GRAINS-Corn firms after USDA confirms planting delays

SYDNEY, April 29 (Reuters) - U.S. corn futures rose for a
third straight session on Wednesday to hover close to a near
three-week high after the U.S. Department of Agriculture said
the pace of planting fell short of market expectations.

FUNDAMENTALS
* Chicago Board Of Trade July corn rose 0.4 percent to
$5.15-3/4 a bushel, having gained 0.2 percent in the previous
session when the grain hit a high of $5.18-1/2 a bushel, the
highest since April 9.
* July wheat fell 0.3 percent to $7.06-3/4 a bushel,
having closed marginally higher on Monday.
* July soybeans fell 0.3 percent to $14.96 a bushel,

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having firmed 0.4 percent on Monday.
* U.S. farmers have planted 19 percent of their 2014 corn
crop as of April 27, behind the five-year average of 28 percent,
the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in its third crop
progress report of the season.
* Analysts polled by Reuters ahead of the closely watched
report expected corn, on average, to be 21 percent seeded.
* The winter wheat crop was rated 33 percent good to
excellent, down 1 point from the previous week and well below
the five-year average of 49 percent, USDA said in its weekly
crop progress report.
* Analysts polled by Reuters, on average, expected no change
to the condition ratings.
* Argentina has authorized an additional 500,000 tonnes in
2013/14 wheat exports, President Cristina Fernandez said on
Monday, bringing the official exportable surplus for the season
to 1.5 million tonnes.

MARKET NEWS

* The euro traded at multi-week highs against the yen early
on Tuesday and held firm against the dollar following a
surprisingly strong performance overnight as expectations for
additional stimulus from the European Central Bank waned.

* Brent crude oil prices fell almost $1.50 a barrel on
Monday as Libya prepared to resume exports from an eastern port,
while the spread versus U.S. futures abruptly narrowed after
widening for two weeks.
* The S&P 500 ended higher on Monday after a volatile
session, as gains in Apple and Pfizer helped
offset another round of selling in some high-growth tech shares.

DATA/EVENTS (GMT)
0600 Germany GfK consumer sentiment May
0600 Germany GfK consumer sentiment May
1145 U.S. ICSC chain stores yy Weekly
1300 U.S. CaseShiller 20 MM SA Feb
1300 U.S. CaseShiller 20 MM NSA Feb
1300 U.S. CaseShiller 20 YY Feb
2030 U.S. API weekly crude stocks Weekly
2030 U.S. API weekly dist. stocks Weekly
2030 U.S. API weekly gasoline stk Weekly

Grains prices at 0030 GMT
Contract Last Change Pct chg Two-day chg MA 30 RSI
CBOT wheat 706.75 -1.75 -0.25% -0.21% 695.38 58
CBOT corn 515.75 2.00 +0.39% +0.59% 502.21 64
CBOT soy 1496.00 -4.00 -0.27% +0.12% 1457.81 60
CBOT rice $15.36 -$0.02 -0.10% -0.71% $15.52 55
WTI crude $100.92 $0.08 +0.08% +0.32% $101.51 36
Currencies
Euro/dlr $1.385 $0.000 +0.04% +0.17%
USD/AUD 0.924 -0.002 -0.18% -0.38%
Most active contracts
Wheat, corn and soy US cents/bushel. Rice: USD per hundredweight
RSI 14, exponential

(Reporting by Colin Packham; Editing by Richard Pullin)