Grains to Close Week, Month With Losses, All About Trade War

Grains are trading mixed on Friday but with a negative note on August as investors are still waiting for trade war developments. As for now, conciliatory words between US and China are giving some hopes.

“The most important thing is to create the necessary conditions for continuing negotiations, said Gao Feng, a spokesman for China’s Commerce Ministry. However, he said that China has an arsenal of measures for retaliation. However, they don’t want to use it.

Despite the conciliatory tone, the market is reluctant to believe in everything China and the United States said, as it seems they want to have a prolonged trade war. Farmers, then, are suffering the consequences.

Soybean ready to close August with gains

Soybeans are trading positive for the third day in a row as investors welcomed conciliatory feeling between the two parts involved in the trade war. On Friday, futures of soybeans jumped to trade as high as 8.78 per bushel, but the level resisted and it sent the unit back to previous levels.

Profit-taking ahead of the end of the week and month is keeping the grain out of higher prices. Currently, soybean is trading 0.60% positive on the day at 8.73.

On the technical analysis front, odds are for a bullish extension in the short and middle terms as studies on both, the 1-hour and daily charts, are pointing to the upside.

On the week, soybean is closing the first positive period in the last three weeks. The oilseed is posting a 2.10% weekly gain, recovering almost all losses experienced in the previous two weeks.

In the monthly chart, soybean is closing August with a 0.63% gain as the unit was on time to reverse losses in the first half of the month, but the benefit is not that big. August would be the third month of gains in the last four. The monthly chart also suggests that the grain is moving in a long term range between 8.44 and 9.30.

Corn down amid profit-taking

Corn is trading down for the second day as investors are closing positions ahead of the end of the month. Early in the day, the contract attempted to break above the 3.74 level, but it wasn’t successful.

Currently, corn is trading 0.40% negative at 3.69. The unit is now testing the 3.69 area, which is the support that is containing the downside. Below there, the next frontier would be 3.66.

On the week, corn is giving signals of life as the unit is performing its first period of gains after the sell of experienced in the last three weeks. Thought the move is on a consolidation phase rather than a recovery.

The month is also an ugly picture for corn as it is closing its third negative period. The unit has now entered on full steam into the long term range traded between July 2014 and May 2019 between 3.40 and 4.00.

Wheat breaks below 4.62 and trades at lows since May

Futures of wheat are trading negative on Friday with the unit breaking below the 4.62 area and extending drops to 4.59, its lowest level since May 16.

Previously in the day, wheat traded around 4.66, but a break below the 4.64 triggered stop losses that fueled declines to 4.62, where another batch of stop losses was activated. Then, the unit found support just below the 4.60 area.

Currently, the unit is trading at 4.60, 2.50% negative on the day.

On the week, the unit is falling 3.50%, extending losses after the previous week small recovery.

On the month, wheat is falling for the second period, with August performing 5.28% down in the period. Overall, wheat is inside a downtrend with the 4.20 area as the most likely destiny.

Grains roundup for August 30

Coffee is down in the day, week, and month as futures of coffee weren’t able to break above the 98.00 area. The contract is now traded at 95.25, 2.15% down. On the week, coffee is 0.11% down after attempting a recovery that was capped at 98.50. In the bigger picture, coffee is closing August with a 3.25% decline, extending the already sell-off of 10.30% of value performed in July. Technical analysis suggests more declines in all frame times.

Sugar is having the same story of coffee with declines in the day, week, and month. The trend in the sugar futures is even more visible to the downside with prices at 11-month lows around 11.10. The unit is closing its fifth negative week in a row, and its second month with red numbers in a row. August is 8.20% negative for sugar.

Happy weekend and stay safe!