Insights and Stories on International

Dec. 6, 2023 at 5:01 pm CST

Chicago wheat pared gains on Wednesday after touching a four-month high following a third straight day of private sales of U.S. wheat to China, the largest wave of Chinese purchases in almost a decade.

By Brendan O'Brien, Reuters

Dec. 6, 2023 at 3:13 pm CST

The seasonal slowdown in the North American grain and oilseed markets has traders in the Chicago futures taking direction from shifting weather forecasts out of South America, with technical chart signals also at play in the futures heading into the New Year.

By Phil Franz-Warkentin

Dec. 6, 2023 at 2:03 pm CST

Smithfield Foods said it will end contracts with 26 hog farms in the U.S. state of Utah, in the latest contraction by the world's largest pork processor in the face of an industry oversupply.

By Reuters, Tom Polansek

Dec. 5, 2023 at 4:20 pm CST

Wheat rose after U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed private sales of 198,000 metric tons of U.S. soft red winter wheat to China, the second such sale in as many days. Monday's announcement that China had purchased 440,000 tons of the grain, the largest one-off U.S. wheat export sale to China since at least 2020, added impetus to a recent rally.

By Brendan O'Brien, Reuters

Dec. 5, 2023 at 12:28 pm CST

The Baltic Dry Index (BDI), a major indicator of bulk shipping rates, has climbed sharply higher over the past few weeks to hit its highest level in 18 months.