GRAINS-Soybeans extend gains into fourth session, near 2-yr high

3 hours ago

6/9/2016, 5:05:46 AM

U.S. soybeans rose for a fourth consecutive session on Thursday, with forecasts of unfavourable weather for U.S. production pushing prices towards their highest in nearly two years.

FUNDAMENTALS

* The most active Chicago Board of Trade March soybeans Sv1 climbed 0.11 percent to $11.79 a bushel, having firmed 3.2 percent on Wednesday when prices hit their highest since the end of June 2014 at $11.89-1/4 a bushel.

* The most active corn futures Cv1 fell 0.35 percent to $4.29-3/4, having gained 0.82 percent in the previous session when prices hit a peak of $4.39-1/4 a bushel – the highest since last July.

* The most active wheat contract Wv1 dropped 0.14 $4.18-3/4 a bushel, having closed up 2.1 percent on Wednesday when prices hit a seven-month high.

* Forecasts for dry weather across key U.S. soybean growing regions have been supporting prices.

* The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced spot soybean sales for three days in a row, highlighting the problems that excessive rains have wreaked on the harvest in Argentina.

* USDA said early on Wednesday that exporters booked deals to ship another 132,000 tonnes of soybeans to China during the 2015-16 crop year. China is the top buyer of the oilseed.

MARKET NEWS

* The New Zealand dollar took centre stage in early Asian trade on Thursday, surging to a one-year high after the Reserve Bank of New Zealand defied expectations for an interest rate cut and stood pat. USD/

* Oil prices remained near 2016 highs in early trading on Thursday, buoyed by a fall in U.S. crude inventories, a weaker dollar and strong demand, but some analysts warned that the recent rally was starting to look overblown. O/R

* The Dow ended above 18,000 for the first time since April on Wednesday as declines in the dollar lifted some commodity-related shares and boosted the outlook for multinationals.