McDonald’s has announced that it will bring back its seasonal and iconic McRib sandwich this year. The McRib has almost a cultish following. In fact, there is a “McRib locator” blog on the internet, because not only is the sandwich seasonal, typically it’s regional as well. But in 2020 it will be available nationally, adding about 40 percent more stores than in 2019. The regionality thing is mostly marketing - in some areas of the country it is just not as big a hit as it is in other areas. But in the COVID era, comfort food rules. But the real driver of the seasonality is the supply of pork. The sandwich is made from the shoulder butt primal (and trimmings). Look at the monthly average prices of that primal,...
Key Market Insights The broad market is locked in on this week’s Trump-Xi meeting in Beijing, but this is no longer just a trade summit. Increasingly, the meeting is becoming tied directly to Iran, energy security, and the growing global economic fallout from disruptions through the Strai...
From WPI Consulting
Infrastructure investment due diligence
On behalf of a Canadian oilseed processer WPI's team provided market analysis, econometric modeling and financial due diligence in support of a $24 million-dollar investment in a Ukrainian crush plant. Consistent with WPI's findings, local production to supply the plant and the facility's output have expanded exponentially since the investment. WPI has conducted parallel work on behalf of U.S., South American and European clients, both private and public, in the agri-food space.