Market Analysis
Live and feeder cattle futures are extending gains after a higher close on Friday. Brad Kooima, Kooima Kooima Varilek, says he is encouraged a low may be forming in both markets.
Soybeans bounced on Friday and were up Matt Bennett with AgMarket.Net says to go back and retest this week’s highs or move to new highs soybeans will need to see proof of China purchases.
Scott Varilek of Kooima Kooima Varilek says the cattle market is seeing a short covering or technical bounce after an ugly down week. So is the fund liquidation done yet or is this a dead cat bounce?
Ted Seifried says the ag markets saw risk off selling across the commodity board and profit taking in the grains after the recent rally. But with the volatility in the soybean market is this topping action?
Darin Newsom, senior market analyst with Barchart, Inc., says commodity wide selling is hitting the grain and livestock futures early Thursday and some of it is tied to uncertainty regarding the future of tariffs.
January soybeans rallied $.13 on Wednesday as China dropped it 24% retaliatory tariffs imposed on U.S. ag goods March 4 for one year.
Mark Knight with Farmer’s Keeper Financial says the market is digesting clarification from China on tariffs. Beijing says it will lower the 24% retaliatory tariffs but the cut still leaves a 13% tariff on U.S. soybeans imported into China.
Randy Martinson with Martinson Ag says most of the grain and oilseed complex saw general profit taking Tuesday after hitting overbought territory.
Arlan Suderman, with StoneX, Inc., says soybeans are rallying on the White House interpretation of the deal which assumes China will buy 12 MMT in the next couple of months on top of the nearly 6 MMT it purchased earlier in 2025. However, he says China has not confirmed that.
Brad Kooima of Kooima Kooima Varilek says while the cattle futures are distancing themselves from last week’s lows he isn’t sure if all of the bearish news is factored into the market yet. Meanwhile, soybeans make new highs as the White House clarifies China will buy 12 MMT in the last two months of 2025.
Shawn Hackett with Hackett Financial Advisors says with China potentially buying 441 million bushels of U.S. soybeans in the next two months prices need to move a lot higher.
After an ugly pullback in the cattle market futures are trying to recover according to Scott Varilek of Kooima Kooima Varilek as cash strength is returning in the feeder cattle market.
Mark Schultz with Northstar Commodity says in response to the China deal the soybean market pushed into new highs for the move with January finally closing above the $11 mark.
Alan Bruger says USDA was assuming some sales to China in the September WASDE but he thinks the agency will need to make some revisions in their 300 million bushel ending stocks with this deal.
Allison Thompson says soybeans paused on Wednesday with January down 3/4 cent as the market faded news of China purchases as it was already priced into the market.
Lane Akre, economist with Pro Farmer, says soybeans have priced in the optimism about a China trade deal and had muted reaction to news of the first China soybean purchases of the 2025-26 marketing year.
Brian Grete with Commstock Investments thinks the China deal is nearly priced into the soybean market and so it will need confirmation of what “significant purchases” means before moving higher.
DuWayne Bosse with Bolt Marketing says soybeans made new highs for the move and January futures are closing in on $11, while March made fresh highs for the year.
Grain markets staged a rally on Monday and Naomi Blohm with Total Farm Marketing says soybeans led the charge on news over the weekend that the U.S. and China had reached a framework agreement that included “substantial purchases” of U.S. soybeans.
Live cattle are sharply lower with limit down moves in feeders under expanded limits on Monday morning. Brad Kooima says now the focus is on the possibility of the U.S. dropping the 50% additional tariffs on beef imports.
Soybeans have been trading in a sideways range for more than a year and a China deal is really the only thing that could get soybeans to break out of the topside of that range.
Scott Varilek with Kooima Kooima Varilek says cattle futures gapped lower on the opening Friday and feeder quickly pushed to limit down status with fear of the U.S. opening the border to Mexican feeder imports.
Soybeans futures hit new highs for the move on Thursday as Greg McBride with Allendale, Inc. says there is growing optimism about a trade deal with China that will include soybean purchases.
Randy Martinson with Martinson Ag says soybeans are hitting new highs for the move with the tailwind of comments from President Trump about getting a trade deal with China next week in South Korea.
Grains ended mostly higher on renewed technical buying, while cattle closed with limit down moves in feeder cattle in reaction to President Trump’s social media comments about beef.
Garrett Toay with AgTraderTalk says after the recent rally corn and soybeans ran into chart resistance. However, outside markets had a negative impact with the selloff in precious metals and the rally in the dollar.
Jamie Gieseke with Paradigm Futures says soybeans are seeing some profit taking after a 35 cents rally off of last week’s lows but also some farmer pricing. The higher dollar is weighing on corn and wheat.
Jeff Hoogendoorn, Professional Ag Marketing, says soybeans ended higher on Monday and extended gains after a higher weekly close last week. Cattle tried to recover after Friday’s meltdown and after President Trump comments about the U.S. buying Argentina beef to lower prices for consumers.
Oliver Sloup, Blue Line Futures, says corn, soybeans and wheat all saw technical buying this week after bouncing off key support on the charts. The key is can the markets build on it next week?
Joe Kooima of Kooima Kooima Varilek says the funds were liquidating long positions on the open Friday after President Donald Trump said the administration was working on a plan to lower beef prices. Some of it was triggered by algorithm trades that key their formulas off headlines.