There are several conflicting signals confronting the market. At the macro level, U.S. retail sales rose 7.5 percent in June with robust sales of automobiles and homes. Demand is growing faster than employment, yet bankruptcies are on the rise, especially in the retail/food services. For commodity futures, there are large supplies but also some robust demand. In fact, the market was poised to climb higher at the start due to real and rumored Chinese demand. The China situation is conflicting. Beijing is maxing out its 7.2 MMT corn import TRQ as feed demand has pushed corn prices to their highest since 2015. But swine production, the main consumer, is still 30 percent below year ago levels. Corn has flown out the door at each of the p...
From WPI Consulting
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.