Grains and oilseeds are lower on Friday following the overnight session. The U.S. dollar is up slightly overnight following recent losses. Crude oil is slightly lower after rebounding from a two-month low. Stock futures are mixed, but the S&P 500 continues to regain momentum near its previous record.
CORN
More rangebound trade has been the theme for corn futures, as the March contract holds between $4.40 and $4.50, though prices have been winding tighter over the past couple of weeks.
The USDA confirmed on Friday that private exporters sold 250,000 MT of corn to unknown buyers.
Barchart’s national corn basis index is running at the lowest in 12 years. On average, the basis has been higher in Missouri and the Eastern Corn Belt, with weaker values in the Upper Midwest. Basis down in the Gulf remains strong with lofty export demand.
Crop conditions are good in Brazil and Argentina. The Buenos Aires Grain Exchange reported that farmers made considerable progress in Argentina’s corn planting this past week. Progress is well above the five-year average and outpacing last year. Moisture and crop conditions remain favorable.
SOYBEANS
January futures posted another day of moderate gains on Thursday, rising 2.25 cents to $10.93 ½. The overnight trade brought more pressure, bringing prices back near their weekly lows. The top of the gap from when the U.S. announced an alleged deal with China at $10.70 could still have some gravity on prices.
The USDA confirmed on Friday that China bought another 132,000 MT of soybeans, bringing their confirmed total flash sales to 3.38 MMT, which is 28 percent of the 12 MMT the White House says China will buy by the end of February, or whenever their next goal post is.
StoneX has put out that their sources have them believing that China could have 6-7 MMT of U.S. soybeans on the books, though it will be difficult to confirm until the export sales report catches up.
China announced another reserve auction that is expected to clear inventories for recent U.S. purchases. The auction is expected to include another 500,000 MT of soybeans next week.
Additionally, 93,895 MT of soybean meal was sold to Mexico for the 2025/26 season, and another 10,433 MT were reportedly sold for the 2026/27 season.
Argentina’s soybean planting is still progressing below the five-year average but has been catching up to a more normal pace. Crop conditions declined slightly this week but remain much more favorable than a year ago.
WHEAT
Chicago wheat futures posted modest gains of 4 cents on Thursday to close at $5.33 ½, extending Wednesday’s bounce from intraday lows. Bearish pressure held over the complex, with prices giving back most of their gains overnight.
The wheat market continues to be taking signals from large global supplies. U.S. exports have been running at a substantial pace. But it remains clear that the world is not running out of wheat anytime soon.
The Rosario Grain Exchange raised its Argentine wheat production estimate again to a record 27.7 MMT, which compares to the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange’s forecast of 25.5 MMT. Either way, Argentina is expected to harvest a bumper crop, as more than half of the crop has been collected.
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PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS. FUTURES TRADING INVOLVES SUBSTANTIAL RISK AND IS NOT SUITABLE FOR ALL INVESTORS.