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6-26 End of Day: Markets Close Mixed at Midweek

All prices as of 2:00 pm Central Time

Grain Market Highlights

  • Bears remain in control of the corn market as the lead months close lower for the seventh time in eight sessions. Anticipation of a potentially bearish Stocks and Acreage report and the pricing of basis contracts ahead of First Notice Day added to the negative sentiment.
  • Despite trading higher in the overnight session and for much of the day, sellers took control of the soybean market aided by declines in soybean meal.
  • The wheat complex settled in a mixed fashion after trading higher across the board earlier in the day, as harvest pressure remains a limiting factor, along with continued strength in the US dollar, which traded above the 106 level for the first time since May 1.
  • To see the updated US 5-day precipitation forecast, and the updated US 6-10 and 8-14 day Temperature and Precipitation Outlooks, courtesy of NOAA and the Weather Prediction Center, scroll down to the other Charts/Weather section.

Note – For the best viewing experience, some Grain Market Insider content is best viewed with your phone held horizontally.

Corn

Corn Action Plan Summary

Since mid-April, the front month corn market has been in a broad trading range bound mostly by 435 on the bottom and 475 up top. While solid demand has been a prominent supportive feature of the market along with US and South American weather, an old crop carryout near 2.0 billion bushels and the prospect of an even higher carryout number for new crop, has kept upside rallies in check. The 2024 growing season is still young with lots of potential ahead as weather remains the dominant market mover.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 corn. Any remaining old crop 2023 corn should be getting priced into market strength. Grain Market Insider won’t have any “New Alerts” for 2023 corn – either Cash, Calls, or Puts, as we have moved focus onto 2024 and 2025 Crop Year Opportunities.
  • Grain Market Insider sees a continued opportunity to buy December ’24 corn 470 and 510 calls in equal quantities. The Dec ’24 470 and 510 calls are about the least expensive they’ve been since each strike began trading back in 2022. Last year, Grain Market Insider also recommended buying call options ahead of the typically volatile, growing season months. Those call options proved to be invaluable as they allowed us to recommend selling into the sharp weather driven rally of June 2023, without having to worry about if the market continued to rally, like in 2012. That same call buying strategy is one that Grain Market Insider is looking to leverage now for your 2024 crop to give you the confidence to make sales into any sharp rallies.
  • No new action is currently recommended for 2025 corn. As we move through the growing season with its potential for high volatility, we are looking for higher prices and anticipate issuing two more sales recommendations before the beginning of September. Also given the tendency for the growing season to provide some of the best pricing opportunities for the next crop year we will also be watching the calendar along with price action to make additional recommendations.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following corn recommendations:

  • Corn futures traded lower for the seventh time in the past eight sessions as July and December corn futures pushed to new lows for the recent move. July corn closed under the most recent February low as the chart continues to show technical damage.
  • Bearish forces remain in the corn market and grain markets in general. Weather forecasts remain friendly for crop development, potential bearish USDA planted acres and grain stock report, overall demand concerns, and pricing of basis contracts with First Notice Day in July coming this week have helped push the bearish sentiment and price action. 
  • The USDA will release the Quarterly grain stocks and Planted Acres report on Friday, June 28. Expectations are for corn stocks to be nearly 770 mb over last year and planted acres to increase to 90.35 million acres.  The heavy supply picture and possible acre increase are being priced in the market.
  • The USDA will release weekly export sales on Thursday morning. Last week’s export sales were disappointing at 511,000 mt. The market will look for some recovery in those sales at these lower price levels.
  • Weekly daily ethanol production slipped last week to an average of 1.043 million barrels/day, down 1.3% from last week. The amount of corn used for the week is estimated at 103.53 million bushels, which was below the pace needed to reach USDA targets for the marketing year.

Soybeans

Soybeans Action Plan Summary

Since trading toward the 200-day moving average and peaking near 1260, front month soybeans have been on the decline and appear on track to test the February low around 1128. Though domestic crush demand has been good, export demand has lagged, and like corn, the prospect of a higher 24/25 carryout looms, adding overhead resistance to prices. With much of the growing season in front of the market, a weather-related issue or surge in demand appear to be the most likely catalysts to push prices back near their recent highs.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 soybeans. As we progress into the 2024 growing season, time is becoming limited to market the remaining 2023 old crop inventory. Although we are currently targeting a rebound to the 1275 – 1325 area versus Aug ’24 futures as our Plan A strategy, for what will likely be our final sales recommendation for the 2023 crop, we also don’t want to carry old crop inventory past mid-July due to seasonal weakness. Taking this into consideration, if the market does not present the opportunity to make sales at our Plan A target, our Plan B strategy will be to issue our final sales recommendation sometime in mid-July.  
  • No new action is recommended for the 2024 crop. At the end of December, we recommended buying Nov ’24 1280 and 1360 calls due to the amount of uncertainty in the 2024 soybean crop and to give you confidence to make sales and protect those sales in an extended rally. Given that the market has retreated since that time, we are targeting the lower 1200s versus Nov ’24 futures to exit 1/3 of the 1280 calls to help preserve equity. Most recently we employed our Plan B strategy with the close below 1180 in Nov ’24 and recommended making additional sales due to the potential change in trend. With the growing season still ahead of us, should the market turn back higher, we continue to target the 1280 – 1300 range from our Plan A strategy to make additional sales.
  • No Action is currently recommended for 2025 Soybeans. We currently aren’t considering any recommendations at this time for the 2025 crop that will be planted next year, and it may be some time before conditions are conducive to consider making any recommendations. Be patient as we monitor the markets for signs of improvement.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following soybean recommendations:

  • Soybeans ended the day lower after mixed trade throughout the day which saw prices higher around midday before fading into the close with the rest of the grain complex. Pressure has been coming from a wet 14-day forecast for the central and eastern Corn Belt, and trade has seemingly ignored the potential damage done in the northwest due to flooding. Soybean meal closed lower while soybean oil was higher.
  • On Friday, the USDA will release its Quarterly Stocks and Planted Acres reports. Analysts are estimating that the number of soybean planted acres will come in at 86.753 million which would be slightly higher than the planting intentions numbers of 86.510 million reported in March. Quarterly soybean stocks as of June 1 are estimated to come in at 0.962 billion bushels which would be higher than last year.
  • US export demand has been sluggish with the bulk of business going to Brazil and Argentina as they remain more competitive. China has purchased some old crop soybeans but has been hesitant to purchase any new crop soybeans so far. Meanwhile, export group ANEC has reported that Brazilian soybean exports for June would reach 14.5 mmt,
  • It’s estimated that funds hold a net short position of approximately 200,000 contracts between soybeans and soybean oil and are long approximately 97,000 contracts of soybean meal as of Wednesday. Yesterday, it was estimated that the funds sold an additional 10,000 contracts of soybeans.

Above: The soybean market appears to have found support around 1140. Should this area hold, and prices recover, they could then test the 1190 – 1200 area. Otherwise, they remain at risk of testing the 1130 – 1125 area.

Wheat

Market Notes: Wheat

  • Early gains in the wheat market gave way to late session weakness that resulted in a mixed close. While Kansas City futures were higher across the board, Chicago and Minneapolis contracts finished on both sides of unchanged. Part of the weakness may be a result of the US Dollar Index, which rallied back above the 106 level for the first time since May 1. Harvest pressure remains a factor, running roughly double the average pace as of Monday’s crop progress report.
  • Lower wheat prices may have sparked some global buying interest. Egypt bought 470,000 mt in their tender at roughly $22 per mt under their previous purchase. Russia and Romania received most of the business at 180,000 mt each, with the rest fulfilled by Ukraine and Bulgaria.
  • SovEcon is reported to have reduced their estimate of Ukraine’s 24/25 wheat production by 1.2 mmt to 20.4 mmt. For reference, this is still higher than the USDA figure of 19.5 mmt. Additionally, SovEcon has said that Ukraine’s 24/25 wheat exports may drop 25% year over year to 13.6 mmt. In related news, warm and dry weather is expected to return to southwest Russia and eastern Ukraine by the end of the week.
  • Canada’s 24/25 planted wheat area is expected to come in at 27.2 million acres according to a Bloomberg survey, a bump up from the 27.0 million acre estimate in March. Stats Canda will release the official data tomorrow, June 27, at 8:30 AM eastern. For reference 2023 acreage was 27.0 million.

Chicago Wheat Action Plan Summary

Since rallying nearly 200 cents from the March low to the May high, largely on fund short covering from Russian crop concerns and dryness in the southwestern Plains, prices have fallen from their peak with seasonal weakness and the onset of harvest. Although the market is showing signs of weakness, it is also becoming oversold, which can be supportive in the event prices turn back higher, and the recent breakout above the December highs suggests there is potential for a test of the 2023 summer highs post-harvest.

  • No new action is currently recommended for 2023 Chicago wheat. Any remaining 2023 soft red winter wheat should be getting priced into market strength. Grain Market Insider won’t have any “New Alerts” for 2023 Chicago wheat – either Cash, Calls, or Puts, as we have moved focus onto 2024 and 2025 Crop Year Opportunities.
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 Chicago wheat. Considering the recent rally in wheat, we recommended taking advantage of the elevated prices to make additional sales and buy upside July ’25 860 and 1020 calls (for their extended time frame) in case of a protracted rally. Our current strategy is to target 740 – 760 versus Sept ’24 to recommend further sales and to target a selling price of about 73 cents in the 860 calls to achieve a net neutral cost on the remaining 1020 calls. The remaining 1020 calls would then continue to protect existing sales and give you confidence to make additional sales at higher prices.
  • No new action is currently recommended for 2025 Chicago Wheat. Given the weakness in the wheat market we recently employed our Plan B strategy and recommended making an additional sale as prices broke through 667 support. Moving forward, we continue to target the value of 68 cents in the July ’25 620 puts (double the original approximate cost) to exit half of the original previously recommended position, leaving the balance to continue to provide downside coverage with a net neutral cost. To take further action, our strategy is to target the 750 – 780 range to recommend making additional sales.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following Chicago wheat recommendations:

KC Wheat Action Plan Summary

Since the end of May the wheat market has been trending lower as concerns regarding Russia’s shrinking wheat crop have waned, along with US HRW harvest yields being higher than expected. During this time the market has become extremely oversold, and managed funds have begun reestablishing their short positions. While harvest pressure and falling Black Sea export prices continue to weigh on US prices, the funds’ short position and oversold conditions could culminate in a short covering rally on any increase in demand as world wheat ending stocks are expected to fall yet again this year.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 KC wheat. Any remaining 2023 hard red winter wheat should be getting priced into market strength. Grain Market Insider won’t have any “New Alerts” for 2023 KC wheat – either Cash, Calls, or Puts, as we have moved focus onto 2024 and 2025 Crop Year Opportunities. 
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 KC wheat. Considering the recent upside breakout in KC wheat, we recommended buying upside July ’25 860 and 1020 calls (for their extended time frame) in case of a protracted rally. Our current strategy is to target 780 – 810 versus Sept ’24 to recommend further sales and to target a selling price of about 71 cents on the 860 calls to achieve a net neutral cost on the remaining 1020 calls. The remaining 1020 calls would then continue to protect existing sales and give you confidence to make additional sales at higher prices.
  • Grain Market Insider sees a continued opportunity to sell half of the previously recommended July ‘25 620 KC Wheat puts at approximately 60 cents in premium minus fees and commission. Earlier this month Grain Market Insider recommended buying July ’25 620 KC wheat puts for approximately 30 cents in premium plus commission and fees to protect the downside from further potential price erosion. At the time, July KC wheat had just broken through support near 706. The breaking of 706 support increased the risk of the market retreating further. Since that time July ’25 KC wheat has dropped about 90 cents, with the July ’25 620 KC wheat puts having roughly doubled in value. Though prices are depressed following this market drop, plenty of time remains to market the ’25 crop, with plenty of unknowns remaining that could rally prices. Grain Market Insider recommends selling half of the previously recommended July ’25 620 KC wheat puts to lock in gains in case prices rally back and holding the remaining puts at or near a net neutral cost, which should continue to protect any unsold bushels if prices erode further.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following KC recommendations:

Mpls Wheat Action Plan Summary

Since the end of May, the wheat market has been trending lower as concerns about Russia’s shrinking wheat crop have eased and US HRW harvest yields have exceeded expectations. During this period, the market has become extremely oversold, leading managed funds to reestablish their short positions in Minneapolis wheat. Although declining Black Sea export prices and slow world demand continue to depress US prices, the funds’ short positions and oversold conditions could trigger a short-covering rally with any increase in demand, especially as global wheat ending stocks are projected to decline again this year.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 Minneapolis wheat. Any remaining 2023 spring wheat should be getting priced into market strength. Grain Market Insider won’t have any “New Alerts” for 2023 Minneapolis wheat – either Cash, Calls, or Puts, as we have moved focus onto 2024 and 2025 Crop Year Opportunities. 
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 Minneapolis wheat. With the recent close below the 712 support level, Grain Market Insider implemented its Plan B stop strategy, recommending additional sales for the 2024 crop due to waning upside momentum and an increased likelihood of a downward trend. Given the heightened volatility and the amount of time that remains to market this crop, we will maintain the current July ’25 KC wheat 860 and 1020 call options. Our target is a selling price of about 71 cents for the 860 calls to achieve a net neutral cost on the remaining 1020 calls. These 1020 calls will continue to protect existing sales and provide confidence to make additional sales at higher prices.
  • Grain Market Insider sees a continued opportunity to sell half of the previously recommended July ‘25 620 KC Wheat puts at approximately 60 cents in premium minus fees and commission. Earlier this month Grain Market Insider recommended buying July ’25 620 KC wheat puts for approximately 30 cents in premium plus commission and fees to protect the downside from further potential price erosion. (KC puts were recommended for Minneapolis due to KC wheat’s greater liquidity and high correlation to Minneapolis wheat.) At the time, July KC wheat had just broken through support near 706. The breaking of 706 support increased the risk of the market retreating further. Since that time July ’25 KC wheat has dropped about 90 cents, with the July ’25 620 KC wheat puts having roughly doubled in value. Though prices are depressed following this market drop, plenty of time remains to market the ’25 crop, with plenty of unknowns remaining that could rally prices. Grain Market Insider recommends selling half of the previously recommended July ’25 620 KC wheat puts to lock in gains in case prices rally back and holding the remaining puts at or near a net neutral cost, which should continue to protect any unsold bushels if prices erode further.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following Minneapolis wheat recommendations:

Other Charts / Weather

Above: US 5-day precipitation forecast courtesy of NOAA, Weather Prediction Center.

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6-25 End of Day: Grains Settle in the Red as Sellers Remain in Control

All prices as of 2:00 pm Central Time

Grain Market Highlights

  • An active weather pattern and overall solid crop ratings, that are the highest since 2020, for this year’s corn crop, kept sellers engaged in today’s trade. December corn settled two cents off the day’s low of a 12-cent top to bottom range.
  • Pressured by sharply lower soybean oil and soybean meal, soybeans were unable to find support from lower than expected good/excellent crop ratings. November beans led the old crop contracts lower and closed 4 ¼ cents off the low of a 24 ½ cent range.
  • Sellers remain active in the wheat complex as harvest pressure, lower Matif wheat, and falling Russian export values keep playing on the same broken record and weigh on prices. All three wheat classes settled at the low end of their ranges after trading higher on the day in the overnight session.
  • To see the updated US 5-day precipitation forecast, and the updated US 6-10 Temperature and Precipitation Outlooks, courtesy of NOAA and the Weather Prediction Center, scroll down to the other Charts/Weather section.

Note – For the best viewing experience, some Grain Market Insider content is best viewed with your phone held horizontally.

Corn

Corn Action Plan Summary

Since mid-April, the front month corn market has been in a broad trading range bound mostly by 435 on the bottom and 475 up top. While solid demand has been a prominent supportive feature of the market along with US and South American weather, an old crop carryout near 2.0 billion bushels and the prospect of an even higher carryout number for new crop, has kept upside rallies in check. The 2024 growing season is still young with lots of potential ahead as weather remains the dominant market mover.

  • Grain Market Insider sees a continued opportunity to sell another portion of your 2023 corn crop. With no bullish surprises in last week’s WASDE report and a relatively benign 8–14-day weather outlook, we are recommending selling the last of the old crop corn here. The risk of a lower trend into month’s end looks to be increasing. Then on the 28th of June, we have the uncertainty of the Grain Stocks and Acreage reports, which is one of the most volatile report days of the year. If that report day ends up being overall bearish, we’ve seen before where the market can shed 3% or more of its price. So given all these factors, and that we try not to carry old crop bushels past mid-July, we are making what will be our last sales recommendation for the 2023 corn crop at this time.
  • Grain Market Insider recommends buying December ’24 corn 470 and 510 calls in equal quantities with a total net spend of approximately 29 cents plus commission and fees. The Dec ’24 470 and 510 calls are about the least expensive they’ve been since each strike began trading back in 2022. Last year, Grain Market Insider also recommended buying call options ahead of the typically volatile, growing season months. Those call options proved to be invaluable as they allowed us to recommend selling into the sharp weather driven rally of June 2023, without having to worry about if the market continued to rally, like in 2012. That same call buying strategy is one that Grain Market Insider is looking to leverage now for your 2024 crop to give you the confidence to make sales into any sharp rallies.
  • No new action is currently recommended for 2025 corn. As we move through the growing season with its potential for high volatility, we are looking for higher prices and anticipate issuing two more sales recommendations before the beginning of September. Also given the tendency for the growing season to provide some of the best pricing opportunities for the next crop year we will also be watching the calendar along with price action to make additional recommendations.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following corn recommendations:

  • Selling pressure remained in the grain markets as corn futures saw losses on the day’s session. December corn pushed to a new low for the move as it took out yesterday’s low on overall good crop ratings and active precipitation on the weather radar that kept the sellers motivated. 
  • The USDA released the latest crop ratings on Monday afternoon. The current corn crop was rated 69% good/excellent, down 3% from last week, but meeting analyst expectations. A rating of this level still reflects a trendline or higher potential yield at this point. Eastern corn belt states saw ratings slip as those crops dealt with a second week of hot and drier conditions.
  • The corn market saw rain on the radar during the session as a system ranged from Eastern Iowa through Ohio during most of the day. While coverage and precipitation totals are still undetermined, areas that needed rainfall seem to be receiving beneficial rains.
  • The USDA announced a flash sale of corn to Mexico this morning. Mexico purchased 209,931 mt (8.3 mb) of corn split between the current and next marketing year. Of that total 22,000 mt is for the 23/24 marketing year and 188,000 mt is for the 24/25 marketing year.
  • Managed funds are still holding a large short position in the corn market. As of June 18, funds were net short 191,000 corn contracts, which was reduced by 20,000 contracts week over week. The recent selling pressure indicated that the funds have likely grown this short position as prices are pressured by favorable weather forecasts.

Soybeans

Soybeans Action Plan Summary

Since trading toward the 200-day moving average and peaking near 1260, front month soybeans have been on the decline and appear on track to test the February low around 1128. Though domestic crush demand has been good, export demand has lagged, and like corn, the prospect of a higher 24/25 carryout looms, adding overhead resistance to prices. With much of the growing season in front of the market, a weather-related issue or surge in demand appear to be the most likely catalysts to push prices back near their recent highs.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 soybeans. As we progress into the 2024 growing season, time is becoming limited to market the remaining 2023 old crop inventory. Although we are currently targeting a rebound to the 1275 – 1325 area versus Aug ’24 futures as our Plan A strategy, for what will likely be our final sales recommendation for the 2023 crop, we also don’t want to carry old crop inventory past mid-July due to seasonal weakness. Taking this into consideration, if the market does not present the opportunity to make sales at our Plan A target, our Plan B strategy will be to issue our final sales recommendation sometime in mid-July.  
  • No new action is recommended for the 2024 crop. At the end of December, we recommended buying Nov ’24 1280 and 1360 calls due to the amount of uncertainty in the 2024 soybean crop and to give you confidence to make sales and protect those sales in an extended rally. Given that the market has retreated since that time, we are targeting the mid-1200s versus Nov ’24 futures to exit 1/3 of the 1280 calls to help preserve equity. Most recently we employed our Plan B strategy with the close below 1180 in Nov ’24 and recommended making additional sales due to the potential change in trend. With the growing season still ahead of us, should the market turn back higher, we continue to target the 1280 – 1320 range from our Plan A strategy to make additional sales.
  • No Action is currently recommended for 2025 Soybeans. We currently aren’t considering any recommendations at this time for the 2025 crop that will be planted next year, and it may be some time before conditions are conducive to consider making any recommendations. Be patient as we monitor the markets for signs of improvement.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following soybean recommendations:

  • Soybeans closed lower today with the November contract closing at the lowest level since August of 2021. Yesterday, futures swung wildly lower before recovering for a higher close but today, they were unable to recover despite crop progress showing crop ratings falling. Both soybean meal and oil closed significantly lower as well as trade expects a large soybean crop.
  • Yesterday’s Crop Progress showed the soybean good/excellent rating falling by 3 points to 67% which was 1 point below the average trade estimate and compares to 51% from a year ago. 90% of the soybean crop has emerged which compares to 87% last year, and 8% of the crop is blooming.
  • On Friday, the USDA will release its Quarterly Stocks and Planted Acres reports. Analysts are estimating that the number of soybean planted acres will come in at 86.753 million which would be slightly higher than last month’s guess of 86.510 million. Quarterly soybean stocks as of June 1 are estimated to come in at 0.962 billion bushels which would be higher than last month.
  • Monday’s CFTC report showed funds selling additional contracts as of June 18. They added 30,090 contracts to their net short position bringing it to 105,970 contracts and have likely added more shorts since that day.

Above: The soybean market appears to have found support around 1140. Should this area hold, and prices recover, they could then test the 1190 – 1200 area. Otherwise, they remain at risk of testing the 1130 – 1125 area.

Wheat

Market Notes: Wheat

  • Wheat closed lower across the board yet again, with the same old story. A combination of harvest pressure, lower Paris futures, a higher US Dollar, and falling Russian values are all to blame. Looking at the silver lining, however, soft wheat yields in Europe have fallen to the five-year average due to declines in Romania, Italy, and the Netherlands. Further declines there may provide some support to the oversold US market.
  • According to the USDA, winter wheat condition improved 3% to 52% good/excellent, reflecting the better than anticipated yields in the Southern Plains. In addition, 40% of winter wheat is said to be harvested which is well above both the 5-year average pace of 25% and last year’s 21%. Spring wheat conditions did slip 5% to 71% good to excellent due to flooding in the northwest. Also, 18% of the crop is headed which is in line with 5-year average but below 25% from the year prior.
  • Early wheat harvest results in Russia are reported to show better than expected yields. This is despite the hot and dry pattern, and analysts are now predicting a crop of 80-82 mmt. While this is still well below the early season estimates up to 94 mmt, it is an improvement from more recent sub-80 mmt projections.
  • Indian wheat stocks are the lowest in 16 years at 7.5 mmt. There is also talk that India may remove their 44% import tax on wheat – this would allow for an estimated 2-4 mmt of imports. Though much of that is expected to be sourced from Russia, it may still provide some bullish support to the market.
  • On a bearish note, La Nina may be weaker than originally thought. Therefore, according to the Rosario Grain Exchange, there is better hope for Argentina’s 24/25 crop season. They are currently planting the 24/25 wheat crop. Normally, La Nina means a drier pattern for Argentina, which caused crop losses form them last year.

Chicago Wheat Action Plan Summary

Since rallying nearly 200 cents from the March low to the May high, largely on fund short covering from Russian crop concerns and dryness in the southwestern Plains, prices have fallen from their peak with seasonal weakness and the onset of harvest. Although the market is showing signs of weakness, it is also becoming oversold, which can be supportive in the event prices turn back higher, and the recent breakout above the December highs suggests there is potential for a test of the 2023 summer highs post-harvest.

  • No new action is currently recommended for 2023 Chicago wheat. Any remaining 2023 soft red winter wheat should be getting priced into market strength. Grain Market Insider won’t have any “New Alerts” for 2023 Chicago wheat – either Cash, Calls, or Puts, as we have moved focus onto 2024 and 2025 Crop Year Opportunities.
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 Chicago wheat. Considering the recent rally in wheat, we recommended taking advantage of the elevated prices to make additional sales and buy upside July ’25 860 and 1020 calls (for their extended time frame) in case of a protracted rally. Our current strategy is to target 740 – 760 versus Sept ’24 to recommend further sales and to target a selling price of about 73 cents in the 860 calls to achieve a net neutral cost on the remaining 1020 calls. The remaining 1020 calls would then continue to protect existing sales and give you confidence to make additional sales at higher prices.
  • No new action is currently recommended for 2025 Chicago Wheat. Given the weakness in the wheat market we recently employed our Plan B strategy and recommended making an additional sale as prices broke through 667 support. Moving forward, we continue to target the value of 68 cents in the July ’25 620 puts (double the original approximate cost) to exit half of the original previously recommended position, leaving the balance to continue to provide downside coverage with a net neutral cost. To take further action, our strategy is to target the 750 – 780 range to recommend making additional sales.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following Chicago wheat recommendations:

KC Wheat Action Plan Summary

Since the end of May the wheat market has been trending lower as concerns regarding Russia’s shrinking wheat crop have waned, along with US HRW harvest yields being higher than expected. During this time the market has become extremely oversold, and managed funds have begun reestablishing their short positions. While harvest pressure and falling Black Sea export prices continue to weigh on US prices, the funds’ short position and oversold conditions could culminate in a short covering rally on any increase in demand as world wheat ending stocks are expected to fall yet again this year.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 KC wheat. Any remaining 2023 hard red winter wheat should be getting priced into market strength. Grain Market Insider won’t have any “New Alerts” for 2023 KC wheat – either Cash, Calls, or Puts, as we have moved focus onto 2024 and 2025 Crop Year Opportunities. 
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 KC wheat. Considering the recent upside breakout in KC wheat, we recommended buying upside July ’25 860 and 1020 calls (for their extended time frame) in case of a protracted rally. Our current strategy is to target 780 – 810 versus Sept ’24 to recommend further sales and to target a selling price of about 71 cents on the 860 calls to achieve a net neutral cost on the remaining 1020 calls. The remaining 1020 calls would then continue to protect existing sales and give you confidence to make additional sales at higher prices.
  • Grain Market Insider sees a continued opportunity to sell half of the previously recommended July ‘25 620 KC Wheat puts at approximately 60 cents in premium minus fees and commission. Earlier this month Grain Market Insider recommended buying July ’25 620 KC wheat puts for approximately 30 cents in premium plus commission and fees to protect the downside from further potential price erosion. At the time, July KC wheat had just broken through support near 706. The breaking of 706 support increased the risk of the market retreating further. Since that time July ’25 KC wheat has dropped about 90 cents, with the July ’25 620 KC wheat puts having roughly doubled in value. Though prices are depressed following this market drop, plenty of time remains to market the ’25 crop, with plenty of unknowns remaining that could rally prices. Grain Market Insider recommends selling half of the previously recommended July ’25 620 KC wheat puts to lock in gains in case prices rally back and holding the remaining puts at or near a net neutral cost, which should continue to protect any unsold bushels if prices erode further.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following KC recommendations:

Mpls Wheat Action Plan Summary

Since the end of May, the wheat market has been trending lower as concerns about Russia’s shrinking wheat crop have eased and US HRW harvest yields have exceeded expectations. During this period, the market has become extremely oversold, leading managed funds to reestablish their short positions in Minneapolis wheat. Although declining Black Sea export prices and slow world demand continue to depress US prices, the funds’ short positions and oversold conditions could trigger a short-covering rally with any increase in demand, especially as global wheat ending stocks are projected to decline again this year.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 Minneapolis wheat. Any remaining 2023 spring wheat should be getting priced into market strength. Grain Market Insider won’t have any “New Alerts” for 2023 Minneapolis wheat – either Cash, Calls, or Puts, as we have moved focus onto 2024 and 2025 Crop Year Opportunities. 
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 Minneapolis wheat. With the recent close below the 712 support level, Grain Market Insider implemented its Plan B stop strategy, recommending additional sales for the 2024 crop due to waning upside momentum and an increased likelihood of a downward trend. Given the heightened volatility and the amount of time that remains to market this crop, we will maintain the current July ’25 KC wheat 860 and 1020 call options. Our target is a selling price of about 71 cents for the 860 calls to achieve a net neutral cost on the remaining 1020 calls. These 1020 calls will continue to protect existing sales and provide confidence to make additional sales at higher prices.
  • Grain Market Insider sees a continued opportunity to sell half of the previously recommended July ‘25 620 KC Wheat puts at approximately 60 cents in premium minus fees and commission. Earlier this month Grain Market Insider recommended buying July ’25 620 KC wheat puts for approximately 30 cents in premium plus commission and fees to protect the downside from further potential price erosion. (KC puts were recommended for Minneapolis due to KC wheat’s greater liquidity and high correlation to Minneapolis wheat.) At the time, July KC wheat had just broken through support near 706. The breaking of 706 support increased the risk of the market retreating further. Since that time July ’25 KC wheat has dropped about 90 cents, with the July ’25 620 KC wheat puts having roughly doubled in value. Though prices are depressed following this market drop, plenty of time remains to market the ’25 crop, with plenty of unknowns remaining that could rally prices. Grain Market Insider recommends selling half of the previously recommended July ’25 620 KC wheat puts to lock in gains in case prices rally back and holding the remaining puts at or near a net neutral cost, which should continue to protect any unsold bushels if prices erode further.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following Minneapolis wheat recommendations:

Other Charts / Weather

Above: US 5-day precipitation forecast courtesy of NOAA, Weather Prediction Center.

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6-24 End of Day: Corn and Wheat Settle off Their Lows

All prices as of 2:00 pm Central Time

Grain Market Highlights

  • The corn market found support near the February low in the December contract and closed well off the day’s lows, likely due to traders covering short positions. This support was influenced by the potential for reduced good-to-excellent crop ratings and strength from neighboring soybeans.
  • With support from sharply higher old crop soybean meal and expectations of lower crop ratings soybeans closed well off their lows led by the old crop contracts.
  • Despite decent weekly export inspections, the wheat complex closed mostly lower as prices remained under pressure from lower Russian export prices and the ongoing northern hemisphere harvest.
  • To see the updated US 5-day precipitation forecast, and the updated US 6-10 and 8-14 day Temperature and Precipitation Outlooks, courtesy of NOAA and the Weather Prediction Center, scroll down to the other Charts/Weather section.

Note – For the best viewing experience, some Grain Market Insider content is best viewed with your phone held horizontally.

Corn

Corn Action Plan Summary

Since mid-April, the front month corn market has been in a broad trading range bound mostly by 435 on the bottom and 475 up top. While solid demand has been a prominent supportive feature of the market along with US and South American weather, an old crop carryout near 2.0 billion bushels and the prospect of an even higher carryout number for new crop, has kept upside rallies in check. The 2024 growing season is still young with lots of potential ahead as weather remains the dominant market mover.

  • Grain Market Insider sees a continued opportunity to sell another portion of your 2023 corn crop. With no bullish surprises in last week’s WASDE report and a relatively benign 8–14-day weather outlook, we are recommending selling the last of the old crop corn here. The risk of a lower trend into month’s end looks to be increasing. Then on the 28th of June, we have the uncertainty of the Grain Stocks and Acreage reports, which is one of the most volatile report days of the year. If that report day ends up being overall bearish, we’ve seen before where the market can shed 3% or more of its price. So given all these factors, and that we try not to carry old crop bushels past mid-July, we are making what will be our last sales recommendation for the 2023 corn crop at this time.
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 corn. After the Dec ’24 contract posted a bearish key reversal in mid-May, we implemented our Plan B stop strategy and advised making additional sales considering we are in the time of year when changes in weather, actual or perceived, can move the market swiftly in either direction. Also considering the volatility that this time of year can bring, our current strategy is to have several targets in place to provide both upside coverage as well as downside. While targeting 520 – 540 to recommend additional sales versus Dec ’24, we are targeting the 510 – 520 area to buy puts on any production that cannot be priced ahead of harvest. We are also targeting a close below 451 in Dec ’24 to buy upside calls for their value to protect any existing or future new crop sales.
  • No new action is currently recommended for 2025 corn. As we move through the growing season with its potential for high volatility, we are looking for higher prices and anticipate issuing two more sales recommendations before the beginning of September. Also given the tendency for the growing season to provide some of the best pricing opportunities for the next crop year we will also be watching the calendar along with price action to make additional recommendations.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following corn recommendations:

  • Corn futures pulled off session lows supported by strength in the soybean market, and the prospect of reduced crop ratings on this week’s report triggered some short covering at the end of the session.
  • The USDA will release weekly crop ratings on Monday afternoon. Expectations are for the corn crop to be rated at 69% good to excellent, down 3% from last week. Recent hot weather across the southeastern corn belt, and heavy rainfall in the northwestern corn belt should limit crop ratings. Given the weather extremes over the past week, traders likely squared up positions going into the afternoon report.
  • December corn futures traded through the February low of 446 during the session but rallied to close above that level. Holding this key support point may indicate a short-term bottom as the market looks towards Friday’s USDA planted acres and grain stocks report. The report is one of the most volatile reports of the marketing year.
  • Weekly export inspections for corn remain strong. Last week, US exports shipped 44 mb (1.118 mmt) of corn. Currently, total inspections for the 23/24 marketing year are now at 1.639 bb, up 28% over last year.
  • Weather forecast may remain as a limiting factor over the grain markets. Expectations are for warm temperatures and above normal precipitation over the corn belt into the July 4th holiday. Overall, those conditions will likely stay mostly favorable for crop development.

Soybeans

Soybeans Action Plan Summary

Since trading toward the 200-day moving average and peaking near 1260, front month soybeans have been on the decline and appear on track to test the February low around 1128. Though domestic crush demand has been good, export demand has lagged, and like corn, the prospect of a higher 24/25 carryout looms, adding overhead resistance to prices. With much of the growing season in front of the market, a weather-related issue or surge in demand appear to be the most likely catalysts to push prices back near their recent highs.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 soybeans. As we progress into the 2024 growing season, time is becoming limited to market the remaining 2023 old crop inventory. Although we are currently targeting a rebound to the 1275 – 1325 area versus Aug ’24 futures as our Plan A strategy, for what will likely be our final sales recommendation for the 2023 crop, we also don’t want to carry old crop inventory past mid-July due to seasonal weakness. Taking this into consideration, if the market does not present the opportunity to make sales at our Plan A target, our Plan B strategy will be to issue our final sales recommendation sometime in mid-July.  
  • No new action is recommended for the 2024 crop. At the end of December, we recommended buying Nov ’24 1280 and 1360 calls due to the amount of uncertainty in the 2024 soybean crop and to give you confidence to make sales and protect those sales in an extended rally. Given that the market has retreated since that time, we are targeting the mid-1200s versus Nov ’24 futures to exit 1/3 of the 1280 calls to help preserve equity. Most recently we employed our Plan B strategy with the close below 1180 in Nov ’24 and recommended making additional sales due to the potential change in trend. With the growing season still ahead of us, should the market turn back higher, we continue to target the 1280 – 1320 range from our Plan A strategy to make additional sales.
  • No Action is currently recommended for 2025 Soybeans. We currently aren’t considering any recommendations at this time for the 2025 crop that will be planted next year, and it may be some time before conditions are conducive to consider making any recommendations. Be patient as we monitor the markets for signs of improvement.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following soybean recommendations:

  • Soybeans ended the day significantly higher with the November contract rebounding from the lowest prices since November of 2021. Weather has been mixed with the central Corn Belt receiving necessary rains over the weekend while the northwestern Belt had areas which flooded severely. The forecast throughout the month is hot with scattered rains.
  • Soybean meal closed higher today and has been performing relatively well likely due to the losses in Brazil due to flooding in which the soybeans that were lost were likely headed to Argentina to be crushed and exported as meal. Soybean oil closed lower and has been in a downward trend.
  • Later today, the USDA will release its Crop Progress Report and analysts are expecting a decline in good to excellent ratings. It is expected that soybeans will come in at 97% planted which would compare to 93% last week. They are expected to be rated at 68% good to excellent, which would be a 2-point drop from last week’s ratings.
  • With China making such a large soybean purchase last week, it may be an indicator that the US is becoming more competitive with Brazil, or that the recent weather events in Brazil have cut the size of their crop to an estimate closer than CONAB’s.

Above: The soybean market appears to have found support around 1140. Should this area hold, and prices recover, they could then test the 1190 – 1200 area. Otherwise, they remain at risk of testing the 1130 – 1125 area.

Wheat

Market Notes: Wheat

  • With the exception of the July and September Kansas City contracts that gained fractions of a cent, the wheat complex closed lower across the board. Due to a shortened week, last Friday’s Commitments of Traders report has been delayed until this afternoon and is likely to show that managed funds added to their net short positions in wheat.
  • The USDA reported weekly wheat inspections at 12.6 mb, which bring total 24/25 inspections to 39 mb. This is up 38% from the previous year and inspections are ahead of the USDA’s projected pace. Wheat exports are estimated at 800 mb for 24/25 which is up 11% from the previous year.
  • Hot and dry conditions are expected this week across Ukraine and western Russia, with the extended outlook predicting more of the same. Southeastern Ukraine has received only 20-50% of normal rainfall between May 1 and June 10. Additionally, May was one of the driest months in 30 years in Ukraine, according to their state weather forecasters.
  • According to IKAR, Russian wheat export values are falling, putting pressure on the US export market. Prices ended last week at $231 per mt, down from $234 the previous week. SovEcon reported that Russian wheat exports last week totaled 830,000 mt, up from 800,000 mt the previous week.
  • Weather in Australia is expected to be mostly normal, but some areas will have more than average rainfall. This should give a boost to the wheat crop, which is bearish for global prices.

Chicago Wheat Action Plan Summary

Since rallying nearly 200 cents from the March low to the May high, largely on fund short covering from Russian crop concerns and dryness in the southwestern Plains, prices have fallen from their peak with seasonal weakness and the onset of harvest. Although the market is showing signs of weakness, it is also becoming oversold, which can be supportive in the event prices turn back higher, and the recent breakout above the December highs suggests there is potential for a test of the 2023 summer highs post-harvest.

  • No new action is currently recommended for 2023 Chicago wheat. Any remaining 2023 soft red winter wheat should be getting priced into market strength. Grain Market Insider won’t have any “New Alerts” for 2023 Chicago wheat – either Cash, Calls, or Puts, as we have moved focus onto 2024 and 2025 Crop Year Opportunities.
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 Chicago wheat. Considering the recent rally in wheat, we recommended taking advantage of the elevated prices to make additional sales and buy upside July ’25 860 and 1020 calls (for their extended time frame) in case of a protracted rally. Our current strategy is to target 740 – 760 versus Sept ’24 to recommend further sales and to target a selling price of about 73 cents in the 860 calls to achieve a net neutral cost on the remaining 1020 calls. The remaining 1020 calls would then continue to protect existing sales and give you confidence to make additional sales at higher prices.
  • No new action is currently recommended for 2025 Chicago Wheat. Given the weakness in the wheat market we recently employed our Plan B strategy and recommended making an additional sale as prices broke through 667 support. Moving forward, we continue to target the value of 68 cents in the July ’25 620 puts (double the original approximate cost) to exit half of the original previously recommended position, leaving the balance to continue to provide downside coverage with a net neutral cost. To take further action, our strategy is to target the 750 – 780 range to recommend making additional sales.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following Chicago wheat recommendations:

KC Wheat Action Plan Summary

Between the end of February and the middle of April, KC wheat was mostly rangebound between the mid-590s on the topside and mid 550s down low, with little to move prices higher, all the while Managed funds continued adding to their large net short positions. Toward the end of April, dryness in the Black Sea region and the US HRW growing areas started becoming more concerning and triggered a short covering rally across the wheat complex, driving prices to levels not seen in over six months. Although US wheat exports continue to struggle to compete on the world market, which can keep a lid on US prices, the recent breakout above resistance from the December highs suggests there is potential for a test of the highs from last summer.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 KC wheat. Any remaining 2023 hard red winter wheat should be getting priced into market strength. Grain Market Insider won’t have any “New Alerts” for 2023 KC wheat – either Cash, Calls, or Puts, as we have moved focus onto 2024 and 2025 Crop Year Opportunities. 
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 KC wheat. Considering the recent upside breakout in KC wheat, we recommended buying upside July ’25 860 and 1020 calls (for their extended time frame) in case of a protracted rally. Our current strategy is to target 780 – 810 versus Sept ’24 to recommend further sales and to target a selling price of about 71 cents on the 860 calls to achieve a net neutral cost on the remaining 1020 calls. The remaining 1020 calls would then continue to protect existing sales and give you confidence to make additional sales at higher prices.
  • Grain Market Insider recommends selling half of the previously recommended July ‘25 620 KC Wheat puts at approximately 60 cents in premium minus fees and commission. Earlier this month Grain Market Insider recommended buying July ’25 620 KC wheat puts for approximately 30 cents in premium plus commission and fees to protect the downside from further potential price erosion. At the time, July KC wheat had just broken through support near 706. The breaking of 706 support increased the risk of the market retreating further. Since that time July ’25 KC wheat has dropped about 90 cents, with the July ’25 620 KC wheat puts having roughly doubled in value. Though prices are depressed following this market drop, plenty of time remains to market the ’25 crop, with plenty of unknowns remaining that could rally prices. Grain Market Insider recommends selling half of the previously recommended July ’25 620 KC wheat puts to lock in gains in case prices rally back and holding the remaining puts at or near a net neutral cost, which should continue to protect any unsold bushels if prices erode further.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following KC recommendations:

Mpls Wheat Action Plan Summary

From mid-February through most of April, Minneapolis wheat traded mostly sideways to lower, lacking significant bullish fundamental news to drive prices upward. However, in late April, spurred by concerns over the world wheat crop and dry conditions in the HRW growing regions, Minneapolis wheat experienced a rally back towards last fall’s highs. Despite lingering obstacles for the US wheat market, the recent rally above resistance from last winter’s highs suggests there is potential for an extended rally toward summer 2023 highs.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 Minneapolis wheat. Any remaining 2023 spring wheat should be getting priced into market strength. Grain Market Insider won’t have any “New Alerts” for 2023 Minneapolis wheat – either Cash, Calls, or Puts, as we have moved focus onto 2024 and 2025 Crop Year Opportunities. 
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 Minneapolis wheat. With the recent close below the 712 support level, Grain Market Insider implemented its Plan B stop strategy, recommending additional sales for the 2024 crop due to waning upside momentum and an increased likelihood of a downward trend. Given the heightened volatility and the amount of time that remains to market this crop, we will maintain the current July ’25 KC wheat 860 and 1020 call options. Our target is a selling price of about 71 cents for the 860 calls to achieve a net neutral cost on the remaining 1020 calls. These 1020 calls will continue to protect existing sales and provide confidence to make additional sales at higher prices.
  • Grain Market Insider recommends selling half of the previously recommended July ‘25 620 KC Wheat puts at approximately 60 cents in premium minus fees and commission. Earlier this month Grain Market Insider recommended buying July ’25 620 KC wheat puts for approximately 30 cents in premium plus commission and fees to protect the downside from further potential price erosion. (KC puts were recommended for Minneapolis due to KC wheat’s greater liquidity and high correlation to Minneapolis wheat.) At the time, July KC wheat had just broken through support near 706. The breaking of 706 support increased the risk of the market retreating further. Since that time July ’25 KC wheat has dropped about 90 cents, with the July ’25 620 KC wheat puts having roughly doubled in value. Though prices are depressed following this market drop, plenty of time remains to market the ’25 crop, with plenty of unknowns remaining that could rally prices. Grain Market Insider recommends selling half of the previously recommended July ’25 620 KC wheat puts to lock in gains in case prices rally back and holding the remaining puts at or near a net neutral cost, which should continue to protect any unsold bushels if prices erode further.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following Minneapolis wheat recommendations:

Other Charts / Weather

Above: US 5-day precipitation forecast courtesy of NOAA, Weather Prediction Center.

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6-21 End of Day: Meal Supports Soybeans into the Close; Corn and Wheat Settle Lower

All prices as of 2:00 pm Central Time

Grain Market Highlights

  • The corn market drifted lower into the close with little fresh bullish news following disappointing export sales, a relatively non-threatening near-term weather forecast and weakness from a lower wheat market.
  • Soybeans rebounded from yesterday’s lowest close since 2021, supported by a $4.20 rally in soybean meal (July ’24). While soybean oil also rallied 0.33 cents from its low to close just 0.03 cents lower on the day. Bull spreading from strong crush demand, and a potentially dry extended outlook added further support.
  • The wheat complex posted its fourth consecutively lower weekly close for all three classes. Harvest pressure with reports of better than expected yields, and better than last year global wheat conditions continue to add to the weakness.
  • To see the updated US 7-day precipitation forecast, and the updated US 6-10 and 8-14 day Temperature and Precipitation Outlooks, courtesy of NOAA and the Weather Prediction Center, scroll down to the other Charts/Weather section.

Note – For the best viewing experience, some Grain Market Insider content is best viewed with your phone held horizontally.

Corn

Corn Action Plan Summary

Since mid-April, the front month corn market has been in a broad trading range bound mostly by 435 on the bottom and 475 up top. While solid demand has been a prominent supportive feature of the market along with US and South American weather, an old crop carryout near 2.0 billion bushels and the prospect of an even higher carryout number for new crop, has kept upside rallies in check. The 2024 growing season is still young with lots of potential ahead as weather remains the dominant market mover.

  • Grain Market Insider sees a continued opportunity to sell another portion of your 2023 corn crop. With no bullish surprises in last week’s WASDE report and a relatively benign 8–14-day weather outlook, we are recommending selling the last of the old crop corn here. The risk of a lower trend into month’s end looks to be increasing. Then on the 28th of June, we have the uncertainty of the Grain Stocks and Acreage reports, which is one of the most volatile report days of the year. If that report day ends up being overall bearish, we’ve seen before where the market can shed 3% or more of its price. So given all these factors, and that we try not to carry old crop bushels past mid-July, we are making what will be our last sales recommendation for the 2023 corn crop at this time.
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 corn. After the Dec ’24 contract posted a bearish key reversal in mid-May, we implemented our Plan B stop strategy and advised making additional sales considering we are in the time of year when changes in weather, actual or perceived, can move the market swiftly in either direction. Also considering the volatility that this time of year can bring, our current strategy is to have several targets in place to provide both upside coverage as well as downside. While targeting 520 – 540 to recommend additional sales versus Dec ’24, we are targeting the 510 – 520 area to buy puts on any production that cannot be priced ahead of harvest. We are also targeting a close below 451 in Dec ’24 to buy upside calls for their value to protect any existing or future new crop sales.
  • No new action is currently recommended for 2025 corn. As we move through the growing season with its potential for high volatility, we are looking for higher prices and anticipate issuing two more sales recommendations before the beginning of September. Also given the tendency for the growing season to provide some of the best pricing opportunities for the next crop year we will also be watching the calendar along with price action to make additional recommendations.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following corn recommendations:

  • With little fresh news to lift prices, the corn market gave up early morning gains and drifted lower on disappointing export sales, carryover weakness from wheat, and a near-term “rain makes grain” forecast that shows normal to above normal rain with above normal temperatures, despite areas of localized flooding in the upper Midwest and overnight temperatures in the 70s in the eastern Corn Belt.
  • Due to the Juneteenth holiday on Wednesday, the USDA released its weekly export sales report this morning. New corn sales for the week ending June 13 came in below the range of expectations at just 23.8 mb, 20.1 mb for the 23/24 marketing year, and 3.7 mb for new crop 24/25. Shipments totaled 49.2 mb.
  • Weekly ethanol production for the week ending June 14 was 1.057 million barrels per day versus average analyst expectations of 1.055 million, with stocks totaling 23.617 m. barrels. A total of 104.91 million bushels of corn were used for production, behind the weekly average of 110.94 million needed to reach the USDA’s goal of 5.45 billion bushels.
  • Expectations for Monday’s upcoming Crop Progress report are for slight declines in crop ratings. Given that the most recent corn rating of 72% good to excellent is historically high for this time of year, a significant drop in conditions may be needed to counter the recent bearish trend.
  • Next Friday, traders will receive both the Quarterly Stocks and Acreage reports. With expectations that June 1 corn stocks are higher than last year, rallies may be limited with the idea that farmers may be selling old crop inventory into them.

Soybeans

Soybeans Action Plan Summary

Since trading toward the 200-day moving average and peaking near 1260, front month soybeans have been on the decline and appear on track to test the February low around 1128. Though domestic crush demand has been good, export demand has lagged, and like corn, the prospect of a higher 24/25 carryout looms, adding overhead resistance to prices. With much of the growing season in front of the market, a weather-related issue or surge in demand appear to be the most likely catalysts to push prices back near their recent highs.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 soybeans. As we progress into the 2024 growing season, time is becoming limited to market the remaining 2023 old crop inventory. Although we are currently targeting a rebound to the 1275 – 1325 area versus Aug ’24 futures as our Plan A strategy, for what will likely be our final sales recommendation for the 2023 crop, we also don’t want to carry old crop inventory past mid-July due to seasonal weakness. Taking this into consideration, if the market does not present the opportunity to make sales at our Plan A target, our Plan B strategy will be to issue our final sales recommendation sometime in mid-July.  
  • No new action is recommended for the 2024 crop. At the end of December, we recommended buying Nov ’24 1280 and 1360 calls due to the amount of uncertainty in the 2024 soybean crop and to give you confidence to make sales and protect those sales in an extended rally. Given that the market has retreated since that time, we are targeting the mid-1200s versus Nov ’24 futures to exit 1/3 of the 1280 calls to help preserve equity. Most recently we employed our Plan B strategy with the close below 1180 in Nov ’24 and recommended making additional sales due to the potential change in trend. With the growing season still ahead of us, should the market turn back higher, we continue to target the 1280 – 1320 range from our Plan A strategy to make additional sales.
  • No Action is currently recommended for 2025 Soybeans. We currently aren’t considering any recommendations at this time for the 2025 crop that will be planted next year, and it may be some time before conditions are conducive to consider making any recommendations. Be patient as we monitor the markets for signs of improvement.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following soybean recommendations:

  • Soybeans ended the day higher after yesterday’s sharp sell-off that brought prices to their lowest levels since the end of 2021. Weather was the primary factor in yesterday’s price movement, but today, there is some concern that the hot weather over the next month may not be tempered by enough rain. Soybean meal ended the day higher while soybean oil was lower.
  • Today’s export sales report showed an increase of 20.4 mb of soybean export sales for 23/24 and an increase of 3.1 mb for 24/25. This was within trade expectations and better than last week’s sales. Last week’s export shipments of 12.5 mb were below the 13.7 mb needed each week to meet the USDA’s export estimates. Primary destinations were to Indonesia, the Netherlands, and Egypt.
  • Earlier this week, the NOPA crush report showed a crush number that was way above the average trade guesses, but the market did not react which points to trade that is focused on the weather. Crush demand should continue to be strong thanks to crush margins that have become more profitable in the past few weeks.
  • For the week, July soybeans lost 19 ¼ and November soybeans lost 29 ¾ to 1120. This bull spreading indicates a demand for cash soybeans and an anticipation of a large soybean crop in the future. July soybean meal lost $6.60 for the week to $361.80, and July soybean oil gained 0.26 cents at 43.94 cents.

Above: The sharp drop on June 16 brought the soybean market to test support near 1146. Should this area hold, and prices recover, they could then test the 1190 – 1200 area. Otherwise, they remain at risk of testing the 1130 – 1125 area.

Wheat

Market Notes: Wheat

  • At the risk of sounding like a broken record, wheat was down again today. All three classes closed lower alongside Matif wheat, with Chicago and KC contracts posting double-digit losses. There has not been much change to the news – harvest pressure, a rallying US Dollar, and global wheat conditions looking better than last year are all contributing to weakness.
  • According to Interfax, the Russian ag minister has said that their grain exports will have adjusted duties with approval expected July 1. Right now, the proposal is for increased duties on barley, corn, and wheat by 1,000 rubles.
  • The USDA reported an increase of 21.7 mb of wheat export sales for 24/25 and a decrease of 0.4 mb for 25/26. Shipments last week at 13.4 mb fell under the 15.5 mb pace needed per week to reach the export goal of 800 mb. Additionally, wheat sale commitments have reached 199 mb for 24/25 which is up 34% from last year.
  • Data from FranceAgriMer suggests that the French soft wheat crop conditions are steady at 62% good to excellent. While well below last year’s rating, this does not seem to be offering much support to the French market, with another lower close for Matif wheat today. These contracts have lost roughly 45 euros since the end of May, the equivalent of around $1.20 per bushel.
  • According to the USDA as of June 18, approximately 17% of the US winter wheat crop area is experiencing drought; this is a 1% increase from the previous week. Furthermore, only 3% of US spring wheat is said to be in drought conditions, unchanged from the previous week.

Chicago Wheat Action Plan Summary

Since rallying nearly 200 cents from the March low to the May high, largely on fund short covering from Russian crop concerns and dryness in the southwestern Plains, prices have fallen from their peak with seasonal weakness and the onset of harvest. Although the market is showing signs of weakness, it is also becoming oversold, which can be supportive in the event prices turn back higher, and the recent breakout above the December highs suggests there is potential for a test of the 2023 summer highs post-harvest.

  • No new action is currently recommended for 2023 Chicago wheat. Any remaining 2023 soft red winter wheat should be getting priced into market strength. Grain Market Insider won’t have any “New Alerts” for 2023 Chicago wheat – either Cash, Calls, or Puts, as we have moved focus onto 2024 and 2025 Crop Year Opportunities.
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 Chicago wheat. Considering the recent rally in wheat, we recommended taking advantage of the elevated prices to make additional sales and buy upside July ’25 860 and 1020 calls (for their extended time frame) in case of a protracted rally. Our current strategy is to target 740 – 760 versus Sept ’24 to recommend further sales and to target a selling price of about 73 cents in the 860 calls to achieve a net neutral cost on the remaining 1020 calls. The remaining 1020 calls would then continue to protect existing sales and give you confidence to make additional sales at higher prices.
  • No new action is currently recommended for 2025 Chicago Wheat. Given the weakness in the wheat market we recently employed our Plan B strategy and recommended making an additional sale as prices broke through 667 support. Moving forward, we continue to target the value of 68 cents in the July ’25 620 puts (double the original approximate cost) to exit half of the original previously recommended position, leaving the balance to continue to provide downside coverage with a net neutral cost. To take further action, our strategy is to target the 750 – 780 range to recommend making additional sales.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following Chicago wheat recommendations:

KC Wheat Action Plan Summary

Between the end of February and the middle of April, KC wheat was mostly rangebound between the mid-590s on the topside and mid 550s down low, with little to move prices higher, all the while Managed funds continued adding to their large net short positions. Toward the end of April, dryness in the Black Sea region and the US HRW growing areas started becoming more concerning and triggered a short covering rally across the wheat complex, driving prices to levels not seen in over six months. Although US wheat exports continue to struggle to compete on the world market, which can keep a lid on US prices, the recent breakout above resistance from the December highs suggests there is potential for a test of the highs from last summer.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 KC wheat. Any remaining 2023 hard red winter wheat should be getting priced into market strength. Grain Market Insider won’t have any “New Alerts” for 2023 KC wheat – either Cash, Calls, or Puts, as we have moved focus onto 2024 and 2025 Crop Year Opportunities. 
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 KC wheat. Considering the recent upside breakout in KC wheat, we recommended buying upside July ’25 860 and 1020 calls (for their extended time frame) in case of a protracted rally. Our current strategy is to target 780 – 810 versus Sept ’24 to recommend further sales and to target a selling price of about 71 cents on the 860 calls to achieve a net neutral cost on the remaining 1020 calls. The remaining 1020 calls would then continue to protect existing sales and give you confidence to make additional sales at higher prices.
  • No new action is currently recommended for 2025 KC Wheat. Given the weakness in the wheat market we recently employed our Plan B strategy and recommended making an additional sale as prices broke through 663 support. Moving forward, we continue to target the value of 60 cents in the July ’25 620 puts (double the original approximate cost) to exit half of the original previously recommended position, leaving the balance to continue to provide downside coverage with a net neutral cost. To take further action, our strategy is to target the 730 – 760 range to recommend making additional sales.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following KC recommendations:

Mpls Wheat Action Plan Summary

From mid-February through most of April, Minneapolis wheat traded mostly sideways to lower, lacking significant bullish fundamental news to drive prices upward. However, in late April, spurred by concerns over the world wheat crop and dry conditions in the HRW growing regions, Minneapolis wheat experienced a rally back towards last fall’s highs. Despite lingering obstacles for the US wheat market, the recent rally above resistance from last winter’s highs suggests there is potential for an extended rally toward summer 2023 highs.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 Minneapolis wheat. Any remaining 2023 spring wheat should be getting priced into market strength. Grain Market Insider won’t have any “New Alerts” for 2023 Minneapolis wheat – either Cash, Calls, or Puts, as we have moved focus onto 2024 and 2025 Crop Year Opportunities. 
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 Minneapolis wheat. With the recent close below the 712 support level, Grain Market Insider implemented its Plan B stop strategy, recommending additional sales for the 2024 crop due to waning upside momentum and an increased likelihood of a downward trend. Given the heightened volatility and the amount of time that remains to market this crop, we will maintain the current July ’25 KC wheat 860 and 1020 call options. Our target is a selling price of about 71 cents for the 860 calls to achieve a net neutral cost on the remaining 1020 calls. These 1020 calls will continue to protect existing sales and provide confidence to make additional sales at higher prices.
  • No new action is currently recommended for the 2025 Minneapolis wheat crop. Given the volatility in the wheat market, we recently recommended buying July ’25 620 KC wheat puts to provide downside coverage for the 2025 crop due to their greater liquidity and high correlation to Minneapolis wheat. Moving forward, we will target a value of 60 cents (double the original approximate cost) in the July 620 puts to exit half of the original position, leaving the remainder to continue providing downside coverage with a net neutral cost if the market moves higher. Grain Market Insider may also start considering the first sales targets after July 1.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following Minneapolis wheat recommendations:

Other Charts / Weather

Above: US 7-day precipitation forecast courtesy of NOAA, Weather Prediction Center.

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6-20 End of Day: Markets Fall Sharply Thursday

All prices as of 2:00 pm Central Time

Grain Market Highlights

  • The corn market broke lower on Thursday following the midweek Juneteenth pause. Continuous corn futures broke through trendline support dating back to February as well as the 100-day moving average, spurring further technical selling pressure.
  • Soybeans were not immune to the commodity wide sell off on Thursday. November futures fell to their lowest level since August of 2021. Soybean meal and oil futures were lower on the day as well.
  • Wheat futures fell once again on Thursday across all three classes. July Chicago wheat has closed lower in 15 of the last 17 trading sessions as all three wheats remain in severely oversold territory.
  • To see the updated US Drought Monitor, and the updated US July Monthly Temperature and Precipitation Outlooks, courtesy of NOAA and the Weather Prediction Center, and UNL scroll down to the other Charts/Weather section.

Note – For the best viewing experience, some Grain Market Insider content is best viewed with your phone held horizontally.

Corn

Corn Action Plan Summary

Since mid-April, the front month corn market has been in a broad trading range bound mostly by 435 on the bottom and 475 up top. While solid demand has been a prominent supportive feature of the market along with US and South American weather, an old crop carryout near 2.0 billion bushels and the prospect of an even higher carryout number for new crop, has kept upside rallies in check. The 2024 growing season is still young with lots of potential ahead as weather remains the dominant market mover.

  • Grain Market Insider recommends selling a portion of your 2023 corn crop. With no bullish surprises in last week’s WASDE report and a relatively benign 8–14-day weather outlook, we are recommending selling the last of the old crop corn here. The risk of a lower trend into month’s end looks to be increasing. Then on the 28th of June, we have the uncertainty of the Grain Stocks and Acreage reports, which is one of the most volatile report days of the year. If that report day ends up being overall bearish, we’ve seen before where the market can shed 3% or more of its price. So given all these factors, and that we try not to carry old crop bushels past mid-July, we are making what will be our last sales recommendation for the 2023 corn crop at this time.
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 corn. After the Dec ’24 contract posted a bearish key reversal in mid-May, we implemented our Plan B stop strategy and advised making additional sales considering we are in the time of year when changes in weather, actual or perceived, can move the market swiftly in either direction. Also considering the volatility that this time of year can bring, our current strategy is to have several targets in place to provide both upside coverage as well as downside. While targeting 520 – 540 to recommend additional sales versus Dec ’24, we are targeting the 510 – 520 area to buy puts on any production that cannot be priced ahead of harvest. We are also targeting a close below 451 in Dec ’24 to buy upside calls for their value to protect any existing or future new crop sales.
  • No new action is currently recommended for 2025 corn. As we move through the growing season with its potential for high volatility, we are looking for higher prices and anticipate issuing two more sales recommendations before the beginning of September. Also given the tendency for the growing season to provide some of the best pricing opportunities for the next crop year we will also be watching the calendar along with price action to make additional recommendations.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following corn recommendations:

  • The corn market turned sellers following the Juneteenth holiday on prospects of a high yielding crop from a relatively strong start to the growing season. The market also likely saw additional technical selling after breaking support at the 100-day moving average on the daily continuous charts.  
  • One private group is currently estimating US corn yield for the 2024 crop at 181 bpa, in line with the USDA’s current forecast and ahead of last year’s 177 bpa. While not all states’ yields are estimated to be higher, states like Minnesota and Nebraska are projected to be well above last year’s.
  • For the months of July and August, US corn export FOB premiums are currently an 8 – 10 cent discount versus those from Brazil which could help improve US exports. Though not as large a player, Argentina’s corn export premiums remain the cheapest.
  • Localized flooding is likely in areas of Minnesota and parts of the Dakotas, with an additional 3-5 inches of rain expected over the next few days. Meanwhile, the eastern Corn Belt is forecasted to experience highs in the 90s with some areas in the 70s overnight and limited rainfall over the next couple of weeks. Additionally, the European weather model indicates much lower humidity compared to the American model, suggesting less moisture in the air and potentially less rainfall than predicted by the American model.

Soybeans

Soybeans Action Plan Summary

Since trading toward the 200-day moving average and peaking near 1260, front month soybeans have been on the decline and appear on track to test the February low around 1128. Though domestic crush demand has been good, export demand has lagged, and like corn, the prospect of a higher 24/25 carryout looms, adding overhead resistance to prices. With much of the growing season in front of the market, a weather-related issue or surge in demand appear to be the most likely catalysts to push prices back near their recent highs.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 soybeans. As we progress into the 2024 growing season, time is becoming limited to market the remaining 2023 old crop inventory. Although we are currently targeting a rebound to the 1275 – 1325 area versus Aug ’24 futures as our Plan A strategy, for what will likely be our final sales recommendation for the 2023 crop, we also don’t want to carry old crop inventory past mid-July due to seasonal weakness. Taking this into consideration, if the market does not present the opportunity to make sales at our Plan A target, our Plan B strategy will be to issue our final sales recommendation sometime in mid-July.  
  • No new action is recommended for the 2024 crop. At the end of December, we recommended buying Nov ’24 1280 and 1360 calls due to the amount of uncertainty in the 2024 soybean crop and to give you confidence to make sales and protect those sales in an extended rally. Given that the market has retreated since that time, we are targeting the mid-1200s versus Nov ’24 futures to exit 1/3 of the 1280 calls to help preserve equity. Most recently we employed our Plan B strategy with the close below 1180 in Nov ’24 and recommended making additional sales due to the potential change in trend. With the growing season still ahead of us, should the market turn back higher, we continue to target the 1280 – 1320 range from our Plan A strategy to make additional sales.
  • No Action is currently recommended for 2025 Soybeans. We currently aren’t considering any recommendations at this time for the 2025 crop that will be planted next year, and it may be some time before conditions are conducive to consider making any recommendations. Be patient as we monitor the markets for signs of improvement.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following soybean recommendations:

  • Soybeans closed sharply lower in a day of poor trade across the ag complex. November soybeans took out this past February’s low as well as the low made in May of last year to post the lowest close since August of 2021. Pressure came from rain expected in the nearby forecast despite the extended forecast showing some heat and dryness.  Both soybean meal and oil closed lower with meal leading the way down.
  • Chinese imports of soybeans from the US jumped in May and were up 156% from the same period a year ago. China purchased 1.27 mmt of soybeans from the US as Brazilian supplies shrink due to the flooding in the southern region of the country. Overall, China has been attempting to become more resource independent which could hurt demand in the future.
  • The weekly export sales report will be delayed until tomorrow due to the holiday week, but estimates are for soybean sales to be in between the range of 500k to 750k metric tons. It is likely that China will be a top buyer as they have made multiple purchases recently that have shown up in flash sales.
  • Earlier this week, the NOPA crush report showed a crush number that was way above the average trade guesses, but the market did not react which points to trade that is focused on the weather. Crush demand should continue to be strong thanks to crush margins that have become more profitable in the past few weeks.

Above: The sharp drop on June 16 brought the soybean market to test support near 1146. Should this area hold, and prices recover, they could then test the 1190 – 1200 area. Otherwise, they remain at risk of testing the 1130 – 1125 area.

Wheat

Market Notes: Wheat

  • Wheat posted double-digit losses in all three US classes with little fresh news to offer bullish support. A higher US Dollar today, and another lower close for Matif wheat futures also did not help the situation, with those contracts at six-week lows.
  • Wheat remains technically oversold in all three categories. This could indicate that a bottom is near, but with harvest pressure on the winter crops and falling European values, it may be difficult for US wheat to rally in any significant manner in the near term.
  • Sov Econ has estimated Russia’s 2024 grain production at 127.4 mmt, down from 144.9 the year prior. This should be supportive to prices and may reflect the frost damage and drought conditions. However, some analysts are now estimating the Russian wheat crop at 82 mmt (up from 80) which is bearish.
  • Monsoon rains in India should bring relief to grain growing regions in the north over the next few days. However, India will still likely need to import wheat to rebuild their reserves. In related news, India is said to have increased their domestic wheat prices in an effort to stimulate more production (which would ultimately reduce their need for imports).
  • Ukraine’s 23/24 grain exports have reached 49.3 mmt as of June 19, which is up from 47.5 mmt a year ago. Of that total, 18.1 mmt is wheat, but the majority is corn at 28.2 mmt. In addition, Ukraine’s government has said the 2023 harvest totaled 81 mmt of grains and oilseeds, but the 2024 harvest could fall to 77 mmt.

Chicago Wheat Action Plan Summary

Since rallying nearly 200 cents from the March low to the May high, largely on fund short covering from Russian crop concerns and dryness in the southwestern Plains, prices have fallen from their peak with seasonal weakness and the onset of harvest. Although the market is showing signs of weakness, it is also becoming oversold, which can be supportive in the event prices turn back higher, and the recent breakout above the December highs suggests there is potential for a test of the 2023 summer highs post-harvest.

  • No new action is currently recommended for 2023 Chicago wheat. Any remaining 2023 soft red winter wheat should be getting priced into market strength. Grain Market Insider won’t have any “New Alerts” for 2023 Chicago wheat – either Cash, Calls, or Puts, as we have moved focus onto 2024 and 2025 Crop Year Opportunities.
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 Chicago wheat. Considering the recent rally in wheat, we recommended taking advantage of the elevated prices to make additional sales and buy upside July ’25 860 and 1020 calls (for their extended time frame) in case of a protracted rally. Our current strategy is to target 740 – 760 versus Sept ’24 to recommend further sales and to target a selling price of about 73 cents in the 860 calls to achieve a net neutral cost on the remaining 1020 calls. The remaining 1020 calls would then continue to protect existing sales and give you confidence to make additional sales at higher prices.
  • Grain Market Insider sees a continued opportunity to sell a portion of your 2025 SRW wheat crop. Support around 667 in the July ’25 Chicago wheat contract has been broken. Since peaking in May, the market has retraced over 50% back toward the March low, suggesting that our Plan A upside targets are now less likely to be achieved and prices may trend lower. Taking this into consideration, Grain Market Insider is implementing a Plan B Stop strategy and recommends selling another portion of your 2025 SRW wheat crop at this time.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following Chicago wheat recommendations:

KC Wheat Action Plan Summary

Between the end of February and the middle of April, KC wheat was mostly rangebound between the mid-590s on the topside and mid 550s down low, with little to move prices higher, all the while Managed funds continued adding to their large net short positions. Toward the end of April, dryness in the Black Sea region and the US HRW growing areas started becoming more concerning and triggered a short covering rally across the wheat complex, driving prices to levels not seen in over six months. Although US wheat exports continue to struggle to compete on the world market, which can keep a lid on US prices, the recent breakout above resistance from the December highs suggests there is potential for a test of the highs from last summer.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 KC wheat. Any remaining 2023 hard red winter wheat should be getting priced into market strength. Grain Market Insider won’t have any “New Alerts” for 2023 KC wheat – either Cash, Calls, or Puts, as we have moved focus onto 2024 and 2025 Crop Year Opportunities. 
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 KC wheat. Considering the recent upside breakout in KC wheat, we recommended buying upside July ’25 860 and 1020 calls (for their extended time frame) in case of a protracted rally. Our current strategy is to target 780 – 810 versus Sept ’24 to recommend further sales and to target a selling price of about 71 cents on the 860 calls to achieve a net neutral cost on the remaining 1020 calls. The remaining 1020 calls would then continue to protect existing sales and give you confidence to make additional sales at higher prices.
  • Grain Market Insider sees a continued opportunity to sell a portion of your 2025 HRW wheat crop. Support near 663 in the July ’25 KC wheat contract has been broken. Since peaking in May, the market has retraced over 50% toward the March low, suggesting that our Plan A upside targets are now less likely to be achieved, and prices may trend lower. Taking this into consideration, Grain Market Insider is implementing a Plan B Stop strategy and recommends selling another portion of your 2025 Hard Red Winter wheat crop at this time.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following KC recommendations:

Mpls Wheat Action Plan Summary

From mid-February through most of April, Minneapolis wheat traded mostly sideways to lower, lacking significant bullish fundamental news to drive prices upward. However, in late April, spurred by concerns over the world wheat crop and dry conditions in the HRW growing regions, Minneapolis wheat experienced a rally back towards last fall’s highs. Despite lingering obstacles for the US wheat market, the recent rally above resistance from last winter’s highs suggests there is potential for an extended rally toward summer 2023 highs.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 Minneapolis wheat. Any remaining 2023 spring wheat should be getting priced into market strength. Grain Market Insider won’t have any “New Alerts” for 2023 Minneapolis wheat – either Cash, Calls, or Puts, as we have moved focus onto 2024 and 2025 Crop Year Opportunities. 
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 Minneapolis wheat. With the recent close below the 712 support level, Grain Market Insider implemented its Plan B stop strategy, recommending additional sales for the 2024 crop due to waning upside momentum and an increased likelihood of a downward trend. Given the heightened volatility and the amount of time that remains to market this crop, we will maintain the current July ’25 KC wheat 860 and 1020 call options. Our target is a selling price of about 71 cents for the 860 calls to achieve a net neutral cost on the remaining 1020 calls. These 1020 calls will continue to protect existing sales and provide confidence to make additional sales at higher prices.
  • No new action is currently recommended for the 2025 Minneapolis wheat crop. Given the volatility in the wheat market, we recently recommended buying July ’25 620 KC wheat puts to provide downside coverage for the 2025 crop due to their greater liquidity and high correlation to Minneapolis wheat. Moving forward, we will target a value of 60 cents (double the original approximate cost) in the July 620 puts to exit half of the original position, leaving the remainder to continue providing downside coverage with a net neutral cost if the market moves higher. Grain Market Insider may also start considering the first sales targets after July 1.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following Minneapolis wheat recommendations:

Other Charts / Weather

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6-18 End of Day: Markets Close Sharply Mixed as Corn and Beans Turn Around on Tuesday

The CME and Total Farm Marketing Offices Will Be Closed Wednesday, June 19, in Observance of Juneteenth

 

All prices as of 2:00 pm Central Time

Grain Market Highlights

  • A 2% drop in corn’s good to excellent crop ratings, and a higher soybean market provided support to the corn market, which was constrained by the July 200-day moving average below and the July 50-day moving average above. Overall, July corn closed just 2 cents off its high within an 8 ¼ cent trading range.
  • The soybean market staged a turnaround Tuesday bolstered by strong soybean meal and oil prices. Old crop soybeans likely received extra support from the large NOPA crush numbers reported yesterday, while new crop soybeans benefited from a 2% decline in good to excellent ratings in the crop progress report released yesterday afternoon.
  • The wheat complex saw red across the board again today in all three classes. A fast harvest pace with better than expected yields, improved crop ratings, and lower Matif wheat, all contributed to the negativity.
  • To see the updated US 5-day precipitation forecast, and the updated US 6-10 and 8-14-day Temperature and Precipitation Outlooks, courtesy of NOAA and the Weather Prediction Center, scroll down to the other Charts/Weather section.

Note – For the best viewing experience, some Grain Market Insider content is best viewed with your phone held horizontally.

Corn

Corn Action Plan Summary

Since mid-April, the front month corn market has been in a broad trading range bound mostly by 435 on the bottom and 475 up top. While solid demand has been a prominent supportive feature of the market along with US and South American weather, an old crop carryout near 2.0 billion bushels and the prospect of an even higher carryout number for new crop, has kept upside rallies in check. The 2024 growing season is still young with lots of potential ahead as weather remains the dominant market mover.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 corn. Given the recent weakness in the July ’24 contract, and that we are at the time of year when the perception of any improving weather can move prices lower very quickly, we recently employed a Plan B stop strategy and recommended making additional sales. Although weather remains a dominant factor, the technical picture could look better, and we try not to carry old crop inventory past mid-July. Therefore, our current Plan A strategy for what will likely be our final sales recommendation for the 2023 crop, is to target the 480 – 520 range versus Sept ’24, and if the market fails to present the opportunity for that upside sale and turns lower, our Plan B strategy will be targeting a close below 448 versus Sept’ 24.
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 corn. After the Dec ’24 contract posted a bearish key reversal in mid-May, we implemented our Plan B stop strategy and advised making additional sales considering we are in the time of year when changes in weather, actual or perceived, can move the market swiftly in either direction. Also considering the volatility that this time of year can bring, our current strategy is to have several targets in place to provide both upside coverage as well as downside. While targeting 520 – 540 to recommend additional sales versus Dec ’24, we are targeting the 510 – 520 area to buy puts on any production that cannot be priced ahead of harvest. We are also targeting a close below 451 in Dec ’24 to buy upside calls for their value to protect any existing or future new crop sales.
  • No new action is currently recommended for 2025 corn. As we move through the growing season with its potential for high volatility, we are looking for higher prices and anticipate issuing two more sales recommendations before the beginning of September. Also given the tendency for the growing season to provide some of the best pricing opportunities for the next crop year we will also be watching the calendar along with price action to make additional recommendations.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following corn recommendations:

  • Support near the 200-day moving average in July corn held in overnight trade as crop conditions came in 2% lower than last week at 72% in the good to excellent categories. While the drop came within expectations, the current ratings are the highest in 4 years. The USDA also reported that 93% of the crop has emerged versus 95% last year and the 5-year average of 92%.
  • According to China’s General Administration of Customs, Chinese imports of corn in the month of May were 1.05 mmt, nearly 37% lower than the same time last year. Though the month of May saw a dramatic decline, overall year to date corn imports came in at 10.13 mmt, a 0.5% year over year drop.
  • AgRural reported that Brazil’s second (safrinha) corn crop is 21% harvested, an 11% increase from last week and compares to the 5% harvested at this time last year. This marks the fastest pace since the agency began reporting its weekly data in 2013.
  • Now that the growing season is underway, weather has become a primary focus for the market. The current forecast shows rain for Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana next week, though coverage is expected to be limited. In the northwestern Corn Belt, heavier rains could result in localized flooding.

Above: Corn condition percent good-excellent (red) versus the 5-year average (green) and last year (pink).

Soybeans

Soybeans Action Plan Summary

Since trading toward the 200-day moving average and peaking near 1260, front month soybeans have been on the decline and appear on track to test the February low around 1128. Though domestic crush demand has been good, export demand has lagged, and like corn, the prospect of a higher 24/25 carryout looms, adding overhead resistance to prices. With much of the growing season in front of the market, a weather-related issue or surge in demand appear to be the most likely catalysts to push prices back near their recent highs.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 soybeans. As we progress into the 2024 growing season, time is becoming limited to market the remaining 2023 old crop inventory. Although we are currently targeting a rebound to the 1275 – 1325 area versus Aug ’24 futures as our Plan A strategy, for what will likely be our final sales recommendation for the 2023 crop, we also don’t want to carry old crop inventory past mid-July due to seasonal weakness. Taking this into consideration, if the market does not present the opportunity to make sales at our Plan A target, our Plan B strategy will be to issue our final sales recommendation sometime in mid-July.  
  • No new action is recommended for the 2024 crop. At the end of December, we recommended buying Nov ’24 1280 and 1360 calls due to the amount of uncertainty in the 2024 soybean crop and to give you confidence to make sales and protect those sales in an extended rally. Given that the market has retreated since that time, we are targeting the mid-1200s versus Nov ’24 futures to exit 1/3 of the 1280 calls to help preserve equity. Most recently we employed our Plan B strategy with the close below 1180 in Nov ’24 and recommended making additional sales due to the potential change in trend. With the growing season still ahead of us, should the market turn back higher, we continue to target the 1280 – 1320 range from our Plan A strategy to make additional sales.
  • No Action is currently recommended for 2025 Soybeans. We currently aren’t considering any recommendations at this time for the 2025 crop that will be planted next year, and it may be some time before conditions are conducive to consider making any recommendations. Be patient as we monitor the markets for signs of improvement.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following soybean recommendations:

  • Soybeans closed higher for a turnaround Tuesday with the two front months posting significant gains while the deferred contracts only closed slightly higher. Support likely came from yesterday’s Crop Progress report in which soybean crop ratings were lowered, but yesterday’s large NOPA crush number was supportive as well. Both soybean meal and oil closed higher as well with bean oil leading the way up.
  • Yesterday, the USDA released its Crop Progress report which showed the good to excellent rating for soybeans falling by 2 points to 70%. This was within the range of trade estimates and is still significantly higher than last year’s rating of 54%. 93% of the soy crop is planted, which compares to the 5-year average of 91%. 82% of the crop has emerged which compares to the 5-year average of 79%.
  • The bull spreading in soybeans today was likely a result of yesterday’s higher than expected NOPA crush numbers which indicate nearby demand for cash soybeans. The USDA has estimated the processing value of soybeans at $14.42 a bushel in Illinois as of June 14 which is well above the average US cash price.
  • Yesterday’s weekly export inspections report showed soybean inspections at 12.3 mb for the week ending June 13. This puts total inspections at 1.502 billion bushels which is down 17% from the previous year. The USDA is estimating soybean exports at 1.700 billion bushels for 23/24 which would be down 15% from the previous year. Poor export demand has pressured markets recently.

Above: The sharp drop on June 16 brought the soybean market to test support near 1146. Should this area hold, and prices recover, they could then test the 1190 – 1200 area. Otherwise, they remain at risk of testing the 1130 – 1125 area.

Above: Soybeans condition percent good-excellent (red) versus the 5-year average (green) and last year (pink).

Wheat

Market Notes: Wheat

  • Wheat had another down day across the board, alongside Matif futures that also closed lower. This is the third consecutive lower close for July Chicago wheat, and the fifth for July Kansas City and Minneapolis wheat. With improvements to crop ratings yesterday, a fast harvest pace for winter wheat, and better than expected yields on the HRW crop so far, it will be difficult for wheat to rally without some fresh bullish news.
  • The Crop Progress report yesterday afternoon indicated that winter wheat condition improved by 2% to 49% good to excellent, and 27% of the crop is harvested. This is about double both the 13% pace from a year ago and the 14% five-year average. Spring wheat conditions also improved by 4% to 76% good to excellent, with 95% of the crop emerged versus 96% last year and the 5-year 93% average.
  • Adding bearish pressure are reports from IKAR that Russian wheat FOB export values are down about $18 from the season high, to $234 per mt. This is despite the recent declining estimates of Russian wheat production and does not bode well for US exports or futures prices.
  • Heavy rains are expected to hit southern Brazil again over the next week, raising concerns about flooding after the recent deluge in May. This weather could also delay wheat plantings in the region.
  • According to customs data, China’s wheat imports in May totaled 1.86 mmt, a 61% increase year on year. Year-to-date wheat imports have reached 8.09 mmt, up 12.6% from last year. Additionally, drought in China’s northern growing region may curb yields, potentially leading to more foreign grain imports.
  • Argus has reportedly reduced their estimate of Romanian wheat production from 10.6 mmt to 10.45 mmt after a crop tour. This reduction is due to a lower estimated planted area, while yields remain unchanged. However, with warmer temperatures expected in the near term, yields may be affected, potentially leading to further production cuts.

Chicago Wheat Action Plan Summary

Since rallying nearly 200 cents from the March low to the May high, largely on fund short covering from Russian crop concerns and dryness in the southwestern Plains, prices have fallen from their peak with seasonal weakness and the onset of harvest. Although the market is showing signs of weakness, it is also becoming oversold, which can be supportive in the event prices turn back higher, and the recent breakout above the December highs suggests there is potential for a test of the 2023 summer highs post-harvest.

  • No new action is currently recommended for 2023 Chicago wheat. Any remaining 2023 soft red winter wheat should be getting priced into market strength. Grain Market Insider won’t have any “New Alerts” for 2023 Chicago wheat – either Cash, Calls, or Puts, as we have moved focus onto 2024 and 2025 Crop Year Opportunities.
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 Chicago wheat. Considering the recent rally in wheat, we recommended taking advantage of the elevated prices to make additional sales and buy upside July ’25 860 and 1020 calls (for their extended time frame) in case of a protracted rally. Our current strategy is to target 740 – 760 versus Sept ’24 to recommend further sales and to target a selling price of about 73 cents in the 860 calls to achieve a net neutral cost on the remaining 1020 calls. The remaining 1020 calls would then continue to protect existing sales and give you confidence to make additional sales at higher prices.
  • Grain Market Insider sees a continued opportunity to sell a portion of your 2025 SRW wheat crop. Support around 667 in the July ’25 Chicago wheat contract has been broken. Since peaking in May, the market has retraced over 50% back toward the March low, suggesting that our Plan A upside targets are now less likely to be achieved and prices may trend lower. Taking this into consideration, Grain Market Insider is implementing a Plan B Stop strategy and recommends selling another portion of your 2025 SRW wheat crop at this time.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following Chicago wheat recommendations:

KC Wheat Action Plan Summary

Between the end of February and the middle of April, KC wheat was mostly rangebound between the mid-590s on the topside and mid 550s down low, with little to move prices higher, all the while Managed funds continued adding to their large net short positions. Toward the end of April, dryness in the Black Sea region and the US HRW growing areas started becoming more concerning and triggered a short covering rally across the wheat complex, driving prices to levels not seen in over six months. Although US wheat exports continue to struggle to compete on the world market, which can keep a lid on US prices, the recent breakout above resistance from the December highs suggests there is potential for a test of the highs from last summer.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 KC wheat. Any remaining 2023 hard red winter wheat should be getting priced into market strength. Grain Market Insider won’t have any “New Alerts” for 2023 KC wheat – either Cash, Calls, or Puts, as we have moved focus onto 2024 and 2025 Crop Year Opportunities. 
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 KC wheat. Considering the recent upside breakout in KC wheat, we recommended buying upside July ’25 860 and 1020 calls (for their extended time frame) in case of a protracted rally. Our current strategy is to target 780 – 810 versus Sept ’24 to recommend further sales and to target a selling price of about 71 cents on the 860 calls to achieve a net neutral cost on the remaining 1020 calls. The remaining 1020 calls would then continue to protect existing sales and give you confidence to make additional sales at higher prices.
  • Grain Market Insider sees a continued opportunity to sell a portion of your 2025 HRW wheat crop. Support near 663 in the July ’25 KC wheat contract has been broken. Since peaking in May, the market has retraced over 50% toward the March low, suggesting that our Plan A upside targets are now less likely to be achieved, and prices may trend lower. Taking this into consideration, Grain Market Insider is implementing a Plan B Stop strategy and recommends selling another portion of your 2025 Hard Red Winter wheat crop at this time.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following KC recommendations:

Above: 2024/25 Winter wheat percent harvested (red) versus the 5-year average (green) and last year (purple).

Mpls Wheat Action Plan Summary

From mid-February through most of April, Minneapolis wheat traded mostly sideways to lower, lacking significant bullish fundamental news to drive prices upward. However, in late April, spurred by concerns over the world wheat crop and dry conditions in the HRW growing regions, Minneapolis wheat experienced a rally back towards last fall’s highs. Despite lingering obstacles for the US wheat market, the recent rally above resistance from last winter’s highs suggests there is potential for an extended rally toward summer 2023 highs.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 Minneapolis wheat. Any remaining 2023 spring wheat should be getting priced into market strength. Grain Market Insider won’t have any “New Alerts” for 2023 Minneapolis wheat – either Cash, Calls, or Puts, as we have moved focus onto 2024 and 2025 Crop Year Opportunities. 
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 Minneapolis wheat. With the recent close below the 712 support level, Grain Market Insider implemented its Plan B stop strategy, recommending additional sales for the 2024 crop due to waning upside momentum and an increased likelihood of a downward trend. Given the heightened volatility and the amount of time that remains to market this crop, we will maintain the current July ’25 KC wheat 860 and 1020 call options. Our target is a selling price of about 71 cents for the 860 calls to achieve a net neutral cost on the remaining 1020 calls. These 1020 calls will continue to protect existing sales and provide confidence to make additional sales at higher prices.
  • No new action is currently recommended for the 2025 Minneapolis wheat crop. Given the volatility in the wheat market, we recently recommended buying July ’25 620 KC wheat puts to provide downside coverage for the 2025 crop due to their greater liquidity and high correlation to Minneapolis wheat. Moving forward, we will target a value of 60 cents (double the original approximate cost) in the July 620 puts to exit half of the original position, leaving the remainder to continue providing downside coverage with a net neutral cost if the market moves higher. Grain Market Insider may also start considering the first sales targets after July 1.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following Minneapolis wheat recommendations:

Above: Spring wheat condition percent good-excellent (red) versus the 5-year average (green) and last year (pink).

Other Charts / Weather

Above: US 5-day precipitation forecast courtesy of NOAA, Weather Prediction Center.

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6-17 End of Day: Grains Begin the Week in the Red

The CME and Total Farm Marketing Offices Will Be Closed Wednesday, June 19, in Observance of Juneteenth

 

All prices as of 2:00 pm Central Time

Grain Market Highlights

  • Carryover weakness from wheat and soybeans, and a quick harvest pace of Brazil’s safrinha corn crop weighed heavily on the corn market in today’s trade, which saw volatile two sided trade and heavy resistance near the 200-day moving average in the July contract.
  • Solid NOPA crush numbers weren’t enough to support soybeans which closed sharply lower on benign weather forecasts and good planting progress. Sharply lower soybean meal contributed to the negativity, likely from the high crush numbers, while soybean oil saw support from much lower than expected oil stocks from today’s crush report that were 6% below last year.
  • Despite wheat export inspections that were above expectations, the wheat complex experienced another day of heavy losses in all three classes from technical selling with little bullish news, and sharply lower Matif wheat.
  • To see the updated US 5-day precipitation forecast, and the updated US 6-10 and 8-14-day Temperature and Precipitation Outlooks, courtesy of NOAA and the Weather Prediction Center, scroll down to the other Charts/Weather section.

Note – For the best viewing experience, some Grain Market Insider content is best viewed with your phone held horizontally.

Corn

Corn Action Plan Summary

As July ’24 corn rallied beyond the congestion range on the front-month continuous charts, it began showing signs of being overbought, suggesting potential resistance to higher prices. Although managed funds have covered a portion of their net short position, their remaining net short position could provide fuel for a more substantial upside move as we transition into the growing season. While obstacles persist for higher prices, weather is still a dominant feature, and seasonal tendencies remain positive.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 corn. Given the recent weakness in the July ’24 contract, and that we are at the time of year when the perception of any improving weather can move prices lower very quickly, we recently employed a Plan B stop strategy and recommended making additional sales. Although weather remains a dominant factor, the technical picture could look better, and we try not to carry old crop inventory past mid-July. Therefore, our current Plan A strategy for what will likely be our final sales recommendation for the 2023 crop, is to target the 480 – 520 range versus Sept ’24, and if the market fails to present the opportunity for that upside sale and turns lower, our Plan B strategy will be targeting a close below 448 versus Sept’ 24.
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 corn. After the Dec ’24 contract posted a bearish key reversal in mid-May, we implemented our Plan B stop strategy and advised making additional sales considering we are in the time of year when changes in weather, actual or perceived, can move the market swiftly in either direction. Also considering the volatility that this time of year can bring, our current strategy is to have several targets in place to provide both upside coverage as well as downside. While targeting 520 – 540 to recommend additional sales versus Dec ’24, we are targeting the 510 – 520 area to buy puts on any production that cannot be priced ahead of harvest. We are also targeting a close below 451 in Dec ’24 to buy upside calls for their value to protect any existing or future new crop sales.
  • No new action is currently recommended for 2025 corn. As we move through the growing season with its potential for high volatility, we are looking for higher prices and anticipate issuing two more sales recommendations before the beginning of September. Also given the tendency for the growing season to provide some of the best pricing opportunities for the next crop year we will also be watching the calendar along with price action to make additional recommendations.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following corn recommendations:

  • The corn market experienced volatile two sided trade and heavy resistance up towards 450 and the 200-day moving average in the July contract. Heavy selling in both soybeans and wheat contributed to the weakness in the corn market along with Conab’s report that Brazil’s safrinha corn crop harvest is 21% complete, well ahead of last year’s 5% at this time. The quick Brazilian harvest could reduce the US corn export share.
  • Weekly export inspections for corn came in as expected with 51 mb inspected for export. Total year-to-date inspections are running 26% ahead of last year at 1.591 billion bushels versus the USDA’s projection of a 29% increase.
  • Friday’s CFTC data showed, as of June 11, that managed funds bought a mere 427 contracts, keeping their net short corn position relatively unchanged at 212,279 contracts. Of note though were net sales of 1,822 contracts by Index funds which typically hold long only positions, showing a potential shift in bullish sentiment.
  • The Crop Progress report released later this afternoon is expected to show a 2%-3% decline in the good-to-excellent rating for the corn crop. Although initial ratings were historically high, significant trouble spots remain across the Midwest, with some areas experiencing excessive heat and dryness, while others have received too much rain.

Above: Corn Managed Money Funds net position as of Tuesday, June 11. Net position in Green versus price in Red. Managers net bought 427 contracts between June 5 – June 11, bringing their total position to a net short 212,279 contracts.

Soybeans

Soybeans Action Plan Summary

After rallying out of its previous congestion range in early May on planting concerns, the soybean market remained rangebound, capped overhead by resistance around 1250 with support below the market near 1200 for much of May. Now in June, soybean prices have broken underlying support and look poised to test the recent lows which sit near the 1150 level on the July chart. With much of the growing season in front of the market, a weather-related issue or surge in currently poor demand appear to be the most likely catalysts to push prices back near their recent highs.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 soybeans. We are currently targeting a rebound to the 1275 – 1325 area versus July ’24 futures for what will likely be our final sales recommendation for the 2023 crop. If you need to move inventory for cash or logistics reasons, consider re-owning any sold bushels with September call options.  
  • No new action is recommended for the 2024 crop. At the end of December, we recommended buying Nov ’24 1280 and 1360 calls due to the amount of uncertainty in the 2024 soybean crop and to give you confidence to make sales and protect those sales in an extended rally. Given that the market has retreated since that time, we are targeting the mid-1200s versus Nov ’24 futures to exit 1/3 of the 1280 calls to help preserve equity. Most recently we employed our Plan B strategy with the close below 1180 in Nov ’24 and recommended making additional sales due to the potential change in trend. With the growing season still ahead of us, should the market turn back higher, we continue to target the 1280 – 1320 range from our Plan A strategy to make additional sales.
  • No Action is currently recommended for 2025 Soybeans. We currently aren’t considering any recommendations at this time for the 2025 crop that will be planted next year, and it may be some time before conditions are conducive to consider making any recommendations. Be patient as we monitor the markets for signs of improvement.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following soybean recommendations:

  • Soybeans ended the day significantly lower to start the week with the July contract down 22 cents and November down 19 ½ cents. Pressure is coming from good weather forecasts in the Corn Belt over the next month and good planting progress so far. Soybean meal dragged the complex lower with the July contract down 2.20%. Soybean oil was mixed with the three front months slightly higher and deferred months lower.
  • Today’s move lower came despite the NOPA crush report that was released and showed US May crush at 183.625 million bushels which was well above trade estimates and was a record for the month of May. With export demand sluggish, crush demand in the US is crucial.
  • Today’s weekly export inspections report showed soybean inspections at 12.3 mb for the week ending June 13. This puts total inspections at 1.502 billion bushels which is down 17% from the previous year. The USDA is estimating soybean exports at 1.700 billion bushels for 23/24 which would be down 15% from the previous year.
  • Friday’s CFTC report showed funds as net sellers as of June 11 adding 16,139 contracts to their net short position and bringing it to 75,880 contracts. The funds have likely been more aggressive sellers since prices turned lower on Friday.

Above: The sharp drop on June 16 brought the soybean market to test support near 1146. Should this area hold, and prices recover, they could then test the 1190 – 1200 area. Otherwise, they remain at risk of testing the 1130 – 1125 area.

Above: Soybean Managed Money Funds net position as of Tuesday, June 11. Net position in Green versus price in Red. Money Managers net sold 16,139 contracts between June 5 – June 11, bringing their total position to a net short 75,880 contracts.

Wheat

Market Notes: Wheat

  • It was an ugly session in the grain complex with all three US wheats posting double digit losses alongside lower corn and soybeans. With no major news to drive this selloff, it may be technical in nature and driven by the managed funds. Additionally, the gap lower, and sharply lower close for Matif wheat futures did not offer any support to the US market. Winter wheat harvest pressure is also limiting any upside price movement.
  • Weekly wheat inspections at 13.8 mb bring the total 24/25 inspections to 25 mb. Inspections are ahead of the USDA’s estimated pace, and they are projecting exports at 775 mb, which is up 8% from the year prior.
  • Friday’s CFTC data showed that as of June 11, funds sold approximately 13,000 contracts of Chicago wheat, bringing their net short position to about 45,000 contracts. Minneapolis and Kansas City also saw them add short contracts – about 5,000 and 3,000 respectively.
  • According to their Agriculture Ministry, Ukraine’s grain exports have totaled 48.7 mmt since the season began on July 1, 2023. This is about a 3% increase from the year before, and of that total, 17.9 mmt are wheat, up about 11% year over year. Furthermore, Ukraine’s total grain exports are expected to hit 60 mmt in the next season that begins on July 1, 2024. Their grain production is pegged at 56 mmt, with wheat expected to account for 21 mmt of that total.
  • From a bullish perspective, India’s monsoon rain coverage is reported to be 20% below normal, pushing domestic prices to around $8.50 per bushel, a seven-month high. With government reserves also low, India may still need to be a net wheat importer.

Chicago Wheat Action Plan Summary

Since rallying nearly 200 cents from the March low to the May high, largely on fund short covering from Russian crop concerns and dryness in the southwestern Plains, prices have fallen from their peak with seasonal weakness and the onset of harvest. Although the market is showing signs of weakness, it is also becoming oversold, which can be supportive in the event prices turn back higher, and the recent breakout above the December highs suggests there is potential for a test of the 2023 summer highs.

  • No new action is currently recommended for 2023 Chicago wheat. Any remaining 2023 soft red winter wheat should be getting priced into market strength. Grain Market Insider won’t have any “New Alerts” for 2023 Chicago wheat – either Cash, Calls, or Puts, as we have moved focus onto 2024 and 2025 Crop Year Opportunities.
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 Chicago wheat. Considering the recent rally in wheat, we recommended taking advantage of the elevated prices to make additional sales and buy upside July ’25 860 and 1020 calls (for their extended time frame) in case of a protracted rally. Our current strategy is to target 740 – 760 versus July ’24 to recommend further sales and to target a selling price of about 73 cents in the 860 calls to achieve a net neutral cost on the remaining 1020 calls. The remaining 1020 calls would then continue to protect existing sales and give you confidence to make additional sales at higher prices.
  • Grain Market Insider recommends selling a portion of your 2025 SRW wheat crop. Support around 667 in the July ’25 Chicago wheat contract has been broken. Since peaking in May, the market has retraced over 50% back toward the March low, suggesting that our Plan A upside targets are now less likely to be achieved and prices may trend lower. Taking this into consideration, Grain Market Insider is implementing a Plan B Stop strategy and recommends selling another portion of your 2025 SRW wheat crop at this time.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following Chicago wheat recommendations:

Above: Chicago Wheat Managed Money Funds net position as of Tuesday, June 11. Net position in Green versus price in Red. Money Managers net sold 13,432 contracts between June 5 – June 11, bringing their total position to a net short 45,116 contracts.

KC Wheat Action Plan Summary

Between the end of February and the middle of April, KC wheat was mostly rangebound between the mid-590s on the topside and mid 550s down low, with little to move prices higher, all the while Managed funds continued adding to their large net short positions. Toward the end of April, dryness in the Black Sea region and the US HRW growing areas started becoming more concerning and triggered a short covering rally across the wheat complex, driving prices to levels not seen in over six months. Although US wheat exports continue to struggle to compete on the world market, which can keep a lid on US prices, the recent breakout above resistance from the December highs suggests there is potential for a test of the highs from last summer.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 KC wheat. Any remaining 2023 hard red winter wheat should be getting priced into market strength. Grain Market Insider won’t have any “New Alerts” for 2023 KC wheat – either Cash, Calls, or Puts, as we have moved focus onto 2024 and 2025 Crop Year Opportunities. 
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 KC wheat. Considering the recent upside breakout in KC wheat, we recommended buying upside July ’25 860 and 1020 calls (for their extended time frame) in case of a protracted rally. Our current strategy is to target 780 – 810 versus July ’24 to recommend further sales and to target a selling price of about 71 cents on the 860 calls to achieve a net neutral cost on the remaining 1020 calls. The remaining 1020 calls would then continue to protect existing sales and give you confidence to make additional sales at higher prices.
  • Grain Market Insider recommends selling a portion of your 2025 HRW wheat crop. Support near 663 in the July ’25 KC wheat contract has been broken. Since peaking in May, the market has retraced over 50% toward the March low, suggesting that our Plan A upside targets are now less likely to be achieved, and prices may trend lower. Taking this into consideration, Grain Market Insider is implementing a Plan B Stop strategy and recommends selling another portion of your 2025 Hard Red Winter wheat crop at this time. 

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following KC recommendations:

Above: KC Wheat Managed Money Funds net position as of Tuesday, Jun11. Net position in Green versus price in Red. Money Managers net sold 2,870 contracts between June 5 – Jun11, bringing their total position to a net short 16,408 contracts.

Mpls Wheat Action Plan Summary

From mid-February through most of April, Minneapolis wheat traded mostly sideways to lower, lacking significant bullish fundamental news to drive prices upward. However, in late April, spurred by concerns over the world wheat crop and dry conditions in the HRW growing regions, Minneapolis wheat experienced a rally back towards last fall’s highs. Despite lingering obstacles for the US wheat market, the recent rally above resistance from last winter’s highs suggests there is potential for an extended rally toward summer 2023 highs.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 Minneapolis wheat. Any remaining 2023 spring wheat should be getting priced into market strength. Grain Market Insider won’t have any “New Alerts” for 2023 Minneapolis wheat – either Cash, Calls, or Puts, as we have moved focus onto 2024 and 2025 Crop Year Opportunities. 
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 Minneapolis wheat. With the recent close below the 712 support level, Grain Market Insider implemented its Plan B stop strategy, recommending additional sales for the 2024 crop due to waning upside momentum and an increased likelihood of a downward trend. Given the heightened volatility and the amount of time that remains to market this crop, we will maintain the current July ’25 KC wheat 860 and 1020 call options. Our target is a selling price of about 71 cents for the 860 calls to achieve a net neutral cost on the remaining 1020 calls. These 1020 calls will continue to protect existing sales and provide confidence to make additional sales at higher prices.
  • No new action is currently recommended for the 2025 Minneapolis wheat crop. Given the volatility in the wheat market, we recently recommended buying July ’25 620 KC wheat puts to provide downside coverage for the 2025 crop due to their greater liquidity and high correlation to Minneapolis wheat. Moving forward, we will target a value of 60 cents (double the original approximate cost) in the July 620 puts to exit half of the original position, leaving the remainder to continue providing downside coverage with a net neutral cost if the market moves higher. Grain Market Insider may also start considering the first sales targets after July 1.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following Minneapolis wheat recommendations:

Above: Minneapolis Wheat Managed Money Funds net position as of Tuesday, June 11. Net position in Green versus price in Red. Money Managers net sold 5,197 contracts between June 5 – June 11, bringing their total position to a net long 2,535 contracts.

Other Charts / Weather

Above: US 5-day precipitation forecast courtesy of NOAA, Weather Prediction Center.

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6-14 End of Day: Grains Tumble to End the Week

The CME and Total Farm Marketing Offices Will Be Closed Wednesday, June 17, in Observance of Juneteenth

 

All prices as of 2:00 pm Central Time

Grain Market Highlights

  • Corn futures ended the week with poor price action. July futures managed to hang onto a small gain for the week. Weather forecast changes over the weekend will be watched by the trade ahead of Sunday night’s market open.
  • Soybeans continued their sideways, choppy trend to end the week as prices gave back most of Thursday’s gains on Friday, July futures were fractionally higher on the week. Like soybeans, both bean meal and oil front month futures were slightly higher on the week.
  • Falling Matif wheat futures, a once again higher US Dollar, and likely harvest pressure combined to push all three wheat classes lower on Friday. Front month KC wheat futures have closed lower in 11 of the last 13 trading sessions.
  • To see the updated US 5-day precipitation forecast, calculated soil moisture ranking percentile as of June 12th and the updated US 6-10-day Precipitation Outlook, courtesy of NOAA, the Weather Prediction Center, scroll down to the other Charts/Weather section.

Note – For the best viewing experience, some Grain Market Insider content is best viewed with your phone held horizontally.

Corn

Corn Action Plan Summary

As July ’24 corn rallied beyond the congestion range on the front-month continuous charts, it began showing signs of being overbought, suggesting potential resistance to higher prices. Although managed funds have covered a portion of their net short position, their remaining net short position could provide fuel for a more substantial upside move as we transition into the growing season. While obstacles persist for higher prices, weather is still a dominant feature, and seasonal tendencies remain positive.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 corn. Given the recent weakness in the July ’24 contract, and that we are at the time of year when the perception of any improving weather can move prices lower very quickly, we recently employed our Plan B stop strategy and recommended making additional sales. Although the technical picture could look better, weather remains a dominant factor and could still move prices back higher if conditions deteriorate. Therefore, we are currently targeting the 480 – 520 range versus July ’24 to make what will likely be our final sales recommendation for the 2023 crop.
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 corn. After the Dec ’24 contract posted a bearish key reversal in mid-May, we implemented our Plan B stop strategy and advised making additional sales considering we are in the time of year when changes in weather, actual or perceived, can move the market swiftly in either direction. Also considering the volatility that this time of year can bring, our current strategy is to have several targets in place to provide both upside coverage as well as downside. While targeting 520 – 540 to recommend additional sales versus Dec ’24, we are targeting the 510 – 520 area to buy puts on any production that cannot be priced ahead of harvest. We are also targeting a close below 451 in Dec ’24 to buy upside calls for their value to protect any existing or future new crop sales.
  • No new action is currently recommended for 2025 corn. As we move through the growing season with its potential for high volatility, we are looking for higher prices and anticipate issuing two more sales recommendations before the beginning of September. Also given the tendency for the growing season to provide some of the best pricing opportunities for the next crop year we will also be watching the calendar along with price action to make additional recommendations.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following corn recommendations:

  • Difficult day in the corn market as the sellers took back control of the market to close the week. The weak price action posted negative technical signals in the corn market, which could lead to additional selling pressure to start next week. For the week, July corn finished the week 1 ¼ cents higher but well off the highs for the week.
  • Bear spreading was dominant in the corn market as the July futures sold strongly. The weakness in July was likely reflected in the cash market and farmer movement of corn off Thursday prices strength. The spreads between July and September and December dropped significantly since Wednesday in the futures market.
  • Seasonally, the corn market typically turns more negative as the crop is being put together. The lack of bullish news and the prospects of growing supplies will likely limit the market’s upside until there is a change in the market based on a supply concern or a strong uptick in demand.
  • Weather models are predicting above normal temperatures to move into the Corn Belt into late June and early July. The key will be precipitation, which early indications are for the rainfall to stay active in the western and northern Corn Belt, but the eastern Corn Belt is looking to turn drier.

Soybeans

Soybeans Action Plan Summary

After rallying out of its previous congestion range in early May on planting concerns, the soybean market remained rangebound, capped overhead by resistance around 1250 with support below the market near 1200 for much of May. Now in June, soybean prices have broken underlying support and look poised to test the recent lows which sit near the 1150 level on the July chart. With much of the growing season in front of the market, a weather-related issue or surge in currently poor demand appear to be the most likely catalysts to push prices back near their recent highs.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 soybeans. We are currently targeting a rebound to the 1275 – 1325 area versus July ’24 futures for what will likely be our final sales recommendation for the 2023 crop. If you need to move inventory for cash or logistics reasons, consider re-owning any sold bushels with September call options.  
  • No new action is recommended for the 2024 crop. At the end of December, we recommended buying Nov ’24 1280 and 1360 calls due to the amount of uncertainty in the 2024 soybean crop and to give you confidence to make sales and protect those sales in an extended rally. Given that the market has retreated since that time, we are targeting the mid-1200s versus Nov ’24 futures to exit 1/3 of the 1280 calls to help preserve equity. Most recently we employed our Plan B strategy with the close below 1180 in Nov ’24 and recommended making additional sales due to the potential change in trend. With the growing season still ahead of us, should the market turn back higher, we continue to target the 1280 – 1320 range from our Plan A strategy to make additional sales.
  • No Action is currently recommended for 2025 Soybeans. We currently aren’t considering any recommendations at this time for the 2025 crop that will be planted next year, and it may be some time before conditions are conducive to consider making any recommendations. Be patient as we monitor the markets for signs of improvement.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following soybean recommendations:

  • Soybeans ended the day lower giving back the majority of yesterday’s gains, but overall, prices have been relatively rangebound for the past two weeks. There was little bullish support from the WASDE report, so the focus is now on weather which is expected to be mostly hot and dry this month. Both soybean meal and oil ended the day lower today as well.
  • On Monday, the NOPA crush report will be released, and crush is expected to come in at 178.352 million bushels. If realized, this would be up 5.3% from April’s crush of 169.436 mb. It would also be the largest May crush on record. With export demand poor, crush demand is helping support futures.
  • In South America, the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange updated their estimates for grain production, but left soybeans unchanged from last month at 50.5 mmt. 96% of the soybean crop is estimated to be harvested at this point. Yesterday morning, CONAB updated its estimates for Brazilian soybean production to 147.354 mmt.
  • Brazilian soybean premiums declined the second half of the week after the Brazilian government’s tax plan was rejected by the Brazil Congress. With the threat of higher expenses off the table, the Brazil soybean market saw prices fall back into competition with US and Argentina export prices.

Above: The soybean market appears to be holding support around the 1175 area, with further support down towards 1146. Should this area hold, and prices recover, they could then test the 1190 – 1200 area on their way toward recent highs near 1260.

Wheat

Market Notes: Wheat

  • All three US wheat classes closed lower across the board today. This was in tandem with Matif wheat, which also closed lower. After breaking support yesterday at the 50-day moving average, the September Paris contract closed below that level again today. Next support is about six euros lower at the 200-day moving average. This does not bode well for supporting the US market.
  • The US Dollar Index reached fresh near-term highs today at the 105.80 area. This is the highest level seen since the beginning of May, and this is putting pressure on the grain complex and wheat in particular. Harvest pressure is also limiting upside potential with progress ahead of the average pace and HRW yields coming in better than expected so far.
  • To add to bearish pressure, Ukraine’s ag minister is said to have increased their estimate of 2024 wheat production to 21 mmt. This is 1.5 mmt above the USDA’s estimate, and also goes against the USDA lowering their estimate to 19.5 mmt on this week’s report. Additionally, the Ukraine ag ministry is anticipating exports will hit 15 mmt vs the USDA’s guess of 13 mmt.
  • According to the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange, Argentina’s wheat planting has reached 46% complete, up 20% from the previous week. Additionally, the Rosario Grain Exchange has pegged Argentina’s wheat crop at 21 mmt, exceeding the USDA estimate of 17.5 mmt.
  • Drought in China may result in a lower grain output, and ultimately more imports. In the marketing year through June 2025, Chinese wheat production is expected to fall to 134 mmt, a reduction of 1.24%. In addition to the dry weather, the high temperatures may hurt yields in the northern region.
  • Recent rains have improved the outlook for grain production in western Australia. According to the Grains Industry of Western Australia, their estimate of 2024 planted wheat area has increased to 5 million hectares from a May estimate of 4.7 million hectares.

Chicago Wheat Action Plan Summary

Since rallying nearly 200 cents from the March low to the May high, largely on fund short covering from Russian crop concerns and dryness in the southwestern Plains, prices have fallen from their peak with seasonal weakness and the onset of harvest. Although the market is showing signs of weakness, it is also becoming oversold, which can be supportive in the event prices turn back higher, and the recent breakout above the December highs suggests there is potential for a test of the 2023 summer highs.

  • No new action is currently recommended for 2023 Chicago wheat. Any remaining 2023 soft red winter wheat should be getting priced into market strength. Grain Market Insider won’t have any “New Alerts” for 2023 Chicago wheat – either Cash, Calls, or Puts, as we have moved focus onto 2024 and 2025 Crop Year Opportunities.
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 Chicago wheat. Considering the recent rally in wheat, we recommended taking advantage of the elevated prices to make additional sales and buy upside July ’25 860 and 1020 calls (for their extended time frame) in case of a protracted rally. Our current strategy is to target 740 – 760 versus July ’24 to recommend further sales and to target a selling price of about 73 cents in the 860 calls to achieve a net neutral cost on the remaining 1020 calls. The remaining 1020 calls would then continue to protect existing sales and give you confidence to make additional sales at higher prices.
  • No new action is currently recommended for 2025 Chicago Wheat. Given the volatility in the wheat market, we recently recommended buying July ’25 620 Chicago wheat puts to provide downside coverage on the 2025 crop. Moving forward we are targeting the price of 68 cents (double the original approximate cost) in the July 620 puts to exit half of the original position, leaving the balance to continue providing downside coverage with a net neutral cost should the market move higher. To take further action, our primary Plan A strategy is to recommend making additional sales in the 750 – 780 range. In case the market comes up short of this upside target range, our current Plan B is a downside stop at 667. As long as the Jul ’25 contract remains above 667, the trend looks up to us and we will continue to target 750 – 780. If the Jul ’25 contract were to close below 667, it could be a sign that the trend is changing and 750 – 780 may no longer be an upside opportunity. Thus, a break of support would trigger an additional sale immediately.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following Chicago wheat recommendations:

KC Wheat Action Plan Summary

Between the end of February and the middle of April, KC wheat was mostly rangebound between the mid-590s on the topside and mid 550s down low, with little to move prices higher, all the while Managed funds continued adding to their large net short positions. Toward the end of April, dryness in the Black Sea region and the US HRW growing areas started becoming more concerning and triggered a short covering rally across the wheat complex, driving prices to levels not seen in over six months. Although US wheat exports continue to struggle to compete on the world market, which can keep a lid on US prices, the recent breakout above resistance from the December highs suggests there is potential for a test of the highs from last summer.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 KC wheat. Any remaining 2023 hard red winter wheat should be getting priced into market strength. Grain Market Insider won’t have any “New Alerts” for 2023 KC wheat – either Cash, Calls, or Puts, as we have moved focus onto 2024 and 2025 Crop Year Opportunities. 
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 KC wheat. Considering the recent upside breakout in KC wheat, we recommended buying upside July ’25 860 and 1020 calls (for their extended time frame) in case of a protracted rally. Our current strategy is to target 780 – 810 versus July ’24 to recommend further sales and to target a selling price of about 71 cents on the 860 calls to achieve a net neutral cost on the remaining 1020 calls. The remaining 1020 calls would then continue to protect existing sales and give you confidence to make additional sales at higher prices.
  • No new action is currently recommended for 2025 KC Wheat. Given the volatility in the wheat market, we recently recommended buying July ’25 620 KC wheat puts to provide downside coverage on the 2025 crop. Moving forward we are targeting the value of 60 cents (double the original approximate cost) in those July 620 puts to exit half of the original position, leaving the balance to continue to provide downside coverage with a net neutral cost should the market move higher. To take further action, our Plan A strategy is to recommend making additional sales in the 780 – 810 range. In case the market comes up short of this upside target range, our current Plan B is a downside stop at 663. As long as the Jul ’25 contract remains above 663 support, the trend appears bullish and we will continue to target 780 – 810.  If the Jul ’25 contract were to close below 663, it could be a sign that the trend is changing and that 780 – 861 may no longer be an upside opportunity. Thus, a break of support would trigger an additional sale immediately.  

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following KC recommendations:

Mpls Wheat Action Plan Summary

From mid-February through most of April, Minneapolis wheat traded mostly sideways to lower, lacking significant bullish fundamental news to drive prices upward. However, in late April, spurred by concerns over the world wheat crop and dry conditions in the HRW growing regions, Minneapolis wheat experienced a rally back towards last fall’s highs. Despite lingering obstacles for the US wheat market, the recent rally above resistance from last winter’s highs suggests there is potential for an extended rally toward summer 2023 highs.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 Minneapolis wheat. Any remaining 2023 spring wheat should be getting priced into market strength. Grain Market Insider won’t have any “New Alerts” for 2023 Minneapolis wheat – either Cash, Calls, or Puts, as we have moved focus onto 2024 and 2025 Crop Year Opportunities. 
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 Minneapolis wheat. With the recent close below the 712 support level, Grain Market Insider implemented its Plan B stop strategy, recommending additional sales for the 2024 crop due to waning upside momentum and an increased likelihood of a downward trend. Given the heightened volatility and the amount of time that remains to market this crop, we will maintain the current July ’25 KC wheat 860 and 1020 call options. Our target is a selling price of about 71 cents for the 860 calls to achieve a net neutral cost on the remaining 1020 calls. These 1020 calls will continue to protect existing sales and provide confidence to make additional sales at higher prices.
  • No new action is currently recommended for the 2025 Minneapolis wheat crop. Given the volatility in the wheat market, we recently recommended buying July ’25 620 KC wheat puts to provide downside coverage for the 2025 crop due to their greater liquidity and high correlation to Minneapolis wheat. Moving forward, we will target a value of 60 cents (double the original approximate cost) in the July 620 puts to exit half of the original position, leaving the remainder to continue providing downside coverage with a net neutral cost if the market moves higher. Grain Market Insider may also start considering the first sales targets after July 1.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following Minneapolis wheat recommendations:

Other Charts / Weather

Above: US 5-day precipitation forecast courtesy of NOAA, Weather Prediction Center.

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6-13 End of Day: Corn and Beans Higher on Incoming Heat

All prices as of 2:00 pm Central Time

Grain Market Highlights

  • Well above normal temperatures and limited chances for precipitation forecast for much of the central and eastern Corn Belt over the next two weeks helped support corn futures on Thursday.
  • Strong weekly export sales, another daily flash sale and weather worries for the US all helped to push soybeans higher on Thursday. Soybean meal futures were higher on the day while bean oil futures were higher in the front months but lower in the deferred.
  • A surge higher in the US Dollar as well as weakness in European wheat futures kept a lid on US wheat futures today. July CBOT wheat closed higher on the day while KC and Spring wheat futures closed lower.
  • To see the updated US 7-day precipitation forecast and updated US 8–14-day Temperature and Precipitation Outlooks, courtesy of NOAA, the Weather Prediction Center, scroll down to the other Charts/Weather section.

Note – For the best viewing experience, some Grain Market Insider content is best viewed with your phone held horizontally.

Corn

Corn Action Plan Summary

As July ’24 corn rallied beyond the congestion range on the front-month continuous charts, it began showing signs of being overbought, suggesting potential resistance to higher prices. Although managed funds have covered a portion of their net short position, their remaining net short position could provide fuel for a more substantial upside move as we transition into the growing season. While obstacles persist for higher prices, weather is still a dominant feature, and seasonal tendencies remain positive.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 corn. Given the recent weakness in the July ’24 contract, and that we are at the time of year when the perception of any improving weather can move prices lower very quickly, we recently employed our Plan B stop strategy and recommended making additional sales. Although the technical picture could look better, weather remains a dominant factor and could still move prices back higher if conditions deteriorate. Therefore, we are currently targeting the 480 – 520 range versus July ’24 to make what will likely be our final sales recommendation for the 2023 crop.
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 corn. After the Dec ’24 contract posted a bearish key reversal in mid-May, we implemented our Plan B stop strategy and advised making additional sales considering we are in the time of year when changes in weather, actual or perceived, can move the market swiftly in either direction. Also considering the volatility that this time of year can bring, our current strategy is to have several targets in place to provide both upside coverage as well as downside. While targeting 520 – 540 to recommend additional sales versus Dec ’24, we are targeting the 510 – 520 area to buy puts on any production that cannot be priced ahead of harvest. We are also targeting a close below 451 in Dec ’24 to buy upside calls for their value to protect any existing or future new crop sales.
  • No new action is currently recommended for 2025 corn. As we move through the growing season with its potential for high volatility, we are looking for higher prices and anticipate issuing two more sales recommendations before the beginning of September. Also given the tendency for the growing season to provide some of the best pricing opportunities for the next crop year we will also be watching the calendar along with price action to make additional recommendations.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following corn recommendations:

  • The corn market finished with modest gains on Thursday as the row crops, corn and soybeans, saw good buying strength. The lack of new bearish news on Wednesday’s USDA report, and some potential weather issues triggered a short covering rally.
  • Wednesday’s USDA report brought little change from the May report. Speculative positions that were making bearish beats for the report may have lifted positions during the trade on Thursday.
  • China’s major corn producing regions are turning dry according to news sources. China is early in the calendar year for their corn crop, but the market may be building some weather premium in anticipation of more potential corn export business. China is the world’s second largest corn producer after the United States.
  • Weekly corn export sales for corn have stayed supportive of price. Last week, U.S. exporters posted new sales of 1.056 MMT (41.6 mb) of old crop sales and 69,500 MT (2.7 mb) of new crop sales. This was within market expectations, but firm for this time of year as U.S. corn stays competitive on the export market. Total corn sales commitments have reached 2.060 bb in 2023-24, up 36% from a year ago.
  • Weather models are predicting above normal temperatures to move into the Corn Belt into late June and early July. The key will be precipitation, which early indications are for the rainfall to stay active in the western and northern Corn Belt, but the eastern Corn Belt is looking to turn drier.

Soybeans

Soybeans Action Plan Summary

After rallying out of its previous congestion range in early May on planting concerns, the soybean market remained rangebound, capped overhead by resistance around 1250 with support below the market near 1200 for much of May. Now in June, soybean prices have broken underlying support and look poised to test the recent lows which sit near the 1150 level on the July chart. With much of the growing season in front of the market, a weather-related issue or surge in currently poor demand appear to be the most likely catalysts to push prices back near their recent highs.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 soybeans. We are currently targeting a rebound to the 1275 – 1325 area versus July ’24 futures for what will likely be our final sales recommendation for the 2023 crop. If you need to move inventory for cash or logistics reasons, consider re-owning any sold bushels with September call options.  
  • No new action is recommended for the 2024 crop. At the end of December, we recommended buying Nov ’24 1280 and 1360 calls due to the amount of uncertainty in the 2024 soybean crop and to give you confidence to make sales and protect those sales in an extended rally. Given that the market has retreated since that time, we are targeting the mid-1200s versus Nov ’24 futures to exit 1/3 of the 1280 calls to help preserve equity. Most recently we employed our Plan B strategy with the close below 1180 in Nov ’24 and recommended making additional sales due to the potential change in trend. With the growing season still ahead of us, should the market turn back higher, we continue to target the 1280 – 1320 range from our Plan A strategy to make additional sales.
  • No Action is currently recommended for 2025 Soybeans. We currently aren’t considering any recommendations at this time for the 2025 crop that will be planted next year, and it may be some time before conditions are conducive to consider making any recommendations. Be patient as we monitor the markets for signs of improvement.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following soybean recommendations:

  • Soybeans ended the day higher following yesterday’s neutral to slightly bearish WASDE report. Trade is likely reacting to good export sales this morning along with a flash sale reported to unknown destinations. The hot and dry forecast for June likely contributed to today’s gains as well, but many areas will welcome the dry conditions after so much rain. Both soybean meal and oil closed higher today, but meal led the way up.
  • Today’s export sales report showed an increase of 13.9 mb of soybean export sales for 23/24 and an increase of 0.1 mb for 24/25, and China was the number one buyer. This was up 99% from the previous week and 42% from the prior 4-week average. Last week’s export shipments of 7.9 mb were below the 13.2 mb needed each week to meet the USDA’s export estimates. Primary destinations for shipments were to the Netherlands, Mexico, and Indonesia.
  • This morning, Private exporters reported sales of 120,000 metric tons of soybeans for delivery to unknown destinations during the 2023/2024 marketing year.
  • In yesterday’s WASDE report, trade was looking for a decrease in Brazilian production and got one, although it was very small. Brazilian soybean production was only lowered by 1 mmt to 153 mmt. This morning, CONAB released its estimate for soybean production at 147.3 mmt. It is interesting that there is still a nearly 6 mmt discrepancy between the USDA and CONAB even though the crop is almost completely harvested.

Above: The soybean market appears to be holding support around the 1175 area, with further support down towards 1146. Should this area hold, and prices recover, they could then test the 1190 – 1200 area on their way toward recent highs near 1260.

Wheat

Market Notes: Wheat

  • After showing some signs of recovery earlier today, wheat ultimately closed lower across the board, with the exception of July, September, and December Chicago. US wheat may have been a follower of Matif wheat futures; the front month September contract broke 50 day moving average support today for the first time since late March. In addition, the US Dollar Index had a strong recovery that pressured wheat, as it nearly gained back the loss from yesterday.
  • Scattered showers in parts of southern Russia and eastern Ukraine may bring relief to drought-stricken areas, and this may also account for some of today’s weakness as well. However, this does not change the fact that the USDA reduced their estimate of Russian wheat production by 5 mmt on yesterday’s report.  
  • The USDA reported an increase of 8.2 mb of wheat export sales for 24/25 and an increase of 0.8 mb for 25/26. Shipments last week at 9.6 mb fell below the 15.4 mb pace needed per week to reach the 24/25 export goal of 800 mb. Commitments for 24/25 now have reached 178 mb which is up 22% from a year ago.
  • Strategie Grains lowered their estimate of the European Union soft wheat crop to 121.8 mmt, which was a reduction of 1.7 mmt from a month ago. France is expected to see the largest decline. Furthermore, they lowered their projection of the Russian wheat crop from 89.9 mmt down to a range of 78-80 mmt, a quite significant drop.
  • According to the USDA as of June 11, an estimated 16% of US winter wheat acres are in drought. This is a decline from 21% a week ago. Additionally, only 3% of the spring wheat area is said to be in drought, which is unchanged from the week prior.
  • From a technical standpoint, all three US classes of wheat have become very oversold after the recent slide in price. This could indicate that a bottom is near. However, it is important to keep in mind that it is possible for a commodity to become and remain oversold for quite some time during a strong downtrend.

Chicago Wheat Action Plan Summary

Since rallying nearly 200 cents from the March low to the May high, largely on fund short covering from Russian crop concerns and dryness in the southwestern Plains, prices have fallen from their peak with seasonal weakness and the onset of harvest. Although the market is showing signs of weakness, it is also becoming oversold, which can be supportive in the event prices turn back higher, and the recent breakout above the December highs suggests there is potential for a test of the 2023 summer highs.

  • No new action is currently recommended for 2023 Chicago wheat. Any remaining 2023 soft red winter wheat should be getting priced into market strength. Grain Market Insider won’t have any “New Alerts” for 2023 Chicago wheat – either Cash, Calls, or Puts, as we have moved focus onto 2024 and 2025 Crop Year Opportunities.
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 Chicago wheat. Considering the recent rally in wheat, we recommended taking advantage of the elevated prices to make additional sales and buy upside July ’25 860 and 1020 calls (for their extended time frame) in case of a protracted rally. Our current strategy is to target 740 – 760 versus July ’24 to recommend further sales and to target a selling price of about 73 cents in the 860 calls to achieve a net neutral cost on the remaining 1020 calls. The remaining 1020 calls would then continue to protect existing sales and give you confidence to make additional sales at higher prices.
  • Grain Market Insider sees a continued opportunity to buy July ‘25 620 Chicago wheat puts on a portion of your 2025 SRW wheat crop for approximately 33 cents plus commission and fees. The 706 support level in July ‘25 Chicago wheat futures has been broken. The market closing below 706 now paints a very uncertain picture for the overall direction of the market. The upside breakout in late May suggested that the macro trend had turned higher for wheat, with an overall higher trend possible into next year. If the overall macro trend was indeed up, we expected 706 support to hold. Therefore, this break of support raises the question of whether the upside breakout in late May was a false breakout or not. Given the market’s higher volatility and uncertain global picture, we want to maintain the July ’25 call options that are in place for the 2024 crop, and now add July ’25 put options for downside coverage on the 2025 crop. Adding put options now creates a “Strangle” option strategy, which is comprised of long calls and long puts in the same option month. This strategy is beneficial when market direction becomes uncertain, yet the expectation is for a future large move. From the current price level, if the macro trend is indeed up a move to 800+ looks possible on the topside, and if the macro trend is down, then a move back to 550 or lower looks possible on the downside.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following Chicago wheat recommendations:

KC Wheat Action Plan Summary

Between the end of February and the middle of April, KC wheat was mostly rangebound between the mid-590s on the topside and mid 550s down low, with little to move prices higher, all the while Managed funds continued adding to their large net short positions. Toward the end of April, dryness in the Black Sea region and the US HRW growing areas started becoming more concerning and triggered a short covering rally across the wheat complex, driving prices to levels not seen in over six months. Although US wheat exports continue to struggle to compete on the world market, which can keep a lid on US prices, the recent breakout above resistance from the December highs suggests there is potential for a test of the highs from last summer.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 KC wheat. Any remaining 2023 hard red winter wheat should be getting priced into market strength. Grain Market Insider won’t have any “New Alerts” for 2023 KC wheat – either Cash, Calls, or Puts, as we have moved focus onto 2024 and 2025 Crop Year Opportunities. 
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 KC wheat. Considering the recent upside breakout in KC wheat, we recommended buying upside July ’25 860 and 1020 calls (for their extended time frame) in case of a protracted rally. Our current strategy is to target 780 – 810 versus July ’24 to recommend further sales and to target a selling price of about 71 cents on the 860 calls to achieve a net neutral cost on the remaining 1020 calls. The remaining 1020 calls would then continue to protect existing sales and give you confidence to make additional sales at higher prices.
  • No new action is currently recommended for 2025 KC Wheat. Given the volatility in the wheat market, we recently recommended buying July ’25 620 KC wheat puts to provide downside coverage on the 2025 crop. Moving forward we are targeting the value of 60 cents (double the original approximate cost) in those July 620 puts to exit half of the original position, leaving the balance to continue to provide downside coverage with a net neutral cost should the market move higher. To take further action, our Plan A strategy is to recommend making additional sales in the 780 – 810 range. In case the market comes up short of this upside target range, our current Plan B is a downside stop at 663. As long as the Jul ’25 contract remains above 663 support, the trend appears bullish and we will continue to target 780 – 810.  If the Jul ’25 contract were to close below 663, it could be a sign that the trend is changing and that 780 – 861 may no longer be an upside opportunity. Thus, a break of support would trigger an additional sale immediately.  

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following KC recommendations:

Mpls Wheat Action Plan Summary

From mid-February through most of April, Minneapolis wheat traded mostly sideways to lower, lacking significant bullish fundamental news to drive prices upward. However, in late April, spurred by concerns over the world wheat crop and dry conditions in the HRW growing regions, Minneapolis wheat experienced a rally back towards last fall’s highs. Despite lingering obstacles for the US wheat market, the recent rally above resistance from last winter’s highs suggests there is potential for an extended rally toward summer 2023 highs.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 Minneapolis wheat. Any remaining 2023 spring wheat should be getting priced into market strength. Grain Market Insider won’t have any “New Alerts” for 2023 Minneapolis wheat – either Cash, Calls, or Puts, as we have moved focus onto 2024 and 2025 Crop Year Opportunities. 
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 Minneapolis wheat. With the recent close below the 712 support level, Grain Market Insider implemented its Plan B stop strategy, recommending additional sales for the 2024 crop due to waning upside momentum and an increased likelihood of a downward trend. Given the heightened volatility and the amount of time that remains to market this crop, we will maintain the current July ’25 KC wheat 860 and 1020 call options. Our target is a selling price of about 71 cents for the 860 calls to achieve a net neutral cost on the remaining 1020 calls. These 1020 calls will continue to protect existing sales and provide confidence to make additional sales at higher prices.
  • No new action is currently recommended for the 2025 Minneapolis wheat crop. Given the volatility in the wheat market, we recently recommended buying July ’25 620 KC wheat puts to provide downside coverage for the 2025 crop due to their greater liquidity and high correlation to Minneapolis wheat. Moving forward, we will target a value of 60 cents (double the original approximate cost) in the July 620 puts to exit half of the original position, leaving the remainder to continue providing downside coverage with a net neutral cost if the market moves higher. Grain Market Insider may also start considering the first sales targets after July 1.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following Minneapolis wheat recommendations:

Other Charts / Weather

Above: US 7-day precipitation forecast courtesy of NOAA, Weather Prediction Center.

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6-12 End of Day: Markets Close Mixed Following Uneventful WASDE Report

All prices as of 2:00 pm Central Time

Grain Market Highlights

  • Following a USDA report that saw few changes, the corn market held nearby support to rally into the close, settling above the 50-day moving average for the first time this month.
  • Another 3.9 mb flash sale of soybeans to China lent support to July soybeans while the deferred contracts slid lower on a relatively neutral USDA report in anticipation of a large upcoming crop. Bull spreading was also noted in soybean meal, which saw July meal settle in the green versus red for the deferred contracts. While soybean oil closed with modest gains following higher Malaysian palm oil.
  • A neutral to bearish USDA report, lower Paris milling wheat, and continued harvest pressure contributed to the reversal from yesterday’s higher trade with lower closes across the wheat complex.
  • To see the updated US 5-day precipitation forecast and updated US 6-10 and 8-14 day Temperature and Precipitation Outlooks, courtesy of NOAA, the Weather Prediction Center, scroll down to the other Charts/Weather section.

Note – For the best viewing experience, some Grain Market Insider content is best viewed with your phone held horizontally.

Corn

Corn Action Plan Summary

As July ’24 corn rallied beyond the congestion range on the front-month continuous charts, it began showing signs of being overbought, suggesting potential resistance to higher prices. Although managed funds have covered a portion of their net short position, their remaining net short position could provide fuel for a more substantial upside move as we transition into the growing season. While obstacles persist for higher prices, weather is still a dominant feature, and seasonal tendencies remain positive.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 corn. Given the recent weakness in the July ’24 contract, and that we are at the time of year when the perception of any improving weather can move prices lower very quickly, we recently employed our Plan B stop strategy and recommended making additional sales. Although the technical picture could look better, weather remains a dominant factor and could still move prices back higher if conditions deteriorate. Therefore, we are currently targeting the 480 – 520 range versus July ’24 to make what will likely be our final sales recommendation for the 2023 crop.
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 corn. After the Dec ’24 contract posted a bearish key reversal in mid-May, we implemented our Plan B stop strategy and advised making additional sales considering we are in the time of year when changes in weather, actual or perceived, can move the market swiftly in either direction. Also considering the volatility that this time of year can bring, our current strategy is to have several targets in place to provide both upside coverage as well as downside. While targeting 520 – 540 to recommend additional sales versus Dec ’24, we are targeting the 510 – 520 area to buy puts on any production that cannot be priced ahead of harvest. We are also targeting a close below 451 in Dec ’24 to buy upside calls for their value to protect any existing or future new crop sales.
  • Grain Market Insider sees a continued opportunity to sell a portion of your anticipated 2025 corn production. We had been targeting a fill of the price gap between 502 ½ and 504 on the Dec ’25 futures to recommend making the first sale for the 2025 crop. When looking at this target area, we also set a calendar deadline which it needed to be hit by, as we know we need to utilize the opportunities the growing season presents to get early sales on the books. The deadline we set was by the June 4 close. If Dec ’25 did not fill that gap by that day’s close, then we would proceed with making a sales recommendation at the going market price. This Plan A (upside) / Plan B (calendar deadline) duo looks to capitalize on rally opportunities, while simultaneously making sure bushels get sold in case the market falls short of upside target areas. Therefore, Plan B has officially triggered so we are recommending today to get started with selling a portion of your 2025 production on an HTA contract so basis can be set at a later, more advantageous time. Grain Market Insider will likely have two more recommendations over the course of this growing season to get additional sales made for the 2025 crop.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following corn recommendations:

  • Corn futures trended higher after Wednesday’s USDA report to finish with modest gains. The corn market has been acting independently the past couple of sessions despite moves in both the soybean and wheat markets. The lack of any real news from the USDA allowed the corn market to see some buying strength.
  • The USDA report saw little changes in the corn balance sheets for the US or globally. The USDA left the US supply/demand tables unchanged from the month of May. In South American productions, the USDA left both Brazil and Argentina production unchanged from last month.
  • With the report now past the market, the focus turns back to the weather. Weather models are predicting above normal temperatures to move into the Corn Belt into late June and early July. The key will be precipitation, which early indications are for the rainfall to stay active into next week with the increased temps. Conditions are likely favorable for crop growth overall.
  • Corn demand has remained firm at the front end of the market. The USDA will release the next round of export sales on Thursday morning. Expectations for new crop sales to range from 700,000 – 1.2 mmt for old crop, and up to 200,000 mt for new.  Last week old crop sales totaled 1.18 mmt of corn.
  • Weekly ethanol production dropped to 1.023 million barrels/day last week, down nearly 50 million barrels/day from last week, but up less than 1% from last year. A total of 102.5 mb of corn was used in the production process last week, which slipped below the pace needed to reach USDA targets.

Soybeans

Soybeans Action Plan Summary

After rallying out of its previous congestion range in early May on planting concerns, the soybean market remained rangebound, capped overhead by resistance around 1250 with support below the market near 1200 for much of May. Now in June, soybean prices have broken underlying support and look poised to test the recent lows which sit near the 1150 level on the July chart. With much of the growing season in front of the market, a weather-related issue or surge in currently poor demand appear to be the most likely catalysts to push prices back near their recent highs.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 soybeans. We are currently targeting a rebound to the 1275 – 1325 area versus July ’24 futures for what will likely be our final sales recommendation for the 2023 crop. If you need to move inventory for cash or logistics reasons, consider re-owning any sold bushels with September call options.  
  • No new action is recommended for the 2024 crop. At the end of December, we recommended buying Nov ’24 1280 and 1360 calls due to the amount of uncertainty in the 2024 soybean crop and to give you confidence to make sales and protect those sales in an extended rally. Given that the market has retreated since that time, we are targeting the mid-1200s versus Nov ’24 futures to exit 1/3 of the 1280 calls to help preserve equity. Most recently we employed our Plan B strategy with the close below 1180 in Nov ’24 and recommended making additional sales due to the potential change in trend. With the growing season still ahead of us, should the market turn back higher, we continue to target the 1280 – 1320 range from our Plan A strategy to make additional sales.
  • No Action is currently recommended for 2025 Soybeans. We currently aren’t considering any recommendations at this time for the 2025 crop that will be planted next year, and it may be some time before conditions are conducive to consider making any recommendations. Be patient as we monitor the markets for signs of improvement.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following soybean recommendations:

  • Soybeans ended the day lower after a relatively neutral WASDE report which held few changes. The majority of losses were in the deferred months as trade anticipates a large crop. July soybeans were only down by 3/4 of a cent. Soybean meal was mixed with slight gains in the front month and lower prices in the deferred contracts, and soybean oil was higher.
  • The highlights of today’s WASDE report were that the USDA increased US soybean ending stocks for 24/25 to 455 mb from 445 mb last month which was expected. The increase in stocks came from a drop in expected crush demand. Brazilian production was lowered slightly by 1 mmt to 153 mmt but was still above average range trade estimates. Argentinian production was unchanged at 50 mmt.
  • With the June WASDE report now out of the way, trade will focus on weather going forward. The forecast is mainly dry, which is needed in many areas that have been getting significant amounts of rain. The La Nina weather pattern is expected to affect the US this summer which could cause heat and dryness to continue into July and August which would be supportive to prices if verified.
  • China purchased an additional 106,000 mt (3.9 mb) of soybeans in a flash sale released by the USDA.  This was the third sale in the past four sessions of soybeans to China, and the best June streak of purchases by China dating back to 2019.

Above: The soybean market appears to be holding support around the 1175 area, with further support down towards 1146. Should this area hold, and prices recover, they could then test the 1190 – 1200 area on their way toward recent highs near 1260.

Wheat

Market Notes: Wheat

  • Wheat closed with double-digit losses in all three US futures classes today. A sharply lower close for Matif wheat, a lack of fresh friendly news, and no major surprises in the monthly WASDE report were all contributing factors in today’s weakness.
  • Today’s USDA report was about as neutral as can be, from a big picture perspective. The wheat data, in particular, had a slightly negative bias with average yield increased to 49.4 bpa, compared to 48.9 bpa last month. This led to a 17 mb production estimate increase from 1.858 bb in the May report, to 1.875 bb today. Of that total, 1.295 bb is winter wheat, compared to an estimate of 1.278 bb last month.
  • US 23/24 wheat carryout was pegged today at 688 mb, unchanged from May, and less than the average trade guess of 690 mb. For 24/25, carryout came in at 758 mb, compared with 766 mb in May, and 782 mb expected. Global 23/24 wheat ending stocks saw an increase from last month of 1.8 mmt to 259.6 mmt, while 24/25 decreased by 1.3 mmt to 252.3 mmt.
  • Today the USDA did cut their estimate of Russian wheat production by 5 mmt to 83 mmt. From a glass half full viewpoint this is supportive. But with most other estimates around 80 mmt, the cut was perhaps not as much as some were anticipating.
  • CPI data this morning was friendly, at an unchanged level month over month. This was better than expected, as the trade was looking for a 0.1% increase. This sent the US Dollar Index tumbling, which may provide more long-term support to wheat if the trend remains lower. But for the time being, harvest pressure may limit upside potential.

Chicago Wheat Action Plan Summary

Since rallying nearly 200 cents from the March low to the May high, largely on fund short covering from Russian crop concerns and dryness in the southwestern Plains, prices have fallen from their peak with seasonal weakness and the onset of harvest. Although the market is showing signs of weakness, it is also becoming oversold, which can be supportive in the event prices turn back higher, and the recent breakout above the December highs suggests there is potential for a test of the 2023 summer highs.

  • No new action is currently recommended for 2023 Chicago wheat. Any remaining 2023 soft red winter wheat should be getting priced into market strength. Grain Market Insider won’t have any “New Alerts” for 2023 Chicago wheat – either Cash, Calls, or Puts, as we have moved focus onto 2024 and 2025 Crop Year Opportunities.
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 Chicago wheat. Considering the recent rally in wheat, we recommended taking advantage of the elevated prices to make additional sales and buy upside July ’25 860 and 1020 calls (for their extended time frame) in case of a protracted rally. Our current strategy is to target 740 – 760 versus July ’24 to recommend further sales and to target a selling price of about 73 cents in the 860 calls to achieve a net neutral cost on the remaining 1020 calls. The remaining 1020 calls would then continue to protect existing sales and give you confidence to make additional sales at higher prices.
  • Grain Market Insider sees a continued opportunity to buy July ‘25 620 Chicago wheat puts on a portion of your 2025 SRW wheat crop for approximately 33 cents plus commission and fees. The 706 support level in July ‘25 Chicago wheat futures has been broken. The market closing below 706 now paints a very uncertain picture for the overall direction of the market. The upside breakout in late May suggested that the macro trend had turned higher for wheat, with an overall higher trend possible into next year. If the overall macro trend was indeed up, we expected 706 support to hold. Therefore, this break of support raises the question of whether the upside breakout in late May was a false breakout or not. Given the market’s higher volatility and uncertain global picture, we want to maintain the July ’25 call options that are in place for the 2024 crop, and now add July ’25 put options for downside coverage on the 2025 crop. Adding put options now creates a “Strangle” option strategy, which is comprised of long calls and long puts in the same option month. This strategy is beneficial when market direction becomes uncertain, yet the expectation is for a future large move. From the current price level, if the macro trend is indeed up a move to 800+ looks possible on the topside, and if the macro trend is down, then a move back to 550 or lower looks possible on the downside.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following Chicago wheat recommendations:

KC Wheat Action Plan Summary

Between the end of February and the middle of April, KC wheat was mostly rangebound between the mid-590s on the topside and mid 550s down low, with little to move prices higher, all the while Managed funds continued adding to their large net short positions. Toward the end of April, dryness in the Black Sea region and the US HRW growing areas started becoming more concerning and triggered a short covering rally across the wheat complex, driving prices to levels not seen in over six months. Although US wheat exports continue to struggle to compete on the world market, which can keep a lid on US prices, the recent breakout above resistance from the December highs suggests there is potential for a test of the highs from last summer.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 KC wheat. Any remaining 2023 hard red winter wheat should be getting priced into market strength. Grain Market Insider won’t have any “New Alerts” for 2023 KC wheat – either Cash, Calls, or Puts, as we have moved focus onto 2024 and 2025 Crop Year Opportunities. 
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 KC wheat. Considering the recent upside breakout in KC wheat, we recommended buying upside July ’25 860 and 1020 calls (for their extended time frame) in case of a protracted rally. Our current strategy is to target 780 – 810 versus July ’24 to recommend further sales and to target a selling price of about 71 cents on the 860 calls to achieve a net neutral cost on the remaining 1020 calls. The remaining 1020 calls would then continue to protect existing sales and give you confidence to make additional sales at higher prices.
  • No new action is currently recommended for 2025 KC Wheat. Given the volatility in the wheat market, we recently recommended buying July ’25 620 KC wheat puts to provide downside coverage on the 2025 crop. Moving forward we are targeting the value of 60 cents (double the original approximate cost) in those July 620 puts to exit half of the original position, leaving the balance to continue to provide downside coverage with a net neutral cost should the market move higher. To take further action, our Plan A strategy is to recommend making additional sales in the 780 – 810 range. In case the market comes up short of this upside target range, our current Plan B is a downside stop at 663. As long as the Jul ’25 contract remains above 663 support, the trend appears bullish and we will continue to target 780 – 810.  If the Jul ’25 contract were to close below 663, it could be a sign that the trend is changing and that 780 – 861 may no longer be an upside opportunity. Thus, a break of support would trigger an additional sale immediately.  

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following KC recommendations:

Mpls Wheat Action Plan Summary

From mid-February through most of April, Minneapolis wheat traded mostly sideways to lower, lacking significant bullish fundamental news to drive prices upward. However, in late April, spurred by concerns over the world wheat crop and dry conditions in the HRW growing regions, Minneapolis wheat experienced a rally back towards last fall’s highs. Despite lingering obstacles for the US wheat market, the recent rally above resistance from last winter’s highs suggests there is potential for an extended rally toward summer 2023 highs.

  • No new action is recommended for 2023 Minneapolis wheat. Any remaining 2023 spring wheat should be getting priced into market strength. Grain Market Insider won’t have any “New Alerts” for 2023 Minneapolis wheat – either Cash, Calls, or Puts, as we have moved focus onto 2024 and 2025 Crop Year Opportunities. 
  • No new action is recommended for 2024 Minneapolis wheat. With the recent close below the 712 support level, Grain Market Insider implemented its Plan B stop strategy, recommending additional sales for the 2024 crop due to waning upside momentum and an increased likelihood of a downward trend. Given the heightened volatility and the amount of time that remains to market this crop, we will maintain the current July ’25 KC wheat 860 and 1020 call options. Our target is a selling price of about 71 cents for the 860 calls to achieve a net neutral cost on the remaining 1020 calls. These 1020 calls will continue to protect existing sales and provide confidence to make additional sales at higher prices.
  • No new action is currently recommended for the 2025 Minneapolis wheat crop. Given the volatility in the wheat market, we recently recommended buying July ’25 620 KC wheat puts to provide downside coverage for the 2025 crop due to their greater liquidity and high correlation to Minneapolis wheat. Moving forward, we will target a value of 60 cents (double the original approximate cost) in the July 620 puts to exit half of the original position, leaving the remainder to continue providing downside coverage with a net neutral cost if the market moves higher. Grain Market Insider may also start considering the first sales targets after July 1.

To date, Grain Market Insider has issued the following Minneapolis wheat recommendations:

Other Charts / Weather

Above: US 5-day precipitation forecast courtesy of NOAA, Weather Prediction Center.