McKeany-Flavell Hot Commodity Podcast

Goin’ hog wild: Livestock markets & their effect on feed prices

• Review of domestic hog, poultry, and cattle inventories
• Export market opportunities?
• Impact on feed prices

Host: Craig Ruffolo, Vice President – Commodity Specialist
Expert: Nicole Thomas, Vice President – Information Services

 

Hurricane Dorian & its potential impact on sugar

• Historical hurricane devastation on sugar crops
• Dorian headed to Lake Okeechobee
  • What might happen to the sugar industry there
• Stay safe, Florida!

Host: Michael Caughlan, President & CEO
Expert: Kevin Combs, Vice President – Sweeteners Specialist

Unusual headlines highlight changes in the sugar & corn markets

• Unforeseen weather events impact beet sugar crops
• Grain farmers’ frustration boils over
• And more!

Host/Expert: Kevin Combs, Vice President – Sweeteners Specialist
Expert: Craig Ruffolo, Vice President – Commodity Specialist

Go long, baby! Value buy opportunity in equities & commodities

• Managed money switches from long to short positions in commodities
• Are we headed for a global recession?
• Is this a good buying opportunity for commodities?

Host: Michael Caughlan, President & CEO
Expert: Craig Ruffolo, Vice President – Commodity Specialist

SURPRISE! Corn production isn’t so bad…or is it? (WASDE update)

• Corn
  • USDA raises corn acreage, yield despite partial information
• Soybean complex
  • Soybean acreage lower, but ending stocks still above 700 million bushels
  • Less soybean oil demand for biodiesel this year and potentially, next
• Sugar
  • Cane and beet sugar forecast increased
  • Deliveries increase provides industry with some optimism

Host/Expert: Kevin Combs, Vice President – Sweeteners Specialist
Expert: Nicole Thomas, Vice President – Information Services

Is this an anomaly market year?

• 1995/96 vs. 2019/20
  • Crop production similarities
• How might futures behave under these circumstances?

Host: Kevin Combs, Vice President – Sweeteners Specialist
Expert: Nicole Thomas, Vice President – Information Services

The big picture for sugar

• Global production deficit for 2019/20?
• India’s sugar production falling
• Other factors that will affect the sugar market

Host: Michael Caughlan, President & CEO
Expert: Kevin Combs, Vice President – Sweeteners Specialist

Cocoa & chocolate update

• Minimum price guarantee for Ivory Coast and Ghana
• Results from grind

Host: Michael Caughlan, President & CEO
Expert: Jeffrey Rasinski, Consultant

Sugar beet & cane crop progress update

• Louisiana cane crop escaped any significant damage from Hurricane Barry
• Idaho beet crop is strong but offset by poor Southern Minnesota crop
• And, who smashed Kevin in the go-kart grand prix?!?

Host: Michael Caughlan, President & CEO
Expert: Kevin Combs, Vice President – Sweeteners Specialist

July WASDE update: Corn, soybeans, & sugar

• Corn
  • USDA maintains Acreage report number for corn acreage, existing yield
• Soybeans
  • 2019/20 soybean balance sheet gets “tighter”—relatively speaking
  • 2018/19 soybean oil revision resulting from lowered crush projection
• Sugar
  • USDA increases 2018/19 imports resulting in 14.3 percent STU
  • 2019/20 beet and cane production raised
  • Market reset at 13.5 percent per the Suspension Agreements

Host/Expert: Kevin Combs, Vice President – Sweeteners Specialist
Expert: Nicole Thomas, Vice President – Information Services