By Colin Packham
    SYDNEY, Sept 27 (Reuters) - U.S. wheat held steady on
Friday, remaining on track to record its biggest weekly gain in
over a year on growing appetite for imports from China and
Brazil after weather damaged crops in those countries. 
         
    FUNDAMENTALS  
    * Chicago Board of Trade December wheat was poised to
finish the week up nearly 5 percent in its biggest weekly rise
since June 2012.
    * November soybeans looked set to finish the week
little changed, having closed down more than 4.5 percent last
week.
    * December corn was up 1 percent for the week - its
	

		

			
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first weekly gain in a month.
    * The U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Thursday that
old-crop export sales of wheat were 620,200 tonnes in the latest
week, which was in line with the analysts' robust expectations
of 500,000 to 700,000 tonnes. 
    * Stepped-up purchases by Brazil and China after weather
damaged their domestic crop have helped strengthen the wheat
market.
    * A few light showers over the next two weeks will cause
only minor slowdowns in harvesting the U.S. corn and soybean
crops, MDA Weather Services said on Thursday. 
         
    MARKET NEWS  
    *  The dollar held onto modest overnight gains in Asia on
Friday but was on track to end the week flat, hampered by the
threat of a historic U.S. debt default hanging in the air and
lack of clarity over when the Federal Reserve will scale back
stimulus.  
    * Oil prices firmed on Thursday in light trading, despite
easing political worries and an improving supply picture, as
traders sought bargains after sharp losses earlier this month.
  
    * The S&P 500 and Dow snapped five-day losing streaks on
Thursday on positive job market data but gains were limited as
investors worried if Washington lawmakers would pass bills to
	

		

			
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avoid a government shutdown and possible U.S. debt default on
time.  
    
    DATA/EVENTS (GMT) 
0645  France         Consumer spending        
0800  Italy          Business confidence      
0900  Euro zone      Economic sentiment       
1200  Germany        Consumer inflation       
1230  U.S.           Personal income          
    
    
  Grains prices at  0013 GMT
  Contract        Last    Change  Pct chg  Two-day chg MA 30   RSI 
  CBOT wheat     678.25     0.00  +0.00%    +1.16%     652.05   76
  CBOT corn      455.50    -1.25  -0.27%    +0.16%     467.46   42
  CBOT soy      1313.25    -3.50  -0.27%    -0.64%    1340.58   37
  CBOT rice      $15.35    $0.03  +0.16%    -0.87%     $15.52   41
  WTI crude     $102.66   -$0.37  -0.36%    +0.00%    $106.62   32
  Currencies                                                
  Euro/dlr       $1.349   $0.000  -0.01%    -0.29%
  USD/AUD         0.936    0.000  -0.04%    -0.11%
  Most active contracts
  Wheat, corn and soy US cents/bushel. Rice: USD per hundredweight
  RSI 14, exponential
    

 (Editing by Joseph Radford)