(Refiles to correct transmission error, no change in text or
table)
    * U.S. wheat up for second day
    * Egypt conflict capping wheat gains
    * Markets oversold, due for bounce
    * U.S. market holiday July 4

    By Sam Nelson
    CHICAGO, July 3 (Reuters) - U.S. wheat rose over 1 percent
on Wednesday on reports that China has bought large quantities
of wheat from Australia and the United States.
    Wheat also traded higher on a bargain buying spree after a
one year low hit earlier in the week.
    Soybeans advanced for the eighth day in a row on tight
	

		

			
ADVERTISEMENT
			
				
	

	

			
	
	
stocks of soybeans while the corn market turned choppy and mixed
with crop friendly weather in the U.S. restraining gains in both
the corn and soy futures markets.
    Traders and analysts were skeptical that the wheat market
would trace a steady line upward due to the plentiful global
stockpile of wheat and escalating tensions and demonstrations in
Egypt, the largest global wheat buyer.
    "The sale of wheat to China is supportive but I'm concerned
about what's going on in Egypt, the world's largest buyer.
What's happening right now in Egypt isn't bullish," said
Sterling Smith, market specialist for Citigroup.
    Market participants eyed the turmoil in Egypt which has
erupted over President Mohamed Mursi's policies. 
    Nevertheless, wheat futures prices held onto gains Wednesday
following the news that China bought 300,000 tonnes of wheat
from Australia and 360,000 tonnes from the
United States. 
    At 10:00 a.m. CDT (1500 GMT), Chicago Board of Trade July
wheat was up 6-1/4 cents per bushel at $6.55-3/4, July
corn was up 1-1/4 at $6.74 and July soybeans were up
13 at $15.86.

    FOCUS ON BARGAIN HUNTING
    U.S. corn rose for a second session as bargain hunting and
strong oil prices led to a rebound from its lowest level in
	

		

			
ADVERTISEMENT
			
				
	

	

			
	
	
two-and-half years earlier this week on expectations of record
production. New-crop soybeans rose after four sessions of
declines.
    In other markets, oil prices surged on a sharp decline in
crude stockpiles in top consumer the United States and political
unrest in Egypt, which could lead to supply disruptions. 
    "We have seen a bit of an improved tone come through pricing
after bearishness over the past few days. It is just positioning
by traders," said Luke Mathews, a commodities strategist at
Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
    "We are still looking at a scenario of very large crops in
2013/14, and that is likely to replenish the tight old crop
situation."
    U.S. corn and soybean crops have improved in the past week,
aided by warmer weather, although heavy storms damaged crops in
parts of the northern Midwest, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture and state reports said.
    
    MARKET POSTURING AHEAD OF HOLIDAY
    "Markets had gotten oversold. We've taken about a dollar out
of beans since mid-June and around 75 cents out of corn, so I
think there is a fair amount of short-covering before the
holiday," Smith said.
    Markets will close at 12:00 p.m. CDT (1700 GMT) on Wednesday
	

		

			
ADVERTISEMENT
			
				
	

	

			
	
	
and will reopen at 8:30 a.m. CDT (1330 GMT) on Friday due to the
U.S. Independence Day Holiday on July 4.
    "There's a little nervousness about hotter weather coming up
later in the month. Right now it looks ideal but of course that
could change," Smith said.
    Crop friendly weather continues to dominate the U.S. Midwest
corn and soybean growing region with moderate temperatures and
occasional rainfall expected into at least mid-July, an
agricultural meteorologist said on Wednesday. 
    "Rains will return to the northwestern Corn Belt by the
weekend and spread across the west through the middle of next
week," said Joel Widenor, meteorologist for Commodity Weather
Group.
    Widenor said the rains would ensure moisture supplies remain
adequate and "plenty of moisture also will aid pollinating corn
in the south."
    Hot weather with temperatures in the 90s (degrees
Fahrenheit) to 100 F should be limited to the Southern Plains.
"This will limit potential impacts on corn to parts of Nebraska
and Kansas with very favorable conditions elsewhere," Widenor
said. 
    Crop forecaster Lanworth on Wednesday raised its outlook for
the 2013/14 U.S. corn and soybean harvests due to an increased
probability for normal to cool summer temperatures.
 
    Corn production in the United States was seen at 13.9
billion bushels, up from Lanworth's previous estimate of 13.7
billion and soybean production was estimated at 3.36 billion, up
from 3.34 billion.
 Prices at 10:02 a.m. CDT (1502 GMT)                               
 
                              LAST      NET    PCT     YTD
                                        CHG    CHG     CHG
 CBOT corn                  673.50     0.75   0.1%   -3.5%
 CBOT soy                  1585.75    12.75   0.8%   11.8%
 CBOT meal                  489.90     2.90   0.6%   16.5%
 CBOT soyoil                 47.10     0.18   0.4%   -4.2%
 CBOT wheat                 655.50     6.00   0.9%  -15.7%
 
 EU wheat                   194.50     1.25   0.7%  -22.3%
 
 US crude                   101.97     2.36   2.4%   11.1%
 Dow Jones                  14,941        9   0.1%   14.0%
 Gold                      1256.06    14.67   1.2%  -25.0%
 Euro/dollar                1.2982   0.0005   0.0%   -1.6%
 Dollar Index              83.3450  -0.1990  -0.2%    4.5%
 Baltic Freight               1133      -37  -3.2%   62.1%
    

    

 (Additional reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide in Paris,
Valerie Parent in Paris and Naveen Thukral in Singapore; editing
by Sofina Mirza-Reid)