The funds continue to influence US futures values. Using weekend rain as the catalyst to square up some spread trade the funds cleared shorts in a number of soft commodities. Soybeans were a major benefactor of fund money with a net long being consolidated. Rainfall is expected to make...

Late weakness in the corn and soybean pits dragged US grain futures lower by the close. Initially strength was found for both corn and beans after sales of 196kt of beans to China, and 120kt of corn to Spain were announced. As the session went on the weight of...

Realistically the weaker US dollar probably had more to do with some higher closes in US grain futures than any other data. Weekly US export sales were generally a little above trade expectations with corn at 1.255mt, soybeans 1.275mt and wheat 615kt. Although the wheat number was 200kt above...

It was a no new news night, with nothing to feed the market it followed the path of least resistance and at the moment that is definitely lower. In the US corn futures were lower on the back of better harvest weather before a line of storms develop along...

US grain futures gave back a little of what they picked up late last week. The punters were pegging corn harvest at 32% but after the close the weekly crop progress report shows it to be closer to 28% (47%avg). With the good to excellent rating in corn jumping...

The higher Aussie dollar will threaten to counter some of the overnight strength in US wheat futures come Monday. From the outside the strength in the AUD is perplexing, weaker retail sales and lower iron ore prices would generally lead one to think the AUD should be sliding if...

US grain futures were generally firmer across the board on Friday night. Spring wheat futures at Minneapolis were the champion with decent grains across all months. Soybeans underperformed if you were to take the wires as your guide. Dry weather in Brazil, US yields tapering off as the bean...

A combination of a weaker AUD and a better closing price on the NCDEX would normally see new crop chickpea values stabilise here. There is still a lot of speculation over Indian government internal support prices and export policies though and with rain in the forecast for much of...

Indian chickpea futures for December continue to slide, shedding roughly $20 / tonne overnight on the December delivery contract. In recent days the nearby futures have also fallen as supply from CQLD eases immediate concern. Some punters are still calling the Aussie crop 1.1mt while others now have it...