best-in-class commodity analysis

Hogs Posting Steady Trade at Midday

Lean hog futures saw mixed activity, with the nearby December contract up 25 cents while other contracts traded steady to 50 cents lower.

The USDA’s national base hog price from Thursday morning was not reported due to no volume. The CME Lean Hog Index declined by another 17 cents on October 28, settling at $91.86.

Meanwhile, the USDA’s pork carcass cutout value from the Thursday morning report increased by 7 cents to $100.31 per cwt. However, the butt, picnic, and ham primals were reported lower.

USDA estimated federally inspected hog slaughter for Wednesday at 492,000 head, bringing the weekly total to 1.471 million head after a revision from Tuesday. This figure is down 1,000 head from last week but still 5,771 head above the same week last year.

**Lean Hog Futures Summary:**
– December 2025 Hogs: $81.025, up $0.250
– February 2026 Hogs: $82.250, down $0.075
– April 2026 Hogs: $86.350, down $0.200

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*Disclosure:* On the date of publication, Austin Schroeder did not hold (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information provided is for informational purposes only. For more details, please view the [Barchart Disclosure Policy](https://www.barchart.com/disclosure).

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**More News from Barchart:**
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– Bye Bye BLTs: How Much Lower Can Hogs Go as Peak Grilling Season Ends?
– Lean Hog Futures Are Heating Back Up. Can They Rally Here?

*The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Nasdaq, Inc.*
https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/hogs-posting-steady-trade-midday

Cotton Bulls Head Into the Weekend in the Green

Cotton futures closed out the Friday session with contracts up 40 to 55 points on the day, with the December contract 44 points higher for the week, settling at $0.98310.

Early on Friday morning, President Trump expressed optimism about the upcoming leaders’ meeting with China, stating, “I think we’ll be fine with China.” He also noted that the 100% tariffs on China are not sustainable.

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In recent market activity, Thursday’s online auction from The Seam showed just 155 bales sold, with an average price of 63.01 cents per pound.

The Cotlook A Index was up 25 points on October 16, reaching 75.10 cents.

ICE certified cotton stocks remained steady as of October 16, with the certified stock level at 16,751 bales.

Please note, the Adjusted World Price (AWP) is still not being reported due to the ongoing government shutdown.

Looking at specific contract closes:
– December 2025 Cotton closed at 64.28 cents, up 55 points
– March 2026 Cotton closed at 65.78 cents, up 49 points
– May 2026 Cotton closed at 66.97 cents, up 47 points

On the date of publication, Austin Schroeder did not hold (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data provided are solely for informational purposes.

For more details, please review the [Barchart Disclosure Policy](https://www.barchart.com/disclosure).

The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Nasdaq, Inc.
https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/cotton-bulls-head-weekend-green

Corn Trading Steady on Thursday Morning

Corn futures are holding steady on Thursday morning, with contracts remaining close to unchanged. On Wednesday, the corn market saw gains of 3 to 4 cents across most contracts. Preliminary open interest slipped by 6,238 contracts on Wednesday, signaling some shorts covering.

The CmdtyView national average cash corn price rose by 3¾ cents to $3.74.

Due to the Monday holiday, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) data release has been postponed to Thursday. Market watchers will be closely monitoring whether ethanol production can continue its recent rebound. Normally, Export Sales data would be released on Friday; however, the ongoing government shutdown has suspended this update. Traders estimate that corn bookings ranged between 0.9 to 2 million metric tons (MMT) for the week ending October 9.

In international news, two separate South Korean importers purchased a combined total of 269,000 metric tons of corn in private tenders on Wednesday. No official origins were listed for these purchases.

Corn Contract Closing Prices:
– December 2025 corn closed at $4.16¾, up 3¾ cents and is currently unchanged.
– Nearby cash corn was $3.74, up 3¾ cents.
– March 2026 corn closed at $4.32¼, up 3 cents and is currently unchanged.
– May 2026 corn closed at $4.41, up 3 cents and is currently up ¼ cent.

Disclaimer: As of the date of publication, Austin Schroeder does not hold positions, either directly or indirectly, in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data are provided solely for informational purposes. For more details, please refer to the [Barchart Disclosure Policy](https://www.barchart.com/disclosure).

Additional news from Barchart:
– Grain Traders React to Unexpected Deterioration in U.S.-China Relations
– Five Things to Watch for a Turnaround
– Will Cotton Ever Rally?
– As China Shuns U.S. Agricultural Products, Make This One Trade Now
– Corn and Soybean Bulls Faced Challenges Last Week: What to Watch Next

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/corn-trading-steady-thursday-morning

Soybeans See Strength on the Midweek Session

The soybean market saw gains of 4 to 7½ cents on Wednesday, led by the front months. The cmdtyView national average Cash Bean price was 8¼ cents higher at $9.53½.

Soymeal futures were 30 cents to $1.90 higher in the front months, while back months were steady to 60 cents lower. There were another 99 deliveries against October meal overnight.

Soy Oil increased by 44 to 70 points during the day. The CBOT reported 25 deliveries for October bean oil overnight.

November soybeans have averaged $10.21 so far through the six trade sessions in October. The full month’s average is used in the harvest price discovery for crop insurance.

Despite the weekly Export Sales report being suspended with the government offline, traders still expect 0.6 to 1.6 million metric tons (MMT) of 2025/26 soybean sales for the week of October 2nd. Meal bookings were projected between 150,000 to 350,000 MT, with 0 to 25,000 MT for oil.

Brazilian soybean exports are estimated at 7.12 MMT during October, significantly higher compared to 4.44 MMT in the same period last year.

Closing prices for November 2025 soybeans were $10.29½, up 7½ cents. Nearby Cash was $9.53½, up 8¼ cents. January 2026 soybeans closed at $10.44¼, up 5¼ cents, while March 2026 soybeans closed at $10.57¼, up 4¼ cents.

*Disclaimer:* On the date of publication, Austin Schroeder did not hold (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data provided are solely for informational purposes. For more details, please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy [here](https://www.barchart.com/disclosure).

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**More News from Barchart**

– Corn, Soybean Bulls Had One Foot in the Grave Last Week. What to Watch Next.
– Barchart Experts Weigh In: Everything You Need to Know About the U.S.-China Soybean Panic
– Have Soybeans Hit a Market Bottom?
– Why Is China Not Buying U.S. Soybeans?

*The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.*
https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/soybeans-see-strength-midweek-session