About the Leonard Report:
The Leonard Lumber Report is a column that focuses on the lumber futures market’s highs and lows and everything else in between. Our very own, Brian Leonard, risk analyst, will provide weekly commentary on the industry’s wood product sectors.

 

Brian Leonard
bleonard@rcmam.com
312-761-263
13 Oct 2025

Leonard Lumber Report: The extreme sideways trade continued last week

Recap:

The extreme sideways trade continued last week. Futures dropped a quick $20 then recovered half by Friday. That is nowhere near what the industry experienced a few years ago, but it’s notable when margins are laser thin. The best way to summarize last week’s move was that prices fell to close the gap and then rebounded. The market was actually heading $40 lower, but was saved by another rumor. Today we’re holding a higher trading level based on business, and that must be respected. Is it better for a week or a month? For now, we hope it lasts a week. Hedging becomes even more important in these markets. Selling a $60 premium is simple. Buying a $60 premium for a forward sale is not. This wide gap in the trade indicates a market turning. Prices will move higher with many reversals attached. With $20 swings, it won’t upset the market but will affect profits. That’s likely what we saw last week with homebuilders’ stocks being hit hard. The facts are that more building will squeeze margins, while less building will reduce overall sales; it is not a reason to buy.

We come into the week looking for a push back up through $620 in November. The fact that a mill is getting a few cars done with the 10% added is a positive, but it will not be enough to change this pattern of trade. The roll could add a positive to the upside.

Technical:

That was a perfect correction last week. The futures fell, closed the gap, and rested the oscillators. It isn’t a buy signal. The market has to establish a higher trading level before that happens. Right now, every dollar up is a battle, while the downside has some room. Scaled up selling the last three years has paid off. Tell me this one is different….. Again.

 

Daily Bulletin:

https://www.cmegroup.com/daily_bulletin/current/Section23_Lumber_Options.pdf

Southern Yellow Pine:

https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/agriculture/lumber-and-softs/southern-yellow-pine.volume.html

The Commitment of Traders:

https://www.cftc.gov/dea/futures/other_lf.htm

About the Leonard Report:
The Leonard Lumber Report is a column that focuses on the lumber futures market’s highs and lows and everything else in between. Our very own, Brian Leonard, risk analyst, will provide weekly commentary on the industry’s wood product sectors.

 

Brian Leonard
bleonard@rcmam.com
312-761-263
06 Oct 2025

LEONARD LUMBER REPORT: The higher trend continued last week after a tariff announcement

Recap:

The higher trend continued last week after a tariff announcement. The announcement cleaned up the tariff-free wood. The next batch has the tariff increase on it. It is hard to project the anxiety of the next push. Unless you were hiding under a rock or a really bad lumber trader, you had already been “good dealed” to death and have a fair amount of inventory. It looks as if industry has wood. Now if we continue to see decent mill outtake, we can surmise that demand has picked up, and our long-term dynamics have changed. There will be a time when outtake cleans up the excesses. It’s early. Today, it is an assumption. Tomorrow it may be reality. We are going into the week with a look at whether the market is better or not. Futures will see a roll or buying from the funds in November. My guess is that they are over 5000 short now with the bulk sitting in November. There was no report last week. The government shutdown is another in a long line of psychological negatives (headwinds) we have lived with this year. This housing market will rally when a “normal” reappears. That could be a long way off.

The market will never change its stripes. Selling a premium in futures is the business way to trade. If it is $200 OSB, $300 SYP or $420 spruce, you should sell the board. Now, if you think you own it at a level that can’t lose, then hang in there. The fact is attaching a hedge every time the spread is wide is how this business works.

Technical:

The technical oscillators are aging. They are running out of upside. With a gap from 597 to 604 in November we have the perfect correction setup. Again, this is not bullish or bearish, but pure natural. If the futures market doesn’t start to correct and fill the gap, the takeaway is a pending breakout up. This type of chart pattern in lumber generally gives off good trend analysis so we’re watching close.

Daily Bulletin:

https://www.cmegroup.com/daily_bulletin/current/Section23_Lumber_Options.pdf

Southern Yellow Pine:

https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/agriculture/lumber-and-softs/southern-yellow-pine.volume.html

The Commitment of Traders:

https://www.cftc.gov/dea/futures/other_lf.htm

About the Leonard Report:
The Leonard Lumber Report is a column that focuses on the lumber futures market’s highs and lows and everything else in between. Our very own, Brian Leonard, risk analyst, will provide weekly commentary on the industry’s wood product sectors.

 

Brian Leonard
bleonard@rcmam.com
312-761-263
29 Sep 2025

LEONARD LUMBER REPORT: The market has a firmer tone to it

Weekly Recap:

The market has a firmer tone to it. Both cash and futures found support last week. Cash still struggles to find support for all items. That keeps the marketplace on edge. History tells us that distressed items like OSB or SYP will limit any spruce move. The difference this time is the fact that the market is firming on its own. Rumors help the futures market, but actual business supports cash. Bringing it back to futures, November was up $26 for the week with a Friday spike to $600. We spent the last 5 months looking for the catalyst to push prices higher. We go into next week looking for data to push it lower. That’s a good thing. It feels like a few years ago when the conversation centered on the price of production, with 1.3 starts and closures. It added up to the $620 futures number. Unforeseen was the drastic drop in all Chinese imports and the oversupply of OSB. All that has now been factored in. The question now becomes whether $620 futures and $508 cash are the magic numbers? We are not out of the woods, but the industry has become permabears. We saw that at the beginning of the summer, only to see November futures hit $712 on August 1st. “Hedge the premium and hope you lose money.”

The futures dynamics are returning to normal as the fund’s short positions start to dominate the open interest. The industry remains heavily long. This year, the industry has stayed in sync, while the funds have not. Spreaders are eager on this one, but history shows the industry often rolls longs to match the funds rolling shorts. This one isn’t an easy win.

Technical:

The outlook for the upcoming week is based on an if/then projection strategy. The 21-day moving average crossed above the 13-day on Friday. If that trend holds, the next target is the 38% retracement of 617.20. From there, we’ll consider 635.00 and beyond. The same pattern played out during the last two rallies. Positive fundamental data over the next few weeks will gradually develop; for now, it’s all about the technicals.

Daily Bulletin:

https://www.cmegroup.com/daily_bulletin/current/Section23_Lumber_Options.pdf

Southern Yellow Pine:

https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/agriculture/lumber-and-softs/southern-yellow-pine.volume.html

The Commitment of Traders:

https://www.cftc.gov/dea/futures/other_lf.htm

About the Leonard Report:
The Leonard Lumber Report is a column that focuses on the lumber futures market’s highs and lows and everything else in between. Our very own, Brian Leonard, risk analyst, will provide weekly commentary on the industry’s wood product sectors.

 

Brian Leonard
bleonard@rcmam.com
312-761-263
22 Sep 2025

LEONARD LUMBER REPORT: The market sold off over $30 last week on very light volume

Weekly Recap:

The market sold off over $30 last week on very light volume. The futures market is being pulled toward the cash price with help from the funds and algorithms. The low volume could signal a bottom forming. Bottoms take time, and new lows are often made before it happens. The industry is searching for reasons for improvement, which is slowing any selling when hedging should be in place. This keeps focus on their cash and not futures for help.

The funds added another 538, totaling 3, 3847. When the funds go short, the spread becomes defined, and that excites speculators. The chatter from now until October 15th will revolve around the spread. Usually, at this time of year, I expect the spread to move $10 while futures rally $50. But as they say, ” when in Rome….

“We heard from builder Lennar last week and will get more updates soon. I’m not revealing anything new; builders are pulling back, waiting for a shift in the rate environment. This is somewhat positive. Less building means less supply. I included a mortgage chart below. We saw a 6.19% rate last week before it climbed again on Friday. I’ve mentioned the yield curve dynamics before. The rate increase on Friday is concerning, but the trend has shifted. Will this change manifest at the desired pace? Probably not, but you can’t expect more lows if the trend has shifted. Rates are key. It might be time to break below 6%. You can cut production, but that might only lead to new lows. Conversely, a slight demand increase could generate momentum.

The biggest hurdle in our industry is the potential rise in unemployment. The latest claims figures and revisions from the previous week show a stable unemployment rate, which is a relief. Two reasons support steady employment: first, the substantial amount of capital injected into the system, which has not yet been spent; and second, the BBB, which will add capital. Both factors will keep corporate profits high and employment steady. While this isn’t positive for housing, it does ease one major headwind.

The funds added another 538 to 3847. When the funds get short, the spread has a definition, and that gets the specs fired up. The chatter from now until Oct 15th will be about the spread. At this time of year, I would bet that the spread moves $10 while the futures rally $50. But when in Rome….

We saw builder Lennar’s earnings last week and will hear more in the next few weeks. I’m not telling you anything you have not been told already. The builders are pulling back, waiting for the rate dynamic to change. That is mildly friendly. Build less and you see less. I included a mortgage chart below. We did see a 6.19% number last week before it turned back up on Friday. I have mentioned the yield curve dynamics in the past. The turn up of rates on Friday is troubling, but the worm has changed. Will that change show up at the pace we want? No, but you can’t look for more lows if things have changed. Rates are the key. It could be a time for a break of 6%. You can cut all the production you want, only to see new lows. On the other hand, only a slight demand increase will create momentum.

The biggest headwind in our industry is a possible bump in unemployment. The last claims number and the revision of the previous week show a flat unemployment environment. That was a relief. There are two reasons for steady employment. The first is the extraordinary amount of capital that was pushed into the system. It hasn’t all been spent yet. The other is the BBB. It will add capital to the system. Both will keep corporate profits higher and employment flat. That’s not a positive for housing, but eases one headwind.

 

Daily Bulletin:

https://www.cmegroup.com/daily_bulletin/current/Section23_Lumber_Options.pdf

Southern Yellow Pine:

https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/agriculture/lumber-and-softs/southern-yellow-pine.volume.html

The Commitment of Traders:

https://www.cftc.gov/dea/futures/other_lf.htm

About the Leonard Report:
The Leonard Lumber Report is a column that focuses on the lumber futures market’s highs and lows and everything else in between. Our very own, Brian Leonard, risk analyst, will provide weekly commentary on the industry’s wood product sectors.

 

Brian Leonard
bleonard@rcmam.com
312-761-263
16 Sep 2025

LEONARD LUMBER REPORT: “If you got long each time a rumor was sent out, you would have been buying the highs and exiting on a new low.”

The Lumber Market:

“If you got long each time a rumor was sent out, you would have been buying the highs and exiting on a new low.” What a great observation. The news that a mill would operate for 4 days and curtail production sent the futures market sharply higher on Friday. To put things in perspective, considering all the positive spins last week, the November futures closed down $1.50. Today, closing or curbing production is an extreme move. It comes after the mills fill up the K-Mart parking lots, expand the vendor management programs, and establish unorthodox reload programs. In other words, when they have too much wood. This process is a slow chipping away of the excesses. I’ll be the first one to claim being way too early in the call for par. I’m worried demand is slipping, making the decreases a wash.

Another silent market killer is the fact that JIT has changed dramatically. There isn’t a day that the cash guys aren’t in the market. They continue to build long-term inventories, which is the opposite of JIT. The disciplined cash buyer has been the employee of the year for the last two years. When they buy it is at lower levels. That needs to change for the market to shift.

The rate cut will help the psychology of the market. It will be positive at some point in the months to come. For today, the industry wants a rally to hedge. The funds adding shorts can help with a pop. 

The Technical Read:

The biggest takeaway and risk I see today via the technical read is that November futures were at $712.00 on August 1st. We talked about how futures were at $418 in July of 2024. Well, August 1st. was only 30 sessions ago. That is a $200 swing in a flat market. There is no clever way to project the market. The simple answer is buying the discounts or selling premiums in futures, and then you turn off the emails. Today, the technical read is trying to indicate a slow bottom forming. We have been here before, only to see a sharp spike followed by new lows.

Under a 200-plus swing environment, there is no reason not to buy the cash items you need that are hitting new lows. There is no reason not to hedge at a significant premium. This is no longer a blocking and tackling drill. It is full pads, two-a-days. It’s all about discipline. It’s all about market parameters. It’s all about the plan.

Note: We were looking for a catastrophic September close. What if it spikes?

Daily Bulletin:

https://www.cmegroup.com/daily_bulletin/current/Section23_Lumber_Options.pdf

Southern Yellow Pine:

https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/agriculture/lumber-and-softs/southern-yellow-pine.volume.html

The Commitment of Traders:

https://www.cftc.gov/dea/futures/other_lf.htm

About the Leonard Report:
The Leonard Lumber Report is a column that focuses on the lumber futures market’s highs and lows and everything else in between. Our very own, Brian Leonard, risk analyst, will provide weekly commentary on the industry’s wood product sectors.

 

 

Brian Leonard

bleonard@rcmam.com

312-761-263

08 Sep 2025

LEONARD LUMBER REPORT: You need to go back a year to find futures prices this low

The Lumber Market:

You need to go back a year to find futures prices this low. That makes the next move either a return to previous lows or a bounce to a sustainable level. This isn’t a ‘could go lower’ or ‘could go higher’ statement. It’s a warning shot that the next lower targets are significantly lower if the reduced supply doesn’t support prices. There remains a wall of concern about economic issues that could hurt housing in the future. I’ve been hoping for a lower supply for two years now to offset this, but nothing has changed. All the run-ups have been driven by speculation. The market has never been short on optimism. The main issue with all this is that our industry, like the Fed, is data-driven, and that data lags. Economic data comes after the fact. I’m hoping that’s not the case today.
Once September expires, the industry will focus closely on the November contract, looking for any signs of increasing value. If demand stays the same, shrinking production will start to tighten the market. This process must be gradual enough for the industry to accept higher prices. Rumor or announcement rallies rarely last, and their aftermath often results in prices lower than needed. I believe lumber, as a commodity, is very efficient at price discovery and will, given enough time, settle near its true value. Today, however, we’re pushing it too high or too low based on nothing. Speculators love this, but it’s tough on the industry.

 

The Technical Read:

The factual data is that the last low was in July 2024 at 418.50, and the next low was in January 2023 at 352.50. That is the major worry. The minor read is a weekly gap from 499.50 to 493.00. The next down leg is to the trendline at 466.01. This market has always reduced its confidence level to zero and saw prices go well below value. That is a real fear today. I drove by a lumber yard in Mokena, Illinois, that was packed, and a few unloaded cars were still sitting idle. The only thing I could think of was that I hope it was hedged. My point being that we are focusing on the reduction in production while a shit load of wood is sitting in the US. The result of that focus has been lower prices, still heading lower.

Enough gloom and doom. The production side of the industry has been working very hard to find a breakeven level that carries through the spikes and valleys. The gap mentioned above, from 499.50 to 493.00, is probably a good value level on paper. There has been enough supply reduction to warrant a better cash price. Sub $500 (futures) is cheap. We still need the marketplace to adapt to levels that will be sustainable during economic uncertainty; it takes time.

The funds are getting short again. I’m not sure if that is good news or not.

 

Daily Bulletin:

https://www.cmegroup.com/daily_bulletin/current/Section23_Lumber_Options.pdf

Southern Yellow Pine:

https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/agriculture/lumber-and-softs/southern-yellow-pine.volume.html

The Commitment of Traders:

https://www.cftc.gov/dea/futures/other_lf.htm

About the Leonard Report:
The Leonard Lumber Report is a column that focuses on the lumber futures market’s highs and lows and everything else in between. Our very own, Brian Leonard, risk analyst, will provide weekly commentary on the industry’s wood product sectors.

 

 

Brian Leonard

bleonard@rcmam.com

312-761-263

02 Sep 2025

LEONARD LUMBER REPORT: I have to start with the chart. It helps to clarify the argument that the mills’ added variable costs are of little relevance to the market

The Lumber Market:

I have to start with the chart. It helps to clarify the argument that the mills’ added variable costs are of little relevance to the market. That said, it did cause waves. The market bottomed in July of 2024 after Biden dropped out. It rallied up until the tariffs were put on hold, fell, and then rebounded into the duties. The argument today states that the flat demand warrants the market to test the low again. After Friday’s disappointing trade, it could be possible. Outside influences have moved the market higher since July 2024. We could return to the mean, but that is unlikely. What is likely is a 61% retracement of the move back to $525. That is based on the Sept contract. The cash market has not found a foothold yet. A $20 break in futures is nothing. Market indicators:

We remain a very efficient supply and demand market. Outside variables, while catching some momentum, do not change dynamics. Today, we have a macro issue. Stocks are too high for the pending increase in unemployment. Regional decreases in building activity can’t be picked up. And the last issue, and maybe the most important, is that a home is not affordable today. We keep putting lipstick on a pig, but housing is not affordable.

Note:

I like to mention the retirement of an outstanding person once in a while. Today I want to offer my congratulations to Jack Stevenson. We go back to the Tim Stock days. He finished up with USLBM. Great character and great market knowledge! Enjoy!!

Daily Bulletin:
Southern Yellow Pine:
The Commitment of Traders:
About the Leonard Report:
The Leonard Lumber Report is a column that focuses on the lumber futures market’s highs and lows and everything else in between. Our very own, Brian Leonard, risk analyst, will provide weekly commentary on the industry’s wood product sectors.
Brian Leonard 

bleonard@rcmam.com
312-761-263
25 Aug 2025

LEONARD LUMBER REPORT: The feature last week was the fact that the futures market made a new low at a time when there was a massive round of short covering

The Lumber Market:

The feature last week was the fact that the futures market made a new low at a time when there was a massive round of short covering. That should have at least kept the market flat and at most rallied it sharply. By Thursday, the mills were in full panic mode and looking for orders. That brought in the noise of the week, with the conversation focused on a 15% tariff on Europe, 232, and a mill shutting down. By Friday, the industry saw a sharply lower print as the Fed, I mean Random, dealt with faulty data. September futures ended the week after all that excitement $7 lower. The noise on Thursday did chase some newly positioned shorts out.

The Commitment of Traders report again showed a steep drop in industry shorts. It also saw a sharp drop in fund longs. At 7000 open interest, the market is fully balanced. There had been a shift out of the short side for the funds, but the long side never picked up much. The funds, in general, are maintaining a very soft position in lumber.

It looks like Carney fell into line with the US, ending many of the added tariffs he imposed. We heard about the shift on Friday. This, like everything else we hear, lacks substance. I’m still in the camp that the smart people in the room want to end all of the duty and tariff drags and end up with a number.

Finally, the majority of economists out there are taking some of Powell’s delivery from his speech as meaning that there will be a cut in September. Nothing has changed. There are a couple of inflation reports coming out before the next Fed meeting. They will be inflationary. The Jobs report has to be weak. That said, a reduction in short-term rates does not immediately affect long-term rates. A quarter point in September will have little impact on the mortgage rates. The second cut will.

Technical:

September made a new low for the week and then rallied. At 17% RSI and low open interest, this was expected. When you throw in outside noise, the industry now turns hypervigilant. It no longer matters whether the news is correct or not; it only matters how the trade reacts. I do not use short-term moving averages very often because we are an all-in or all-out market. All in hedging all out rumors. This are no support or resistance points, per se.

The takeaway from the technical side is that if futures take out the lows of 588.00 this week, there is a fundamental problem much bigger than the economists and experts think. I don’t see it, but I have been wrong before.

Daily Bulletin:
Southern Yellow Pine:
The Commitment of Traders:
About the Leonard Report:
The Leonard Lumber Report is a column that focuses on the lumber futures market’s highs and lows and everything else in between. Our very own, Brian Leonard, risk analyst, will provide weekly commentary on the industry’s wood product sectors.
Brian Leonard

bleonard@rcmam.com
312-761-263