Technically Speaking

A technical look at the February contracts of three U.S. energy prices.

The January soybean pattern below is a symmetrical triangle, with the market undecided on which way this pattern will evolve. Typically, the pattern is a continuation pattern in the prevailing trend, which in this case would be inclined to resolve to the upside. However, there are...

We are seeing mixed trends in livestock charts.

As wheat has melted down and corn export sales remain dismal, corn futures appear to have convincingly broken out to the downside after trading in a 30-cent range in the past 16 days. The next target for March appears to be the open chart gap at $6.38 with solid support...

A technical look at January energy futures.

A technical look at the March contracts of the top three U.S. wheats.

Soybean oil, along with other major vA smaller-than-expected gain in October consumer prices sent specs fleeing from the U.S. dollar and back into stocks, at least temporarily -- encouraging short-term news for U.S. crop prices.

Soybean oil, along with other major vegetable oil markets, has recently made big gains. While the fundamentals remain solid and mostly bullish, it appears further gains could be questionable. The bean oil market appears to be very overbought, while managed money funds are now the...

A look at the U.S. Dollar Index, the Bloomberg Commodity Index, and crude oil.

In spite of rising interest rates and barge traffic problems on the Mississippi River, bullish demand for soy products continues to lend support to soybean prices.

Shrinking inventories of cattle are helping futures prices maintain support in the face of rising interest rates and economic worries.

December corn, on Monday's rally above the $7.00-level, with a close above that, could be pointing to a 25- to 30-cent higher move. The jury is still out on that possibility.

A look at livestock futures.

Many of the world's central banks joined last week's rate increase by the Federal Reserve and raised concerns about slower growth ahead.

On Monday, December corn appears to be headed for a fifth straight lower close. While Dec appears to still be in a bullish trend right ahead of heavy harvest activity, will it last?

A look at the grain futures ahead of Monday's 11 a.m. CDT WASDE report.

Despite numerous concerns about rising interest rates, the stock market and talk of recession, cattle and feeder prices look bullish at the moment, but I can't say the same for hogs.

For the third time since the last week in July, December corn futures gapped higher, with each of those gaps yet to be filled.

A look at energy markets.

Speculative fears about outside markets caused traders to dump soybean positions in late June and early July, but soy complex prices have rallied impressively since, gaining back lost ground.