Top 5 Things to Watch

OMAHA (DTN) -- Here are the Top 5 things the DTN Newsroom is tracking for the week of Dec. 31. 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: Markets will be closed for the New Year's holiday. Trading reopens at 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 2.

2. New Year bulls?: As we rolled out of 2023, grain markets were down slightly, but news of continued strong export demand will hopefully carry into the new year. We'll watch closely how prospects for South American crops and overall demand influence trade positions.

3. Drier week ahead: Some snow and rains moved into many areas during the weekend, while models predict generally drier weather through the first week of 2024. The relatively warm trend holds in as well.

4. Livestock looking for direction: The usual light trade through the year-end holidays left livestock markets mixed. Warmer, drier weather takes shipping issues out of the equation, so traders will look for a hook to hang market direction on.

5. Economic reports to watch: Monday markets are closed as mentioned above. There will be no reports with government offices closed. On Tuesday we'll see final reports on U.S. manufacturing, due at 8:45 a.m. At 10 a.m. we'll have U.S. job openings and weekly grain inspections. Traders will be watching the South American weather during the past weekend and upcoming week. At 2 p.m. the Fats and Oils report will be released, along with Grain Crushings and Co-Products Production reports. On Wednesday, at 9 a.m., both the U.S. job openings and ISM manufacturing reports will be released. Traders will continue to focus on Brazilian weather and any USDA flash export sales. Thursday morning sees several jobs-related reports, the ADP Employment report and the Initial Jobless Claims numbers. At 10 a.m. we will get the EIA Weekly Petroleum Report, also featuring ethanol production and inventory. Friday at 7:30 a.m. the U.S. export sales report is due, as well as the U.S. employment report and unemployment rate, along with latest hourly wages reports. At 9 a.m. the U.S. Factory Orders will be revealed.

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