crude oil prices Archives - Southeast AgNET

What to Look for Ahead of Sept. Federal Reserve Board Meeting

Analysts at the CME Group and certainly on Wall Street already looking ahead to the September meeting of the Federal Reserve Board. The board we mentioned yesterday does not meet in August, so the next date for market watchers, September 15th and 16th. Updated rate decision comes early afternoon on the 16th. CME FedWatch tool shows near certainty there will …

Federal Reserve Board Concludes Meeting

The Federal Reserve Board concludes its two-day July meeting today with an announcement on interest rates early afternoon. A week ago today, the CME FedWatch tool showed an 80 percent chance the Fed would leave interest rates unchanged. We know what’s happened to crude oil in the past seven days, one of several factors the Board considers when looking at …

Cattle on Feed Report to Shed Light on Cattle Futures

This afternoon’s cattle on feed report could at least stabilize cattle futures at recent lower levels. As if the extended heat were not enough for cattlemen to battle across the country, open interest in live cattle futures has plunged to the lowest level of the year. Feeder cattle index is now the lowest since mid-January. Heavy selling reappeared around midweek, …

Increase in Dollar Index

Outside of ag commodities at midweek, the dollar index posting its highest level in 13 months, two-year treasuries trading at 16-month highs, while crude oil continues lower, now the lowest since early in February. Grain trade not the only sector battling support in here at midweek. Bottom line analysts point to the tech sector under pressure early week with those …

Uncertainty Impacting the Markets

Markets don’t perform well, dealing with uncertainty, and there’s plenty of it at midweek. Wall Street CME Group in Chicago facing uncertainty from multiple fronts. Usually it’s maybe one major world event or perhaps a domestic issue here, but as we head to March, markets dealing with tariff uncertainty, ongoing and escalating tensions with Iran, weather in the Northeast, and a never-ending AI fears. That VIX or fear index, …

Trade discussions between the US and China may have significant impacts to agriculture. Agricultural markets across the Southeast are continuing to react to last week's summit between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, where trade and agricultural purchases were major topics of discussion. Following the meetings in Beijing, reports indicated China may expand purchases of US agricultural products as part of broader efforts to stabilize trade relations after last year's tariff escalation disrupted export markets and commodity prices. That is especially important for Southeastern agriculture because commodities like cotton, peanuts, poultry, soybeans, and timber products all depend heavily on international demand and export movement. Market analysts say cotton producers in Georgia and Alabama are watching particularly closely since export sales remain one of the biggest drivers of cotton prices. Peanut growers are also monitoring negotiations because trade stability can influence global commodity movement and overall market confidence heading into harvest planning later this year. While no major new tariff rollbacks have been formally announced yet, agricultural groups are looking for signs that China could increase long-term purchasing commitments for American farm products in the coming months. Growers across the Southeast remain cautious, however, because many trade uncertainties that impacted commodity prices over the past two years remain unresolved. /audio Audio Reporting by Josh McGill for Southeast AgNet.

Trade Agreement Talks Between US China Progressing

Trump-Xi Call Unlikely to Move Trade Talks, But TikTok Agreement Signals Possibility A much-anticipated phone call between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled for tomorrow, but expectations for a breakthrough on trade are low. While the discussion is unlikely to alter the course of U.S.-China trade relations, some analysts believe any diplomatic engagement is a positive …