Modestly Higher Corn Trade into FAS Report

AM corn futures are working fractionally to 1 3/4 cents higher ahead of the weekly FAS data. Corn and oats futures stood out as several of the ag futures fell on Wednesday. The front month corn futures were 2 to 9 3/4 cents higher at the close. July futures traded in a wide -3 1/2 to +12 1/4 cent range on Wednesday. CME OI data showed net new buying yesterday, with a total 12.9k contracts added – 9.8k new contracts for Sep. Options action yesterday also saw 4.1k new calls in play and 1.6k fewer puts across each strike of all contracts. 

Oats Futures Prices were 5 to 8 1/4 cents higher, with 1.5% to 2.6% gains. CME had new buying for the oats as well.

Weekly EIA data showed ethanol producers averaged 983k barrels per day output through the week that ended 5/19. That was a 4,000 barrel per day decrease from the week prior and was the 5th consecutive sub-1 million bpd week. Ethanol stocks were 1.15 million barrels lighter at 22.041 million. 

Export Sales estimates for old crop corn range 500k MT of net cancelations to 400k MT of net new sales. New crop business is expected to be under 300k MT for the week that ended 5/18. 

Brazil’s ANEC estimates May corn exports will total 387k MT, which is down from 571k MT in their prior forecast.

Ukraine’s Ag Ministry reported the season’s grain export was 4.6% behind last year’s pace with 44.6 MMT shipped – including 26.4 MMT of corn, a 19% increase yr/yr. 

Jul 23 Corn  closed at $5.87 1/4, up 9 3/4 cents, currently up 1 3/4 cents

Nearby Cash   was $6.20 5/8, up 10 1/4 cents,

Sep 23 Corn  closed at $5.15 1/4, up 3 1/4 cents, currently up 1/2 cent

Dec 23 Corn  closed at $5.20, up 3 1/4 cents, currently up 1 1/4 cents