CBOT weekly outlook: Prices soft on lack of demand

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Published: April 30, 2020

,

(Medioimages/Photodisc/Getty Images)

MarketsFarm — Technical buying was a supportive factor on the Chicago Board of Trade in late April, but commodity futures were broadly lower due to a lack of export activity.

However, China reportedly remains committed to fulfilling its end of its Phase One trade agreement with the United States.

Although soybean futures have been near contract lows for three consecutive trading sessions, Terry Reilly, a grains analyst with Futures International, expected the July soybean contract to get back up to $8.40 per bushel (all figures US$).

Read Also

The USDA and AAFC differ on Canada’s canola ending stocks for 2025/26, while an analyst says both agencies are wrong. Photo: Greg Berg

Large gap in canola ending stocks between AAFC, USDA

There’s a 760,000-tonne difference in the ending stocks for Canada’s 2025/26 canola crop respectively estimated by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the United States Department of Agriculture. Aside from that, the canola data from AAFC and the USDA remain quite similar.

“But we need significant buying from China to propel that market higher,” he remarked.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s order for meat processing plants to resume operations was also a supportive factor, as demand for feed will likely not decrease as much as expected.

However, Reilly expected corn prices to remain under $3.20 for the foreseeable future due to prolonged weakness in demand for ethanol.

“Wheat markets have also been sagging due to a lack of fresh export developments,” Reilly said.

He expected the July contract for Chicago soft red wheat to test $5 levels “unless we see an improvement in exports.”

— Marlo Glass reports for MarketsFarm from Winnipeg.

About the author

GFM Network News

GFM Network News

Glacier FarmMedia Feed

Glacier FarmMedia, a division of Glacier Media, is Canada's largest publisher of agricultural news in print and online.

explore

Stories from our other publications