The CBOT continued making modest adjustments in the wake of Friday’s WASDE, but found relatively little new information upon which to trade. The USDA will resurvey parts of the Midwest where harvest was severely impacted by the fall weather, but even modest reductions to production estimates in those areas won’t make a big deal for the U.S. balance sheet. Consequently, from a supply-side view, the January WASDE/Crop Production reports are presenting the final numbers. Trade at the CBOT was dominated by spread activity, particularly unwinding of long soybean/short corn spreads. The soy complex was broadly weaker though soymeal finished higher from soymeal/soyoil spread trade. Wheat futures traded a lackluster day th...
Weighing in on strategic realignment
WPI’s team was retained by the governing board of a U.S. industry organization to review a decision, reached by vote, to invest significant assets into the development and management of an export trading company. WPI’s team conducted a formal review of this decision and concluded that the current level of market saturation would limit the benefits of the investment. Based on WPI’s analysis and recommended actions, the board subsequently reversed its decision and undertook a strategic planning effort to identify more impactful investments. On behalf of numerous clients, WPI has not only assisted in identifying strategic paths but also advised their implementation.