Grain Market and Bread Prices - Its Potential TrendIn today’s tutorial, we will track the potential prices of this important staple, wheat, which is used to make our bread. In these studies, we will use a combination of technical analysis and fundamental developments to support this view.
Chicago SRW Wheat Futures & Options
Ticker: ZW
Minimum fluctuation:
1/4 of one cent (0.0025) per bushel = $12.50
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• What presented here is not a recommendation, please consult your licensed broker.
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Weather
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Extreme Weather Sends Wheat Prices SurgingWheat plays a critical role in global agriculture and trade. Extreme weather has turned wheat prices bullish, rising more than 22% in a month after having languished for more than two years.
After reaching their lowest level in more than three years in March 2024, prices have rebounded strongly. Wheat rally is driven by extreme weather events in multiple places compounded by supply-demand imbalances.
Wheat rally is far from over. The May 2024 WASDE report painted a surprisingly positive outlook for wheat, suggesting an increase in US production. Outlook may be too optimistic, making revisions likely. Prices face risk to the upside once weather impact is comprehensively reassessed.
This paper posits a long position in wheat options benefiting not only from price appreciation and from expanding volatility.
WASDE PAINTS A POSITIVE WHEAT OUTLOOK
Recent WASDE report provides initial forecasts for 2024/25 marketing year (MY24/25) and updates projections for the current MY. These updates are crucial for estimating ending stocks which will be carried over to the next year.
Global production is expected to grow 1.3% in the upcoming MY to 798.19MT. Projections are even more optimistic for the US crop. USDA expects US wheat production in MY24/25 to be 3% higher YoY and total supplies to be almost 6% higher YoY.
Source: USDA
WHEAT CROPS ARE GETTING IMPACTED BY SEVERE WEATHER
Russia is the largest wheat exporter commanding 24% of total global exports. Russia has been hit by severe frost and cold.
Three of Russia’s key grain producing regions have declared a state of emergency, stating that May frost has caused severe damage to crops, reports Reuters . This year’s crop output will be lower. Frost linked damage follows record hot April which also harmed wheat crops.
The USDA has reduced its outlook for Russian wheat production by 3.5MT which might be an underestimate given widespread damage. WASDE report was released merely two days after Russia declared emergency, leaving USDA with little to no time to assess the impact.
STOCKS-TO-USE NEAR ALL-TIME-LOW
Data Source: PSD
Stocks to Use levels at major wheat exporters is currently at a 16-year low at 13.8%. It is expected to drop further to a record low of 12.4% in the upcoming MY24/25.
Low stocks-to-use ratio suggests that supplies are tight. Ending stocks are low relative to total consumption. Low stock-to-use ratios make prices extremely sensitive to minor shocks in physical markets.
MANAGED MONEY HAVE REVERSED COURSE ON WHEAT BEARISHNESS
Sentiment is shifting rapidly. Asset managers have been net short on wheat futures since 2022. This trend has reversed sharply over the last month with asset managers cutting short positioning by 70%. Net short positioning is at its lowest level since October 2022. Last week, asset managers continued to reduce their short positioning (down 35% over the past month) while also increasing their long positioning.
Source: CME QuikStrike
Bullish sentiment prevails with a put/call ratio of 0.57 in wheat options. Calls dominate both near-term and later contracts. Recent options market trading has been bullish for later expires.
Despite strong rally, implied volatility is lower than the levels seen last year and even during late 2022 signalling potential IV expansion.
Source: CME CVOL
HYPOTHETICAL TRADE SETUP
Wheat faces multifaceted upside risks stemming from weather-driven uncertainty and damage which may not have been factored into USDA’s supply outlook. Wheat supply also faces the risk of disruption from record low stocks-to-use ratio.
Wheat prices are up 22% over the last one month. A long futures position may be impacted negatively by a near-term correction. Instead, a long call position offers limited downside and substantial upside from expanding volatility and rising prices.
TradingView recently launched options suite brings traders a raft of options analytical tools. Wheat options chain can be visualised clearly.
Options IV across a range of expiries to identify key strike levels can also be visualised.
Strategy simulator enables evaluation of various strategies intuitively by visualizing the payoff based on not only price but also expansion or contraction of IV or time-decay.
The above hypothetical trade setup shows the payoff for a simple long call position in OZWU24 contract expiring on 23/August at a strike price of 750.
The premium for this option as of 17/May stood at 33 cents/bushel which results in a premium of USD 1,650 for a full options contract consisting of 5,000 bushels.
The above position breaks even at USc 783. If IV expands by 2%, the position would break even at USc 778.
Assuming constant IV, the:
• trade delivers profit of 1,850, if prices rise to 820.
• option expires worthless leading to a loss of 1,650 if prices remain below strike.
The options simulator features simple and intuitive interface enabling visualization of common options strategies. The tool also enables users to easily create and customize trading strategies.
Alternative to a long call, the bull call spread provides a pre-determined maximum profit and loss. The long call benefits from price rise and volatility expansion.
While short call offsets long call premium reducing potential losses. However, the profit potential is limited because any appreciation beyond the short call strike is negated by equivalent losses from the short position.
Bull Call Spread consists of a long call at a strike of USc 680 and a short call at a higher strike of USc 700. The width of the spread is set at 2 (700-680), a wider range can offer higher upside and reward/risk ratio, but it is only viable when the expected move is large.
MARKET DATA
CME Real-time Market Data helps identify trading set-ups and express market views better. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, you can check out on CME Group data plans available that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com
DISCLAIMER
This case study is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment recommendations or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products, or services.
Trading or investment ideas cited here are for illustration only, as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate the fundamental concepts in risk management or trading under the market scenarios being discussed. Please read the FULL DISCLAIMER the link to which is provided in our profile description.
Solid Brazilian Rains Dampen Soybean PricesSoybean prices have been on a rollercoaster fuelled by turbulence over the last month amid elevated weather concerns, changing production yields, and geopolitical upheavals affecting prices. Winters are vital for bean traders. This paper delves into the various forces at play to guide traders and portfolio managers to navigate through the rough weather.
Favourable weather combined tail winds for Soybean harvests plus weakness in destination markets are setting the ground for bearishness in bean prices. A short position in CME Soybean futures can be used to manage risk.
US SOYBEAN HARVEST RESULTS
Soybean harvest in the US has concluded providing a more certain supply outlook for the ongoing marketing year. Next Soybean harvest will take place in March-June in South America. Until then, current inventories will have to meet the demand.
As per USDA update , Soy harvesting in the US is 90% complete. Yields for the 2023/2024 marketing year were updated to 49.9 bushels/acre in the November WASDE report compared to 49.6 bushels/acre in the October report.
This resulted in an upward revision to the production and ending stocks figures as well since the consumption forecast remained unchanged. A similar update was reported by USDA in the global soybean outlook which suggested that global soybean production would be marginally higher.
Despite the upward revisions, the US production figures represent a YoY decline of 4 million MT (-3.3%). The upward revision then, provides a larger buffer to account for potentially higher consumption.
This is vital because bean inventory balances in the US this year are tighter than the previous two years. US Ending stocks are forecast to be 6.68 million MT compared to 7.3 million MT last year.
As a result, although the upward revision expanded the buffer, it is quite narrow which could exacerbate a shortage in case consumption edges higher.
SEASONAL TRENDS
As highlighted by Mint in a previous paper , seasonal trends in Soybean futures are affected by harvest. During harvest, prices decline before recovering post-harvest as inventories are depleted. However, the seasonal trend is distinct during El Niño years where returns underperform the usual average, especially in December-January.
BRAZIL WEATHER CONCERNS LIFTED
Soybean markets are heavily influenced by weather in Brazil. Hotter than expected weather and erratic precipitation raised concerns for Brazilian crops which drove Soybean prices higher over the past month.
Brazil experienced a strong heat wave last month which has a negative effect on crops. Weather effects on crop yields are most pronounced during the early stages of growth.
However, weather is now set to improve as weather forecasts suggest the arrival of rains and milder temperatures ahead. Both are positive for the bean crop.
Still, higher-than-expected precipitation remains a concern for the crop. As highlighted by University of Delaware , too much rainfall during the planting stage can lead to significant yield reduction.
Source: USDA
Brazil is the largest producer of Soybean and its harvest had been expanding rapidly over the past three years. This had previously led to oversupply concerns in global markets, exacerbated by a low demand environment in the largest soybean consumer China.
Though consumption in China is forecast to increase YoY, it will not be enough to match the increase in global production (especially in Brazil) per the latest WASDE estimates . Net effect is larger ending stocks globally which is bearish for Soybean prices.
EL NIÑO UPDATE
In this El Niño year, unexpected weather pose significant concerns as it deviates from the anticipated impact on soybean crops outlined in our previous paper . While El Niño typically brings favourable conditions, such as increased rainfall and mild weather leading to a 3.5% higher soybean yield on average.
Brazil is experiencing unexpectedly warm weather and low precipitation, diverging from the usual patterns. The unpredictability of these conditions amplifies their potential impact on prices compared to previously expected El Niño effects.
Source - NOAA
El Niño continues to evolve adversely as Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) has reached its highest level since 2016. Sea Surface Temperatures (SST) at Niño 3.4 is another indicator that has reached an all-time-high.
Source - NOAA
SIGNAL FROM SOYBEAN FUTURES MARKET
Technical signals suggest a bearish trend in bean futures. Front month bean contract was on an upward trend since mid-October. The front month contract tested but failed to pass a key pivot resistance level of 1,381 USc/bushel. Price has since declined 5% and points to a reversal as the Moving Averages close to forming a bearish crossover.
Asset managers switched from net short to net long positioning over the past month. However, over the last 2 weeks, asset managers have reduced net long positioning by 20k contracts.
Options markets point to bearishness as participants are positioned for Soybean price to decline with a P/C ratio of 1.31 which suggests more bearish bets than bullish ones.
Further, bearish bets have increased sharply over the past week with the largest increase in puts on the April monthly contract and December monthly contract. Moreover, participants have reduced call OI on the front-month December contract.
HYPOTHETICAL TRADE SETUP
With the overhang of negative weather in Brazil lifted, bean prices are likely to decline and pare gains from the past month due to a weak demand environment. Market metrics also suggest a bearish trend. To gain exposure, investors can deploy a short position on Soybean futures expiring in Feb ( ZSH2024 ).
CME Soybean futures expiring in March require a maintenance margin of USD 2,800 (as of December 4th) and provide exposure to 5000 bushels.
Entry: USc 1,336
Target: USc 1,272.25
Stop Loss: USc 1,381
Profit at Target: USD 3,187
Loss at Stop: USD 2,250
Reward/Risk: 1.42x
MARKET DATA
CME Real-time Market Data helps identify trading set-ups and express market views better. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, you can check out on CME Group data plans available that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com
DISCLAIMER
This case study is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment recommendations or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products, or services.
Trading or investment ideas cited here are for illustration only, as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate the fundamental concepts in risk management or trading under the market scenarios being discussed. Please read the FULL DISCLAIMER the link to which is provided in our profile description.
The jury is still out on the impact of El NiñoWeather has always been a key factor influencing the outlook for major commodities, especially agricultural commodities. The arrival of El Niño in June 2023 has led to a wide divergence in the performance across agricultural commodities. As discussed in our previous blog “What does El Niño’s return mean for commodities?”, the effects of El Niño include specific wind patterns across the Pacific Ocean, heavy rain in South America, and droughts in Australia and parts of Asia including India and Indonesia. This is why certain commodities such as cocoa, sugar, soybean oil and grains tend to depict a price positive environment following an El Niño phenomena. So far in 2023 – cocoa, sugar and cotton have been key beneficiaries of the El Niño weather phenomena whilst wheat, corn and soybeans have posted a weaker performance.
How is the El Niño evolving?
With the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasting more than a 95% probability of El Niño continuing through the Northern Hemisphere winter through January - March 2024 , chances are high that we continue to see further weather abnormalities over the coming months. There is now around a 71% chance that this event peaks as a strong El Niño this winter1.
The main El Niño monitoring metric showed the average sea surface temperature in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean—was 1.3˚Celsius (2.3˚Fahrenheit) above the long-term average in August, up from 1˚C in July1. The whole ocean (Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Artic and Southern Ocean ) was over 1˚C above the 20th-century average in August, the first time that’s happened in the 174-year record2.
An important aspect of ocean changes is the sea level height. Presently there is a strong ocean sea level rise in the easterly tropical Pacific, a clear sign that El Niño is active3. The changes in the ocean heat content are mainly due to the expansion and rise of the strong subsurface warm pool. This also causes the sea level height to increase, usually associated with warmer waters.
Agricultural commodities price response to El Niño will vary
The growing of agricultural products is sensitive to weather patterns. For some crops, El Niño could boost production, while for others it could damage production. This is because the drift in warm water across the Pacific moves’ evaporation and rain such that Southeast Asia and Australia tend to get drier while Peru and Ecuador tend to receive more precipitation. Should the weather event intensify, it could be a significant catalyst for price gains in cocoa, soybean oil, sugar, and grains as discussed in “What does El Niño’s return mean for commodities?” blog.
Cocoa and sugar lead the commodity scoreboard in El Niño ’s slipstream
Cocoa has been an important beneficiary of the El Niño. The concentration of supply in West Africa, nearly 70% of global supply4, underlines the outsized impact of the region’s weather patterns on the world’s cocoa supplies and prices. The emerging El Niño is likely to hamper the next main crop that begins in October as it tends to bring dry and hot conditions to West Africa. This comes at a time when heavy rains in West Africa have triggered the Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease (CSSVD) and the spread of Black pod diseases. The diseases alongside the high cost of inputs, have not spared the two leading producers (i.e., Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana) and affected their volume of production5. Despite high cocoa prices, demand evident from cocoa grinding continues to rise in Asia and the US6.
Sugar has also benefitted from the emergence of El Niño as lower rainfall in Asia, namely India and Thailand have resulted in lower sugar production. However, we expect further upside for sugar prices to be capped as Brazil (the world’s largest producer and exporter) is likely to fill the gap. Production in Brazil’s main Centre- South (CS) growing region between the start of the crop year in April and mid-August already amounted to 22.7mn tons, which is up 22% over the same period last year7. What’s more, the sugar mix increased to 51.1% in H1 September, up from 50.7% in H2 August signalling that Brazilian mills continue to favour sugar production over ethanol amidst higher sugar prices5. Extreme weather conditions in China have reduced domestic supplies. China is also planning to release 1.3mn tons of sugar from its reserves, to increase domestic supplies and stabilise prices4.
Wheat prices stand to benefit as key producers to face the impact of El Niño
On the other end of the spectrum, grains (namely wheat, corn and soybeans) continued to struggle as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) outlined a more bearish outlook for corn while bullish for wheat. The corn harvest is progressing well with 15% of the crop harvested, up from 11% at the same stage last year and also above the five-year average of 13%8. Moscow’s revocation of the secure grain’s corridor through the Black Sea, alongside the Russian attacks on key infrastructure along the Danube River in Ukraine, have lowered grains exports from Ukraine by 25% over the prior year. Yet wheat prices have fallen sharply this year as Russia’s record crop is enabling it to ship huge volumes to world markets.
The Grain Industry Association of Western Australia has likewise reduced its crop forecast for the region by 1.5 million tons to 8.5 million tons. Most of Australia is expected to face warm and dry conditions over the next three months9, so further downward revisions are on the cards. Argentinian farmers are also battling with a drought. The Buenos Aires Grain Exchange has already warned that the crop in 2023/24 could be impaired if there is no rainfall in the near future. As the prospects for the wheat crop amongst major producer countries are becoming increasingly weak, we expect wheat to benefit from these rising tailwinds.
Conclusion
There has been a wide divergence within the commodity linked Exchange Traded Funds (ETF) flows since the start of the year. Agriculture linked ETFs have seen US$458mn worth of outflows while energy linked commodity ETFs raked in US$1.2Bn worth of inflows10. Agriculture linked commodity ETFs likely faced outflows owing to profit taking. We continue to expect plenty of upside in select agricultural commodities as the impact of the El Niño is likely to intensify over the upcoming winter.
This material is prepared by WisdomTree and its affiliates and is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. The opinions expressed are as of the date of production and may change as subsequent conditions vary. The information and opinions contained in this material are derived from proprietary and non-proprietary sources. As such, no warranty of accuracy or reliability is given and no responsibility arising in any other way for errors and omissions (including responsibility to any person by reason of negligence) is accepted by WisdomTree, nor any affiliate, nor any of their officers, employees or agents. Reliance upon information in this material is at the sole discretion of the reader. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.
What Drives Soybean Prices: El Niño, Geopolitics, or SeasonalityEl Niño means little boy in Spanish. The fishermen in Latin America observed periods of unusually warm water in the Pacific Ocean in the 1600s around Christmas. El Niño can cause 50% variation in local weather in regions growing essential crops like beans, corn, and coffee.
Soybean is a giant in global trade. It ranks among the top comprising more than 10% of the total value traded annually. Soybean is used for edible oils, biofuels, and livestock feed.
This paper introduces the impact of El Niño on bean prices, geopolitical risk in beans given its idiosyncratic market structure, and seasonality. Medium to longer term impact on bean prices will be dictated by severity of weather, demand, and energy prices.
However, in the near term, record Brazilian output and ongoing harvests in China, India, Russia, Ukraine, and Canada will weigh down on bean prices.
To gain from weakening prices, this paper posits a hypothetical short position in CME Soybean Futures expiring in November 2023 (ZSX2023) with an entry at USc 1296/bushel combined with a target at USc 1188/bushel and hedged by a stop at USc 1368/bushel, delivering an expected reward-to-risk ratio of 1.5x.
EL NIÑO IS A RECURRING CLIMATE PHENEMENON
El Niño and Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a recurring climate phenomenon which has significant global impact on precipitation and temperature.
ENSO is the result of the natural cyclical interaction between equatorial sea surface temperature (SST) and the atmosphere. These interactions lead to climate fluctuations across more than 60% of the world. ENSO has a major effect on rainfall and temperature variation.
In some regions, such as those closest to the tropical pacific, ENSO can result in 50% of the total variation in local weather. These regions are often the most essential for important crops like bean, corn, and coffee.
These interactions oscillate between warming and cooling periods leading to the ENSO cycle plotted below. The pattern recurs every two to seven years.
Notably, the frequency of the ENSO cycle and the intensity of its effects have increased over the last fifty years due to global warming. As a result, ENSO has an outsized influence on global economy given its potency of delivering shocks to agriculture.
El Niño are periods of warm ocean temperatures (highlighted in red) in the Central and Eastern Equatorial Pacific regions. La Niña are periods with cooler ocean temperatures (marked in green above) in Central and Eastern Pacific zones.
Periods with no major deviation from average Sea Surface Temperature (SST) are considered normal weather conditions.
Each El Niño or La Niña phase persists for two years on average. However, a longer-than-expected phase of El Niño (like the one in 2015) can lead to a much more significant impact on agricultural markets owing to larger drawdown on inventories.
THE BEAN IS EXPOSED TO GEOPOLITICS
The Americas comprise >80% of total global production. Top producers are Brazil, the US, Paraguay, and Argentina. These nations are also the top bean exporters.
China is world's largest importer. It mops up 60% of global import demand. Beans in China is primarily used to feed its massive livestock population.
Unlike staple grains, the bean industry is highly centralized given the structure of the sea-borne market. Consequently, they are prone to shocks from disruptions such as trade restrictions and geo-politics.
In 2017, soybean was caught in the crossfire in US-China tariff war. Back then, China placed a 25% tariff on beans imported from the US. This drove demand for Brazilian soybeans as the US ones were rendered expensive for Chinese importers.
The trade friction adversely impacted the US, to an extent that is feltto this day. Since then, US exports have been far lower while Brazilian exports have gradually expanded. It has also led to structural shifts in bean usage.
SEASONALITY IS PREDICTABLE IN BEAN PRICE BEHAVIOUR
As previously published , seasonality in beans is driven by the harvest cycle. North American crop is harvested between September and November while South America harvests from March to June.
Bean prices decline after harvesting cycles. Distinct price patterns can be discerned by analysing seasonality. Prices rise through the first half of the year from January to June as inventories deplete. Then, they rapidly decline following harvesting in Argentina and Brazil.
EL NIÑO FAVORABLY IMPACTS BEANS
El Niño’s effect on beans is consistent. Usually, extreme weather typically creates havoc to crop and crop yield. But not so in the case of soybeans.
Interestingly, research shows that El Niño favourably impacts American soybeans farmers leading to a 3.5% increase in yield on average. Increased rainfall and lower temperature in the Americas caused by El Niño explains this favourable weather impact on the crop.
As Weston Anderson, et al. highlight , the impact is most significant during peak El Niño which is expected next year. While American farmers benefit from benign weather, Asian growers suffer adverse effects of El Niño, resulting in declining yield and production in Asia.
OUTLOOK FOR BEANS
Taking into consideration the drivers outline as above, larger harvest is expected in Brazil in 2024. In 2023, Argentinian harvest was significantly smaller due to unfavourable weather, and this is expected to recover back to its usual levels.
The USDA is forecasting a larger harvest in China in 2024. However, peak El Niño could negatively impact Chinese crop leading to spike in import demand.
Seasonal trends point to a winter rally in bean prices ahead.
However, historical analysis shows that El Niño years result in a higher-than-average yield in soybean. Combining the effect of (a) record Brazilian output, plus (b) El Niño fuelled greater yields leading to abundant harvest in 2024, the higher-than-average yield in soybean could cause a potential glut.
Bean oversupply will cut short a winter price rally. Worse still, a glut could make the post-harvest price crash next year much more severe.
SIGNALS FOR BEAN PRICES FROM DERIVATIVES MARKETS
The commitment of trader’s report points to declining net long positions by managed money inching towards lows observed during May earlier this year.
Even the options market hints at bearish slant with put-call ratio at 1.13x within rising open interest build up in puts in the near term.
Since mid-September, data from CFTC shows that bean options traders are positioning themselves against fall in prices as they have added 18,079 lots in puts versus 13,090 lots in calls.
HYPOTHETICAL TRADE SET UP
With more harvests coming onstream, soybean prices will come under increasing downward pressure in the near term.
To gain from crumbling bean prices, a hypothetical short position in CME Soybean Futures expiring in November ( ZSX2023 ) with an entry at USc 1296/bushel and a target at USc 1188/bushel, hedged by a stop at USc 1368/bushel is expected to deliver a reward-to-risk ratio of 1.5x.
Each soybean futures contract provides exposure to 5,000 bushels (~136 metric tons) and is quoted in US cents per bushel. Each tick represents one-fourth of a cent (USc 0.25) per bushel resulting in USD12.50 in P&L.
• Entry: 1296
• Target: 1188
• Stop: 1368
• Profit-at-Target (hypothetical): USD 5,400 (1296 – 1188 = 108; 432 ticks x 12.50 = 5,400)
• Loss-at-Stop (hypothetical): USD 3,600 (1296 – 1368 = -72; -288 ticks x 12.50 = -3,600)
• Reward-to-Risk (hypothetical): 1.5x
REFERENCES
Nature
ScienceDirect
MARKET DATA
CME Real-time Market Data helps identify trading set-ups and express market views better. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, you can check out on CME Group data plans available that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com
DISCLAIMER
This case study is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment recommendations or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products, or services.
Trading or investment ideas cited here are for illustration only, as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate the fundamental concepts in risk management or trading under the market scenarios being discussed. Please read the FULL DISCLAIMER the link to which is provided in our profile description.
What does El Niño’s return mean for commodities?The El Niño weather phenomenon is back on the radar. A new update from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) forecasts that there is a 90% probability of the El Niño event continuing during the second half of 2023.
What is the El Niño phenomenon?
The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is an oceanic-atmospheric phenomenon with origins in abnormal variations in surface water temperatures in the Central and Eastern Pacific (Latin American coast). It comprises two opposing phenomena (La Niña and El Niño) that historically occur every 2 to 3 years. La Niña brings colder, wetter weather (lasts between 1-3 years), while El Niño brings warmer, drier weather (lasts between 9-12 months).
Typical impacts of El Niño
When El Niño starts picking up, trade winds slow down and the warm water near Asia starts moving back eastward across the Pacific, reaching the coast of South America. The drift in warm water also moves evaporation and rain such that southeast Asia and Australia tend to get drier while Peru and Ecuador tend to see more precipitation. El Niño typically picks up over the summer and shows its strongest effects over the winter in the Northern Hemisphere. However, the characteristics of the El Niño vary according to its timing and amplitude.
World sees hottest July on record
El Niño weather disturbances, which affect the entire Indo-Pacific region, lead to heatwaves and droughts. This is why the developing El Niño is likely to amplify the negative effects of climate change in Asia-Pacific, South and East Africa and the Americas. So, it comes as no surprise that large parts of the Northern Hemisphere have witnessed intense heat and devastating rainfall in the first half of 2023. July is expected to be the hottest month on record1; China set a new national daily temperature record in July and was hit by record-breaking rainfall at the start of August2. Large parts of the USA were also gripped by extensive heatwaves, with high temperatures in numerous places3. Canada experienced its worst wildfire season on record, as did parts of the Mediterranean.
Implications for agricultural commodities
The growing of agricultural products is sensitive to weather patterns. For some crops, El Niño could boost production, while for others it could damage production. Should the weather event intensify, it could be a significant catalyst for price gains in cocoa, soybean oil, sugar and grains. Meanwhile it could be price negative for cotton and coffee.
We analysed prices of agricultural commodities over the past 11 episodes of El Niño’s, dating back to the 1960s. In 8 of the last 11 occurrences, wheat, soybean oil and cocoa traded higher by an average of 14%, 6% and 16% respectively, 6 months after the El Niño started. In 9 out of the past 11 occurrences, soybean oil and cocoa traded higher.
Soybean oil benefits from tight palm oil supply
In the past, El Niño has impacted the supply of agricultural commodities such as palm oil, sugar, wheat, cocoa, and rice. Based on the local weather agency Badan Meteorologi Klimatologi (BMKG)’s reporting, approximately 40 percent of Indonesia’s oil palm area experienced below-normal precipitation in June 20234. The BMKG also indicated that El Niño weather patterns are at weak-to-medium intensity and are expected to peak in August to September 2023. The shortage of palm oil tends to have a knock-on effect on demand for close substitutes such as soybean oil. This comes at a time when the escalation of attacks between Russia and Ukraine is also raising concerns on the supply of edible oils from the Black Sea region. Escalating tensions and the blockade of the Black Sea shipping routes are likely to aggravate the global edible oil and grain supply situation.
Rice supply at the mercy of El Niño
Dry weather has been threatening crops in the world’s second largest rice exporter, Thailand, with the country facing widespread drought conditions from early 2024. The government has already asked farmers to restrict their planting to just one crop this year. While monsoon rains have brought some relief to rice fields in parts of India (the world’s largest exporter), the country banned exports of non-basmati white rice5. Tightness in the rice market could have a knock-on impact on other staple substitutes, such as wheat.
Cocoa benefits from tight supply
The return of El Niño conditions is also supporting cocoa because the weather phenomenon tends to bring hot and dry conditions to West Africa. Cocoa growing is concentrated in Africa, with approximately 70% of production in the continent. Historically, El Niño has led to production shortfalls as the weather phenomenon leads to drier spells in Africa during key growing periods.
This year, farmers in Ivory Coast, Ghana and Nigeria have reported signs of black pod disease, which causes cocoa pods to turn black and rot. That could also affect the quality or curb the output of beans. The cocoa market is expected to be in a third year of deficit in the 2023-24 season which should keep cocoa prices well supported.
Conclusion
While an El Niño event is not guaranteed (it has less than a hundred percent probability), and the strength or the duration of the event remain uncertain, it comes on the heels of war which has caused significant disruption to the flow of grains and oilseeds. Inventories of many agricultural commodities (wheat, corn, soybean oil and cocoa) are trading below their 5-year averages, making it harder to absorb a production shock6. El Niño could, therefore, be price supportive for these agricultural commodities.
Sources
1 Source World Meteorological Organization.
2 Source China Meteorological Administration.
3 Source US National Weather Service.
4 Source United States Department of Agriculture, as of 3 August 2023.
5 Source Indian Ministry of Consumer Affairs as of 21 July 2023.
6 Source United States Department of Agriculture, as of 31 July 2023.
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Sunny🌞 (Confidence: 1.0 )🌞 Good news for bitcoin investors! 🚀 Based on the chart, the bitcoin weather seems sunny ☀️ with a high confidence level of 1.0. The opening price of 28498 has been followed by an even higher closing price of 28505, with a high of 28528 and a low of 28433.
📈 The exponential moving averages (EMA) show an upward trend with the EMA9 at 28536 and the EMA21 at 28447, while the EMA50 and EMA100 are also on an upward trajectory at 28471 and 28617 respectively. The EMA200 is also showing bullish sentiment at 28668.
💹 The relative strength index (RSI) of 54 and fast_k at 61, indicate moderate bullish sentiment, with the slow_k and slow_d both in the bullish zone at 65 and 69 respectively. The moving average convergence divergence (MACD) also shows positive momentum, with a value of 256.
💰 With all these factors combined, the bitcoin market seems to be in a healthy position for investors, with the potential for further gains in the near future.
NATURAL GAS BREAKTHROUGH TRIPPLE TOP. AND NOW WHAT? Natural gas breakthrough the triple top on a weekly basis, but now the price stays on the strong resistance 61.8 Fibonacci level. It is a turning point, and it would be interesting how the price will react this week. The weather appears to be the driving factor behind the recent upward movement in natural gas prices. Exports are on the rise, and industrial activity is returning. Still, the current weather pattern for much hotter than typical weather coming out of the North West is driving up the demand for natural gas turbines electricity. Natural gas futures look stable in the long term. If the natural gas prices continue to rise sharply for the subsequent consecutive trading sessions and breakthrough 61.8 Fibo level, the next strong resistance level on a weekly basis is very far on the north at prices around 4.90. If the price levels will pull back from 61.8 Fibo, it is possible to test the previous support levels at 38.2 and 23.6 at prices around 2.80 and 2.30 per cubic feet. Our oscillator indicators show that the price is in the overbought zone above the 80 RSI level.
Meanwhile, revived export demand is likely to tighten balances even further as the U.S. approaches peak cooling season. The latest EIA report confirmed the more robust demand with a modest 55 Bcf injection into storage. Total working gas in storage as of June 18 stood at 2,482 Bcf, which is 513 Bcf below last year and 154 Bcf below the five-year average, according to the EIA.
Oil has strongly broken through the $60 lvlOil has risen strongly above the $60 level. The price action has been very bullish with closes near the highs of the day.
I believe the reasons for this is anticipation of demand rising again as nations opens back up and vaccines are distributed again, followed by stimulus being distributed.
The market is pricing in Texas production cuts as this will curtail supply.
"As much as 1 million barrels a day of crude oil production has been affected by the winter storm, Bloomberg reported, while power outages have also had an impact on pipeline flows and refinery operations."
In addition, there was not great investments made in increasing production which will hamper supply as well.
As far as I can tell, I anticipate us trending higher and perhaps attempting to penetrate the $65 level. If the price were to pull back I think we will see an attempt to defend $60 followed by strong support at $55.
Pivot examples of support can be viewed here:
Lastly we can see strong bullish volume, followed by the oscillators clearly displaying a rise into overbought territory. Even in a bull market, we typically see some sideways chop as the price tends to meet the mean before heading higher. This process is often why bull flags form. That tendency for mean reversion.
Good luck trading the widow maker friends! Hope you make a million.
Natural Gas depleting bullish chanceWith news about NatGas weather saying that mild temperatures were expected these past days and being correct, Natural Gas is behaving inside a bearish triangle decreasing its three consecutive maximums and depleting a bullish chance that has until Feb 7 to occur. But it might certainly be tomorrow when the fossile commodity decides to either break 1.931 resistance towards 2.08 or destroy 1.87 support and go towards 1.611, a historical minimum.
Bullish momentum as a consequence of weather conditionsJune brought an abundant wave of relentless storms, almost double the normal monthly rainfall, and a strong rally in grain prices. The wet conditions have spurred a long list of concerns for U.S. farmers and U.S. crop conditions substantially deteriorated in the final two weeks of June, according to the USDA.
Nitrogen leaching and the lack of days available to spray post emergence crop protection chemicals are two of the major concerns affecting crop conditions. Weed, pest, and disease pressure may all increase as the growing season progresses due to the deadly combination of wet and cold weather after planting, followed by delayed spraying.
Also, soybeans are known for an inverted correlation with the US dollar.
Sources:
www.investing.com
www.investing.com
www.whig.com
www.signalfinancialgroup.com
www.investing.com
Commodities are less risky than forex and stocks, but beware of consequences if you trade on other's people ideas anyway.