In an era of relentless market volatility and policy ambiguity, many farm businesses are searching for certainty, but that may be the wrong goal altogether. Instead, the best way forward might be embracing uncertainty itself, says Dr. Trey Malone, agricultural economist at Purdue University. In this episode of the Mind Your Farm Business podcast, Malone... Read More
Category: Economy & Financial Markets
China's President Xi and U.S. President Trump met face to face Oct 29 for the obvious photo opportunity and the less sure finalization of a one-year trade agreement. It was a meeting that came with high anticipation from the agriculture industry, as trade and diplomatic relations between the two countries — with Canada, at times,... Read More
Farmers in both Canada and the U.S. will potentially see some relief in borrowing costs following quarter-point interest rate cuts from their respective central banks on Wednesday. But with trade uncertainty, political pressure, and leadership transitions on the horizon, the outlook remains anything but settled. RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney joined RFD-TV’s Market Day Report... Read More
Deere & Co. (John Deere) revised its forecast for the current fiscal year lower in its Q3 earnings report released August 14, another sign of softening demand for the market leader and the entire ag machinery sector due to farm income concerns and mounting tariff costs. Key takeaways from the earnings report: Earnings guidance trimmed... Read More
It’s not supply but the lack of excitement on the demand side that’s weighing most heavily on grain markets heading into the heart of summer. With no immediate production crisis to rally prices, markets appear soft, uncertain, and uninspired, says Neil Townsend, market analyst with GrainFox. In a conversation with RealAgriculture’s Shaun Haney, Townsend notes... Read More
While inflation fears and tariff threats have dominated headlines, the real forces shaping agricultural markets may lie elsewhere, says Arlan Suderman, chief commodities economist with StoneX. In a one-on-one interview with Shaun Haney, host of RealAg Radio, Suderman described 2025’s economic performance as unexpectedly stable. “The economy as a whole is fairly resilient right now... Read More
Politics and tariffs aside, there's potential for more volatility in grain markets in the coming weeks based on market fundamentals alone. The USDA, in its monthly supply/demand report issued this week, projected soybean ending stocks at 295 million bushels, with corn at 1.8 billion bushels. "Soybeans at 295 million bushels is on the threshold of... Read More
Financial services company StoneX has announced a US$900 million deal to acquire R.J. O'Brien, North America's oldest futures brokerage firm. (All funds in U.S. dollars). The agreement would see StoneX acquire RJO for $625 million in cash and approximately 3.5 million shares of StoneX common stock. StoneX will also assume up to $143 million of... Read More
Stock markets rebounded on Wednesday, as U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly announced a 90-day pause on his so-called "reciprocal tariffs" on many countries, with the exception of China. While raising tariffs on China from 104 to 125 per cent, Trump said other countries who were subject to new tariffs announced last week — as high... Read More
While most Canadian eyes and ears have been tuned to the U.S. and its president's next move, the U.S. markets have been focused on China. So much of the current news cycle has been centred on the U.S. tariffs on Canadian products, but there is another U.S. policy looming — on incoming Chinese and Chinese-made... Read More