Category Archives: commodities

agriculture, business, commodities, finance, markets

Cattle Look to Thursday Following Weaker Wednesday Action

Leave a comment

Live cattle futures settled the Wednesday session with gains ranging from 20 to 35 cents. Preliminary open interest rose by 1,887 contracts on Wednesday. Additionally, 7 of the previous 10 deliveries were retendered against October live cattle for Amarillo.

Cash trade has yet to be reported this week, as the Wednesday Fed Cattle Exchange saw no bids or sales on the 1,172 head offered.

Feeder cattle futures recovered from midday lows to close the session with losses between 20 and 65 cents. The CME Feeder Cattle Index increased by another $1.45 to $374.47 on October 14.

USDA Wholesale Boxed Beef prices were mixed in the Wednesday afternoon report, with the Choice/Select spread at $17.32. Choice boxes were up $2.06 to $366.48, while Select boxes were down $1.39 to $349.16.

USDA federally inspected cattle slaughter for Wednesday was estimated at 122,000 head, bringing the weekly total to 348,000. This figure is 13,000 head above last week but 21,193 head below the same week last year.

**Live Cattle Futures Closing Prices:**
– October 2025 Live Cattle closed at $242.175, up $0.350
– December 2025 Live Cattle closed at $246.775, up $0.275
– February 2026 Live Cattle closed at $248.750, up $0.225

**Feeder Cattle Futures Closing Prices:**
– October 2025 Feeder Cattle closed at $379.725, down $0.450
– November 2025 Feeder Cattle closed at $380.675, down $0.650
– January 2026 Feeder Cattle closed at $377.850, down $0.200

As of the date of publication, Austin Schroeder did not have, either directly or indirectly, positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data provided herein are solely for informational purposes.

For more detailed commodity analysis—from crude oil to coffee—sign up free for Barchart’s best-in-class market insights.

—

**More from Barchart:**
– Will Cattle Futures Continue to Reach New Highs During the Off-Demand Season?
– Beef Prices Are Going Up: What’s Behind the Surge and How Much Higher Will They Go?
– Commodity Market Roundup: August’s Top Performers and Underperformers
– The Bullish Cattle Stampede Rumbles On: Here’s What to Watch Next After Record Cattle Highs

*The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Nasdaq, Inc.*
https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/cattle-look-thursday-following-weaker-wednesday-action

agriculture, commodities, economy, finance, market

Corn Heading Higher at Midday

Leave a comment

Corn futures are heading higher at midday, with bulls pushing for gains of 1 to 2 cents so far. The CmdtyView national average Cash Corn price has increased by 2 1/4 cents, closing at $3.79 1/4 today. Meanwhile, the average close for December futures this month has been $4.20. This monthly average price is used to determine the harvest price for crop insurance.

EIA data released this morning showed that ethanol production totaled 1.071 million barrels per day for the week ending October 3rd, marking a rebound of 76,000 barrels per day compared to the previous week. Despite this increase, ethanol stocks tightened slightly, dropping by 44,000 barrels to 22.72 million barrels. Ethanol exports rose by 50,000 barrels per day to 138,000 barrels per day, while refinery inputs of ethanol decreased by 13,000 barrels per day to 892,000 barrels per day.

In international news, the Brazilian National Association of Grain Exporters (ANEC) estimates corn exports at 6 million metric tons for October. This represents an increase from the 5.67 million metric tons exported in October 2024.

As for corn futures prices at midday:
– December 2025 Corn is trading at $4.21 3/4, up 2 cents.
– Nearby Cash Corn stands at $3.79 1/4, up 2 1/4 cents.
– March 2026 Corn is at $4.37 3/4, up 1 1/2 cents.
– May 2026 Corn is priced at $4.46 1/2, up 1 1/4 cents.

Don’t miss a day of market insights. From crude oil to coffee, sign up for Barchart’s free, best-in-class commodity analysis.

Disclaimer: On the date of publication, Austin Schroeder did not hold positions, directly or indirectly, in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data provided are for informational purposes only. For more details, please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Nasdaq, Inc.
https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/corn-heading-higher-midday

agriculture, commodities, economy, energy, markets

Corn Posts Gains on Wednesday as Ethanol Output Rebounds

Leave a comment

The corn market closed with gains across most contracts on Wednesday, with contracts 1 to 2 rising 14 cents higher on the day. The CmdtyView national average Cash Corn price was up 2 3/4 cents at $3.80 1/2. So far this month, the average close for December futures has been $4.20.

Data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) released this morning showed total ethanol production at 1.071 million barrels per day for the week ending October 3. This marked a weekly rebound of 76,000 barrels per day. However, ethanol stocks continued to tighten, declining by 44,000 barrels to 22.72 million barrels.

Ethanol exports increased by 50,000 barrels, reaching 138,000 barrels per day. Meanwhile, refiner inputs of ethanol decreased by 13,000 barrels per day to 892,000 barrels per day.

Please note, Export Sales data will not be reported on Thursday due to the government shutdown. Nevertheless, traders surveyed by Reuters anticipate corn sales between 1.2 and 2 million metric tons (MMT) for the week of October 2.

Looking at Brazil, the National Association of Grain Exporters (ANEC) estimates corn exports at 6 MMT for October, which would be an increase compared to the 5.67 MMT exported in October 2023.

Regarding futures pricing, December 2025 corn closed at $4.22, up 2 1/4 cents. Nearby Cash Corn was $3.80 1/2, up 2 3/4 cents. March 2026 corn closed at $4.37 3/4, up 1 1/2 cents, while May 2026 corn closed at $4.46 1/4, gaining 1 cent.

*Don’t miss a day:* From crude oil to coffee, sign up for Barchart’s best-in-class commodity analysis for free.

—

On the date of publication, Austin Schroeder did not hold any positions, directly or indirectly, in the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data presented are solely for informational purposes.

For more details, please view the [Barchart Disclosure Policy](#).

The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Nasdaq, Inc.
https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/corn-posts-gains-wednesday-ethanol-output-rebounds

business, commodities, industry, metals

Iron ore $20?

Leave a comment

The ferrous complex plods on, caught between conflicting forces. On one hand, there is the approach of major projects like Simandou, Capanema, and Gara Gjeblet. On the other, the shutdown of Chinese green steel plants is creating uncertainty in the market.

Amidst these opposing influences, the balance is maintained by unusually solid blast furnace output for this season.

Honestly, if you had shown me that chart back in 2019, I would have predicted iron ore prices to fall to $20. Indeed, that was my expectation at the time.
https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2025/09/iron-ore-20/