As we are halfway through the last normal trading week of the year, we looked back at some of the trends in different areas of the markets, especially the ones that seemed to make the biggest splashes. On the grain side, it hasn’t been the rosiest picture by any means. Soybeans are right now taking it on the chin as we see them continue to slip further and further lower. Supplies are also high after a bin-busting year in the U.S. and almost picture-perfect conditions in Brazil.
On the other side of grains, corn has had an interesting year. Arlan Suderman, the Chief Commodities Analyst for StoneX, discusses the year we saw in corn.
Livestock is where we saw some of the biggest storylines of the year. Cattle are continuing their strength in 2024. There seems to be no end in sight for this run. Every time we seem to think a correction is heading our way, they surprise us once again.
Hogs have had an interesting year, to say the least. Volatility would be an understatement. The hogs started the year struggling to find footing. Then late in the summer and early fall, we saw those hogs get strapped to the back of a rocket that shot them through the ceiling. Producers enjoyed those prices, but only for a short time. The markets are slipping once again as we march towards the end of the year.
For 2025, Suderman says he’s expecting a stronger economy in the U.S. than in Europe and China and, in turn, a higher dollar, which could be a global headwind for commodities.
