The latest Market Talks covering Commodities. Published exclusively on Dow Jones Newswires throughout the day.
1212 ET - CBOT grain futures are lower, with corn down 2.3%, soybeans down 0.9%, and wheat down 1.3%. The spark from Sunday's announcement of China purchasing $17 billion of U.S. agricultural goods annually for the next three years has faded, as the market debates if any sort of confirmation by China is needed to prove the veracity of the White House's statement. "For those expecting China to at least acknowledge future ag commitments following the weekend release of the White House fact sheet, keep in mind, they did not confirm any commitments last Fall, either," says Brian Pullam of Linn & Associates. "That is not their style." Instead, Pullam says, traders will need to keep an eye on USDA notices to see if China has started buying. (kirk.maltais@wsj.com)
1209 ET - The EU is working hard to accelerate permitting processes as the bloc seeks to bolster its own supplies of critical raw materials amid rising geopolitical tensions, Valere Moutarlier, deputy director general of the European Commission's industrial policy unit, says on Wednesday while defending the need for regulating. "We're working like hell on accelerating permitting in a way which continues to be acceptable," he says. The EU has faced criticism from industry for its penchant for creating regulations. "We are a union that wants to have a fair single market, and we have to establish a minimum rule of the game," he says. (edith.hancock@wsj.com)
1115 ET - Treasury yields and the dollar deepen their decline as oil prices fall. Brent and WTI are down about 4%, reflecting hopes that the Strait of Hormuz could reopen soon. Meanwhile, U.S. crude inventories plummeted by 7.9 million barrels last week, compared to WSJ consensus of a 3 million draw, keeping inflation concerns top of mind in Wall Street. Investors are likely to scrutinize Fed minutes this afternoon for clues on potential rate hikes. A 20-year Treasury auction is on tap this afternoon. The 10-year yield is at 4.603%, down from 4.653% earlier. The two-year falls to 4.066% from 4.112%. The WSJ Dollar Index slips 0.3%. (paulo.trevisani@wsj.com; @ptrevisani)
1018 ET - Corn and soybean futures on the CBOT are down in early trading, with some timely weather looking to offset any crop difficulties that drought and storm damage may have brought. Rainfall is being seen in the south and delta regions of the U.S., while the eastern Midwest is dry and the U.S. Plains have better chances for more rain, says Joe Davis of Futures International. Davis warns of heat and dryness still being an issue in the southern portion of the Plains, but states further inland than Texas are managing to hold firm. Corn falls 1%, while soybeans lose 0.6%. Wheat is up 0.2%. (kirk.maltais@wsj.com)
1017 ET - Live cattle futures on the CME were close to setting a record-high Tuesday, but are in retreat today with the most-active contract down 0.4% to $2.536 a pound. Helping propel cattle yesterday was the reopening of China for U.S. beef exporters, but domestically there are signs of flagging demand. "Cash bids have been very quiet to nonexistent to start the week unlike last week," says Ross Baldwin of AgMarket.net in a note. But Baldwin also says this quiet could quickly change in the second half of the week. Lean hog futures are down 0.3%. (kirk.maltais@wsj.com)
0945 ET - The cost and ROI for farmers in Illinois planting corn and soybeans has improved, says professors with the University of Illinois and Ohio State University agricultural departments. In a prospective crop budget covering different regions of the state, farmers remain in the red for their corn acres. But they now are in positive territory for their soybean acres, which may be a factor that drives more farmers to buck their rotations and plant more soybeans in lieu of corn. While average prices for corn and soybeans have improved, input costs have gone higher as well. But for the average farmer around the state, the cost to fertilize a corn crop is more than three times what it costs for soybeans. CBOT grain futures are mixed in early trade. (kirk.maltais@wsj.com)
0943 ET - The EU faces a significant skills gap in the raw-materials sector, Ekaterina Zaharieva, the bloc's commissioner for startups, research and innovation, says at a summit. "Public and private investment, together with programs like Horizon Europe, are helping accelerate innovation across the raw materials value chain, but innovation alone is not enough," she says, referring to the bloc's funding program for research and innovation. "Europe must become better and faster at scaling ideas into industrial success," she says. (edith.hancock@wsj.com)
0937 ET - Wendy's is bringing back a company alum to oversee its turnaround plan as it appoints Robert Wright, a former Wendy's chief operating officer, as its new CEO, effective Thursday. Wright, who is also joining the board, comes back to the restaurant chain from Potbelly, where he oversaw a roughly $566 million sale of the sandwich chain to convenience-store operator RaceTrac last year. "I am focused on elevating the customer experience, advancing operational excellence, and strengthening the franchisee financial model to deliver sustainable, profitable growth," Wright says. "I believe the best days for Wendy's are ahead."(elias.schisgall@wsj.com)
0919 ET - U.S. natural gas futures pull back from five straight sessions of gains as the heat wave across the eastern U.S. is set to ease and near-term weather forecasts shed some demand. National demand is seen easing Thursday-Saturday as a cool shot over the Midwest spreads across the Great Lakes and into the East, NatGasWeather.com says in a note. Still, "much of the long-range weather data maintains a relatively hot June U.S. pattern," the forecaster adds. Nymex natural gas is down 1.8% at $3.057/mmBtu.(anthony.harrup@wsj.com)
0910 ET - Crude futures lose ground with the market holding out hope for an end to the U.S.-Iran conflict, while reports of some tanker transit through the Strait of Hormuz and the UK's easing of restrictions on Russian diesel and jet fuel offer some relief. Oil prices will likely continue to zig-zag as the continued blockage of the strait contains downward corrections, while "creative methods" for skirting the strait to get oil out limits upside, Ritterbusch & Associates says in a note. "But our stance remains bullish as we still see a big gap between the U.S. and Iran regarding the nuclear issue." WTI is down 2.3% at $101.80 a barrel as the July contract moves to the front of the curve. Brent is down 2.4% at $108.58.(anthony.harrup@wsj.com)
0621 ET - Palm oil futures ended little changed, with the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives contract for August delivery falling 2 ringgit to close at 4,583 ringgit a metric ton. Rival oils traded weaker overnight as slow progress in resolving the U.S.-Iran conflict weighed on sentiment, say Kenanga Futures analysts in a note. Profit taking after a recent rally and concerns that India may raise import duties likely also pulled down prices, they say, although a weaker Malaysian ringgit could cushion the fall. They peg the support and resistance levels for the August contract at 4,500 ringgit and 4,625 ringgit, respectively. (megan.cheah@wsj.com)
0558 ET - Laopu Gold is unlikely to repeat last year's triple-digit earnings growth, Morningstar analyst Jeff Zhang says. The Chinese jeweler's shares fall by the most in two months a day after data showed China's gold, silver and jewelry sales value declined by more than 20% on year in April. Zhang reckons investor concerns about Laopu's earnings growth potential led to the stock selloff. He estimates that sales volume may have dropped by about 50%, weighing on the top-line performance of Laopu and its peers. The jeweler's shares end 6.9% lower at HK$496.00, their lowest level since February last year. (jason.chau@wsj.com)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 20, 2026 12:15 ET (16:15 GMT)
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