Core Insurance

08/28/2026

Friday, Aug 28th closing comments:

Beans stole the show today, tacking on 19 cents in November as the bulls stayed in control. Wheat wasn’t far behind, December contract up a solid 22 cents. Corn was the odd one out, only picking up 2 and a half cents while its cousins ran higher. And cattle, still fighting that corn yo-yo, basically treading water. All eyes turn to Sunday night now, with options volatility set to test everybody’s nerves heading into the open.

08/28/2026

Morning Market 8.28.26

Grains are picking up right where they left off, hitting new contract and multi year highs again overnight. Corn was up five cents and beans up ten cents overnight, extending yesterday’s gains as the market continues digging in on the Black Sea premium after Putin rejected Zelensky’s truce offer on shipping. Ukrainian grain exports are also falling, down over eleven percent week over week, adding another layer of support. That said, the old trader adage is worth remembering, the market is at its most bullish looking right before it tops. Cattle will be worth watching again this morning too, since another sharp move in corn could bring more of that yoyo action we saw yesterday. Bottom line, watch those overnight highs closely at the open, and don’t be afraid to use this strength to get some pricing done on old crop, and don’t be afraid to start pricing some new crop as well.

08/27/2026

Grain Morning Market Update 8/27/26

November beans closed down 6 cents, December corn down 3 cents, and December wheat up 4 cents. The market came in with Black Sea Putin headlines hitting again within five minutes of the close, and grains reacted hard, with cattle catching some of that spillover too.

Options remain the safe play here — understand your risk. Farmers should stay long cash and sell, but keep upside exposure through options with so many moving parts in the world right now. For guys who didn’t add options while the market was in the hole, now’s the time to take some profits off the table, because they won’t be adding on breaks unless they lighten up first.

Cattle are getting interesting. Packer margins are really good, and cattle held up well — the initial reaction to the corn spike broke hard, but the market recovered from there. Above the opening range, you can trade small on the long side in cattle, but if you’re looking for a rally, stay positioned short.

08/26/2026

Closing Grain Comments - 8.26.26

Today’s action took out several key technical resistance levels that had been capping the market, including the seven fifteen to seven twenty area on Chicago wheat, seven eighty five to seven ninety two on K.C. wheat, and five twenty five on corn. Corn is now very overbought technically, so a reversal on the next headline wouldn’t be surprising. Farmer selling has picked up both here in the U.S. and reportedly in Argentina as prices rallied into resistance.

Cattle continue to be a yoyo with this corn market. Cattle rallied initially, then broke hard when corn exploded higher, before closing higher on the day. With packer margins running so high right now, any break in corn should spark a short covering rally in cattle. Bottom line, the grain market will likely keep adding war premium until there’s a clear sign of de-escalation, but with corn stretched this far, today’s strength should be watched carefully rather than chased.

08/26/2026

Market Update: 8.26.26

Nov Beans up 2½
Dec Corn up 4
Dec Wheat up 12

Grains turned hard yesterday, closing up near Monday’s high. Traded above it by 3 cents. Major pivot is 5.25 — close above that at end of day and we’ll go back to playing offense, adding March call spreads. If we’re above range but sitting below yesterday’s low, that’s a setback — those are the pivots to watch.

Side note: all these hedge letters and guys calling to put in a grain floor — not working. We’re high-priced for a reason. Wait for the 20-day MA to cross before even thinking about it. I lightened up for the first time in a while — we’ve had a good run and everyone’s working off the same numbers. Oil’s getting hit hard too, pausing for a second.

08/25/2026

Morning grain markets: 8.25.26

November beans down 7, December corn down 2, December wheat down 10. Crude and soybean oil are down hard as well. We’ve seen a lot of bullish news hit this market and we’ve been long. I’m not a bear, but for the moment I told guys to lighten up on the deep in the money calls and sit tight here. Talked to a hedge fund desk and they think if certain things happen, July could get real high, but we’ve got nothing to feed a rally right now. Keeping our March call spreads on, just lightening up so we have room to add on breaks.

On cattle, we’re sitting at the bottom of the range. With corn down a little, if cattle hold above the opening range, that could be a short term buying opportunity, and I’ll try it for a second time. If it doesn’t hold, that’s another leg down and worth watching as a yoyo market. Looking for a big rally to sell into for hedges.

08/24/2026

Morning Grain Market Update 8.24.26

November soybeans are trading lower today, pressured by weakness in bean oil tied to easing crude oil flows through key shipping routes. December corn and December wheat are both trading higher. Corn looks to be breaking out to the upside. We’re watching whether it holds above last night’s highs, a close above that level today would support trend continuation, while a close below could put us in a range bound pattern for now. On the cattle side, keep an eye on corn, feed costs are moving inversely with cattle margins, so today’s action in the corn market is worth watching closely.

08/22/2026

08/22/2026

8/22/26

Trump Talk with Scott Gage

08/18/2026

REMINDER: Winter Wheat Sales Closing is September 30th!

If you’re planning to plant winter wheat, be sure to have your crop insurance coverage in place before the September 30th sales closing deadline.

Call us with any questions you may have or to review your coverage options. We’re happy to help!