FUTURES FILE: Soybeans shoot higher

Although U.S. farmers are expecting to harvest a large soybean crop this fall, the current supply of soybeans in storage is running low, lifting prices higher.

FUTURES FILE: Chilly temps chase wheat higher

Unseasonably cold weather struck across the Great Plains this week, bringing snow and freezing temperatures to major wheat producing regions.

FUTURES FILE: Spring fever helps beef demand

Crave a cook-out? Americans who have been hankering for a hamburger may finally get their chance to roll out the grill and release their pent-up demand for beef, pork and chicken.

FUTURES FILE: Cold, rain slows planting of grain

Cool, wet weather across much of the Midwest is plaguing farmers who are unable to plant their corn crop into soggy, cold soil.

FUTURES FILE: Gold takes a Cyprus hit

On Friday, gold collapsed to the lowest level since 2011, pressured lower by expectations that Cyprus may be forced into selling a portion of its gold holdings.

FUTURES FILE: USDA Report Shows More Grain

A quarterly USDA grain stocks report released midday Thursday caused a downward correction in the grain markets, showing larger stockpiles of corn, wheat and soybeans than had been anticipated.

FUTURES FILE: Cyprus crisis keeps Euro in flux

The banking system in Cyprus continues to totter near collapse as Cypriot banks try to figure out a way to make up for deep losses they suffered by investing customer deposits in Greek bonds.

FUTURES FILE: Orange juice market shines

Orange juice prices leaped higher recently as outlooks for the Florida orange crop continue to shrink due to poor weather and crop disease.

FUTURES FILE: Copper melts lower

Over the last decade, relatively high prices and expectations for rising Chinese demand led to significant investments in copper mining.

FUTURES FILE: Cattle weights clipped by storms

Severe winter storms continued this week across the Great Plains, with cold weather expected to slash animal weights.

FUTURES FILE: Soybeans shoot higher

Soybean prices rallied sharply this week as global demand for U.S. soybeans picked up. The United States is a major soybean exporter, second only to Brazil.

FUTURES FILE: Cattle slip lower

Cattle prices tumbled to four-month lows this week as large supplies weighed on the market.

FUTURES FILE: USDA crop report confirms tight supplies

The USDA released its monthly estimate of grain supply and demand on Friday.

FUTURES FILE: Gasoline explodes skyward

Unleaded gasoline futures leaped higher this week, reaching a three-month high on Thursday. Prices for wholesale gasoline, which excludes taxes and other expenses, reached as high as $2.87 per gallon, up 7 cents per gallon (2.5 percent) during the week.

FUTURES FILE: Energy markets shocked higher

Crude oil, gasoline and natural gas rallied sharply this week on the heels of bullish news.

FUTURES FILE: Rice poised to rebound?

Corn, wheat and soybeans are the headline-grabbing grains for most U.S. commodities traders, who largely ignore rice.

FUTURES FILE: Orange juice prices sour

Orange juice prices fell this week as better weather across Florida increased hopes for a robust orange crop this year.

FUTURES FILE: Soybeans sink after news from China

Soybean prices collapsed by nearly $1 (6.5 percent) per bushel during the week, hammered lower by news that China had cancelled major soybean purchases from the United States.

FUTURES FILE: Orange juice gushes higher

Orange juice prices jumped to a four-month high this week as the USDA reduced its estimate for Florida’s orange crop by more than 5 percent.

FUTURES FILE: Argentine rains yield soybean gains

Heavy rains in Argentina are impeding soybean plantings, threatening that nation’s crop.

FUTURES FILE: Copper rises with housing

This week, a slew of housing data was released, which showed continued strength in the housing market. The widely-followed Case-Shiller Index showed a rise in home prices of 3 percent across 20 major metropolitan areas. Meanwhile, the pending home sales index showed a 5.2 percent increase ov…

FUTURES FILE: Drought worsens in the plains

Those outside of the winter wheat growing region may not be thinking about the recent U.S. drought this time of year, but precipitation is desperately needed in order to re-charge the aquifer and replenish subsoil moisture in Kansas, Nebraska and North Texas.

FUTURES FILE: Yen yields to political pressure

The Japanese Yen plummeted in value this week as news broke that the Japanese Parliament was going to be dissolved. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda called for new elections next month as a result of parliamentary deadlock. It is widely expected he will lose in the upcoming election, giving Jap…

FUTURES FILE: Better crop batters bean prices

Soybean prices were battered lower on Friday morning as the USDA released a report showing a better-than-expected crop this year.

FUTURES FILE: Crude sinks as supplies rise

Crude oil prices tumbled this week to the lowest price since early July, trading less than $85 per barrel on Wednesday.

FUTURES FILE: Lumber goes through the roof

Lumber prices shot higher this week, reaching the highest price in more than 18 months, spurred on by a stronger housing market.

FUTURES FILE: Break at the breakfast table

Unlike bacon, eggs, and toast, all of which have been on the rise as a result of this year’s drought, coffee, cocoa, orange juice and sugar have all fallen in price this month.

Little piggies headed to market - no bacon shortage

Fears about a shortage of bacon swept through the media this week after the National Pig Association of the United Kingdom released a report warning that a “world shortage of bacon is unavoidable.”

Harvest Pressures Grains

Grain prices plummeted this week as farmers harvested this year’s crop at a record pace. Warm weather this past spring allowed farmers to get a jump start on planting, giving the crop an early start on development. Despite the damaging drought this summer, those plants that survived have con…

FUTURES FILE: Fed action rallies metals

The Federal Reserve announced plans for Quantitative Easing 3, or QE3, on Thursday, which sent precious metals, petroleum and stock markets sharply higher.

FUTURES FILE: Record high for beans

Soybean futures rallied to new record high Thursday morning, with soybeans for September delivery pushing more than $17.80 per bushel.

FUTURES FILE: Miners strike pops platinum

Platinum prices exploded higher this week, catalyzed by a deadly miners strike in the world’s third-largest platinum mine.

FUTURES FILE: Worst crop since ’95 drives corn to all-time record

U.S. farmers’ fears have been confirmed - the U.S. corn crop appears to be the worst since 1995. The Department of Agriculture released a closely-watched report predicting that this year’s crop would yield a measly 123.4 bushels per acre. Although recent advances in drought-resistant seed de…

FUTURES FILE: OJ spurts higher

Orange juice prices rebounded this week as tropical storm Ernesto entered the Caribbean.

FUTURES FILE: Heat heaves markets

This summer’s exceptionally hot and dry weather has been wreaking havoc on the grain markets, but high temperatures have made an impact on other commodities markets as well.

FUTURES FILE: Deteriorating yields blast corn higher

Images of anemic plants, gasping before the unrelenting sun, served as a backdrop to this week’s 58 cent rally in the corn market.

FUTURES FILE: USDA chops crop sizes

In a surprise move on Wednesday morning, the Department of Agriculture revised this year’s soybean and corn crop sizes sharply lower.

FUTURES FILE: Crippling heat rallies corn market

While hot, dry Midwestern weather found humans seeking shelter from the sun, the corn crop was fighting for its life, and traders took notice.

FUTURES FILE: Despite rains, grains hold gains

Corn and soybean prices rose sharply this week as the market began assessing the damage hot, dry weather could be doing to the crops.

FUTURES FILE: Weather bakes beans

Soybean prices rallied 95 cents this week, rising 7 percent as traders evaluated changes in the weather, supply and demand.

FUTURES FILE: Oil slides, gold glitters

Disappointing employment numbers from the United States hammered global markets into new lows this week.

FUTURES FILE: Greek drama plagues Euro

The euro currency continued sinking this week, falling to the lowest price since 2010. This price decline came as investors grew increasingly concerned that Greece will abandon the euro currency in order to gain increased financial flexibility.

FUTURES FILE: Euro currency waterlogged

Greece, a small debt–ridden nation bathed by the Mediterranean Sea, continues to sink the currency of Europe. A May 6 election failed to produce a sufficient majority to move forward with recent austerity measures demanded by the European Central Bank.

24-hour markets on the way

Twenty years ago, U.S. commodity markets were open for only a few short, albeit hectic, hours a day. Traders, shouting and flashing elaborate hand signals, crowded around "pits" located in exchanges in major cities like New York and Chicago.

FUTURES FILE: Mad dash lower for cattle

The cattle market was rocked this week by an announcement that the Department of Agriculture had discovered a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, commonly known as mad cow disease.

FUTURES FILE: Gasoline reverses course

Drivers may begin feeling some reprieve at the pump, as gasoline futures prices have begun slipping lower. Prices dropped nearly 20 cents per gallon this week, reaching the lowest price in more than two months.

FUTURES FILE: Orange juice prices sour

Orange juice sank to the lowest price in more than 18 months on Wednesday, squeezed lower by a supply overhang and lack of investor interest in the commodity.

FUTURES FILE: Cocoa melts lower

Cocoa prices fell sharply this week, plunging to a three-month low Wednesday, just in time for the Easter Bunny's visit. Favorable rains in the Ivory Coast, home to 30 percent of the world's cocoa production, increased prospects that an abundant harvest could hit the market in the coming months.

FUTURES FILE: Sugar surges from Brazil concerns

Sugar prices rushed higher this week, fueled by concerns Brazil's crop would fall short of expectations. Sugar is produced around the world, but almost half of the world's exports come from Brazil, making it the sweet spot of the market.

FUTURES FILE: Soybeans 'hang tough'

After having seen a robust three-month rally in the soybean market, many U.S. farmers wondered if a critical Department of Agriculture report, released Friday morning, would dash their hopes for even higher prices.