Daily US grain report: markets quiet as traders assessing latest geopolitical shock
US grain futures prices were near steady in overnight trading.Both the grain market bulls and bears are presently being squelched by the geopolitical uncertainty in the marketplace following the terrorist drone strikes against Saudi Arabia over the weekend, and the potential for retaliation from the Saudis and even the US against Iran.
Still selling interest in the grains is limited by last week's conciliatory comments from China and the US on their trade war.
Trading psychology in the grain markets appears to be changing from bearish to at least neutral, following last week's gains in futures. It's likely the big speculative "fund" traders in grain futures, who have been heavily short, have run out of gas and are looking to bail out of their short positions (short covering).
Weather in the US Midwest remains warm and non-threatening for the corn and crops. It appears the corn and soybean crops will escape a killing hard frost early this fall.
On tap Monday is the weekly USDA export inspections report. Demand for US grains needs to pick up on the world market before US grain prices can sustain price uptrends on the charts.