Markets Now with Michelle Rook

Grain and livestock all end higher Monday.  Ted Seifried, Zaner Ag Hedge, has details of what drove the strength and if it can continue.  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cattle and hogs are mostly higher early while grains started mixed and gained strength early.  Brad Kooima, Kooima Kooima Varilek, says live cattle have held chart support so far even with lower cash and cutouts but feeders are the real leaders as funds continue to buy.  However, there is some talk of expansion that is limiting upside as well as seasonal weakness in cash and cutouts.  Kooima expects by the end of the year the market will catch hold and move higher.  Hogs are slightly higher after a lower week with the funds still record long.  So, was last week just a healthy correction or a top?  Grains started mixed with row crops lower and wheat higher putting in war premium with an escalation of fighting in the Black Sea.  The strength in wheat and a lower dollar is helping to pull row crops back higher and there was some soybean export demand that surfaced this morning.  However, will the market continue to be rangebound?  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grains and cattle recover Friday with hogs lower.  Naomi Blohm, Total Farm Marketing, says grains help support areas and saw technical and corrective buying.  Cattle also saw a short covering and profit taking heading into the weekend, while hogs were lower confirming a top with lower cutouts.  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grains and cattle are leaning higher early Friday, hogs lower.  Scott Varilek, Kooima Koomia Varilek, says cattle were lower yesterday following lower cash at $185 and with lower cutouts.  Hogs are rolling over with lower cutouts as well.  Grains are trying to recover with some corrective buying and solid exports.  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grain and livestock futures all end lower Thursday.  Randy Martinson, Martinson Ag, says the risk off selling was tied to new highs for the year in the dollar index, renewed fears about tariffs and a trade war and technical selling as key support was taken out on the charts of many markets.  Soybean meal made new contract lows and all three wheat exchanges are close to their lows as well.  Cattle saw liquidation from lower cash and cutouts.  Hogs continue to consolidate with profit taking and lower cutouts.  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grain and livestock futures are mostly lower early Thursday.  Vince Boddicker, Farmers Trading Company says the lower trade for a 4th day as technical selling accelerates and a higher dollar continues to add pressure.  Soybeans took out key support at $10 and soybean meal also made new contract lows.  Cattle are lower but still holding last week's lows awaiting cash direction. Lean hogs are seeing profit taking and hedge pressure after this week's contract highs.  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grains end lower for a third day, with livestock mixed.  Shawn Hackett of Hackett Financial Advisors says the weakness in grains is coinciding with the strength in the dollar in what he calls the "Trump Factor".  He expects more volatility ahead as the markets sort through news regarding tariffs, trade, Trump appointees and the like.  Weather is in the background with favorable conditions in South America and winter wheat areas of the U.S. giving the market another reason to slide and wheat has made new lows for the move in the process.  Cattle futures ended mixed and may stay sideways for a bit according to Hackett, while hogs made contract highs Tuesday and have probably topped.  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grains lower for a third day with livestock mixed.  DuWayne Bosse of Bolt Marketing says pressure in grains is coming from a higher dollar, lower crude oil, Trump's political appointments and weather.  Corn is fading another 27.3 million bushels of flash export sale from Mexico and unknown.  Cattle have traded two-sided with bearish seasonals offset by funds defending their longs.   Lean hogs ae seeing profit taking and hedge pressure after new contract highs and with lower cutouts.  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grains end lower for a second day while livestock rally.  Chuck Shelby, Risk Management Commodities, says grains saw technical selling.  Corn and soybeans had a good rally last week post-election and reached the top end of trading ranges.  When prices could not take out chart resistance funds took profits, but there was also a pick up in farmer selling. The collapse in soybean oil also weighed on the bean complex and all the grains reacted to the strong dollar.  Wheat made new lows for the move with improved weather in the U.S. and Black Sea.  Cattle futures extended gains after reversals and selling exhaustion on Monday plus lower feed prices and that also helped hogs hit new contract highs.  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grains are slightly lower Tuesday with livestock mostly higher.  Kent Beadle with Paradigm Futures says corn and soybeans are seeing technical selling after failing at chart resistance again on Monday and soybean oil is follow palm oil lower which is also a drag on the soybeans.  Wheat continues to trade better moisture in winter wheat areas.  However, demand is strong for corn and soybeans with strong cash basis levels and bull spreading evident and Mexico buying another 4.35 million bushels of corn this morning.  Cattle futures made new lows for the move Monday and bounced and are seeing follow through buying this morning, but to keep it going the market will need to see at least steady cash.  Lean hog futures make more contract highs on fund buying and strong demand.  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.