Top 5 Things to Watch

By DTN Staff

OMAHA (DTN) -- Here are the Top 5 things the DTN Newsroom is tracking for the week of Dec. 24. Watch for coverage of these and other topics through the week on our subscription platforms as well as on www.DTNPF.com.

All times listed below are in Central Standard Time (CST) unless otherwise mentioned.

1. Holiday market hours: Grain and livestock futures close normally on Dec. 22 and CFTC data is out that day as normal. There also are cattle on-feed, cold storage and hog inventory reports due at 2 p.m. on Dec. 22. Grain and livestock futures markets are closed Christmas Day. They open at 8:30 a.m. Dec. 26. The markets repeat that schedule for the New Year's holiday, open normally on Dec. 29, closed on New Year's Day and trading opens at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 2. In Canadian markets, there is no canola trade at the ICE on Dec. 26, Boxing Day.

2. Weather brings Christmas surprise: And the surprise is? Like any true present, it'll be unknown until the package is open, or in this case until the sun comes up. Weather models continue to be all over the board, some predicting snow and cold, some balmy sunshine. DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick's advice? "Check our forecasts regularly, and watch for the latest on our Ag Weather Forum blog. That blog can be found here: https://www.dtnpf.com/….

3. Top 2023 ag stories: We'll continue our countdown of the 10 most critical stories in agriculture. As such things tend to be, many of them are still an issue as the year comes to a close.

4. Tax law updates: There are some new tweaks on depreciation and other tax-related rules for the 2024 season. Watch for our latest take on that.

5. Economic reports to watch: Monday markets are closed, so no USDA export inspections. Tuesday sees the U.S. consumer confidence report for December due out at 9 a.m., followed by USDA's weekly report of export inspections at 10 a.m. Then Thursday sees U.S. weekly jobless claims and U.S. Drought Monitor update at 7:30 a.m., followed by pending U.S. homes sales at 9 a.m. The Energy Department's report on natural gas storage is set for 9:30 a.m., followed by the Energy Department's weekly inventory report at 10 a.m. On Friday, the USDA weekly export sales report is out at 7:30 a.m.; that's the only significant report of the final trading day of 2023.

Watch for the latest news at www.dtnpf.com, and follow and like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/dtnprogressivefarmer

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