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Arbitrage Idea on Food CommoditiesCME: Lean Hog ( CME:HE1! ), Live Cattle ( CME:LE1! ) Here is the official narrative on US inflation: The Federal Reserve’s monetary tightening policy has successfully brought down inflation rate from a four-decade high to about 3 percent, delivering much needed reliefs to US consumers. Government data supports this narrative. Take food costs as an example: In August 2022, CPI on food items reached a record 11.4%, well above the peak headline CPI of 9.1%. Rising food costs were a leading inflation contributor. By April 2024, the headline CPI went down to 3.4%, while food CPI was even lower at 2.2%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Low food prices helped decelerate the overall inflation. Grocery shoppers and restaurant diners would likely disagree as they tend to experience much bigger price hikes. Let’s read the same data from a different angle. • The headline CPI (CPI-U) rose from 267.054 in April 2021 to 313.548 in April 2024. (Note: The BLS CPI data sets the years 1982-84 as a baseline at 100.) In other words, CPI-U has gone up 17.4% in the past three years. • For the same period, food CPI rose from 273.090 to 321.566, up 17.8% in 3 years. This data shows the whole picture. The cumulative effect of multi-year inflation has elevated prices to higher levels. Annualized rates of increase have indeed decelerated. But as long as they remain positive, price levels will continue to go up. A Deep Dive on Food Inflation The BLS categorizes food items into “Food at Home” and “Food away from Home”. This methodology would result in the same type of food showing up in two categories. The logic behind it is debatable. While it makes sense to observe and report sales prices from different venues, it makes the task of data analysis much more complicated. I propose a reclassification of food items into meat, grain, and beverage categories. Each has several commodities trading on the futures market, where its price-discovery function helps bring all relevant supply and demand information together. The Livestock/Meat Market Live Cattle ( NASDAQ:LE ) and Lean Hog ( NYSE:HE ) are commodities contracts trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) futures market. In the past five years, Live Cattle futures have gone up over 60%, well above the 27.4% in CPI-Food for the same period. Meanwhile, Lean Hog advanced less than 5%. Why beef price rose rapidly when pork price declined throughout most of the inflationary period? What’s reason behind the diverged price patterns between the two meat products? We will come back to this in the next section. The Grain Market Corn ( TSXV:ZC ), Soybean ( NASDAQ:ZS ) and Wheat ( SEED_MSTRWHYT_FUTURES_WASDE:ZW ) are commodities contracts trading on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) futures market. The 5-year price changes for Corn, Soybean and Wheat are 28.9%, 51.3% and 55.1% respectively, all above the 27.4% in CPI-Food for the same period. We observed that grain prices peaked in 2022 after the Russia-Ukraine conflict started. Wheat prices doubled in a matter of weeks, as investors feared that production by the two major wheat exporters may be interrupted. More recently, grain prices were trending down in the past two years, a result of stable supply and weak global demand. The Beverage Ingredient Market The 5-year price changes for Cocoa, Coffee, Orange Juice, and Sugar are 252%, 196%, 63% and 29% respectively. The spike of Cocoa price by 400% caught market attention earlier. This was followed by a nosedive with price cut in half. Cocoa contract does not have adequate liquidity. Trader speculation was likely the main factor causing the dramatic price movement. Arbitrage Opportunity with Live Cattle and Lean Hog Futures In “What Disinflation - Beef Price Went Up 64% in 5 Years”, published on August 7, 2023, I introduced an arbitrage idea for shorting (selling) the cattle-hog price spread. The 20-year price chart shows that the spread between live cattle (LE) and lean hog (HE) broadly stays in the range of $20-$60 per 100 pounds. On August 4th, LEV3 settled at $183.10 while HEV3 closed at $83.25. The spread has widened to nearly $100, well above the historical average. On May 17th, Live Cattle August contract LEQ4 settled at $178.85, while Lean Hog August contract HEQ4 closed at $99.55. The spread has narrowed to $79.30, down $20. Futures market confirmed my view. In my opinion, the same fundamental factors are still at work and could drive the spread down further to the $60 range. 1. Price Sensitivity and Substitution o When beef price gets too high, its demands could be partially substituted by the lower-priced pork. Price sensitive consumers would choose pork chops over a steak dinner. The result would be lower beef price and higher pork price, as the demand for the former is redirected to the latter. 2. Mean Reversion o The price spread at $100 was two standard deviations above its historical mean. Statistically speaking, such an outliner is abnormal. There is a good likelihood that the spread would fall back to the $20-$60 normal range. 3. Hog Cycle o The multi-year Hog Production Cycle has major impact, with fewer sows yielding a smaller hog production in the next 12-18 months. Hog production reduction would result in higher pork prices down the supply chain. For a thorough understanding of the fundamentals in the beef cattle and lean hog markets, please read my previous writings, listed at the end of this post. To set up a short cattle-hog spread trade, one could sell one live cattle contract and simultaneously buy one lean hog contract. Each cattle contract has a notional value of 40,000 pounds, or $71,540 (= $178.85 x 400). To buy or sell one contract requires a margin of $2,450. Each hog contract has a notional value of 40,000 pounds, or $39,820 (= $99.55 x 400). To buy or sell one contract requires a margin of $1,500. The two-legged spread trade requires an upfront margin of $3,950. Hypothetically, if the cattle-hog spread narrows to $60 from $79, the $19 difference would translate into an account credit of $7,600 (= 19 x 400). Using the margin as a cost base, the theoretical return on this trade would be 192% (= 7600 / 3950). The trade would lose money if the price spread did not narrow. Happy Trading. Disclaimers *Trade ideas cited above are for illustration only, as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate the fundamental concepts in risk management under the market scenarios being discussed. They shall not be construed as investment recommendations or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products, or services. CME Real-time Market Data help identify trading set-ups and express my market views. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, you can check out on CME Group data plans available that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com
CME:HE1!Long
by JimHuangChicago
1
Lean Hogs Due for Relief?Lean Hogs Technicals (June-M) June lean hog futures shipped back higher midmorning but retreated back near unchanged by the close. Trendline support continues to hold which bodes well for some relief to the upside from these levels. A break and close below yesterday's low of 102.175 would neutralize that bias. A close above 104.20 could trigger a move back to 105.45-106.00. This pocket represents previously important price points as well as the 50% retracement of the recent move. Resistance: 105.45-106.00*,109.175-109.65 Pivot: 103.00-103.50 Support: 102.175**, 101.00-101.50, 98.60-99.20 Seasonal Tendencies Below is a look at historical seasonality's for June lean hogs (updated each Monday) VS today's prices (black line). *Past performance is not necessarily indicative of futures results. Commitment of Traders Snapshot (updated on Mondays) Friday's Commitment of Traders report showed Funds were net buyers of roughly 19k contracts, expanding their net long position to 92,731 contracts. Looking back at historical holdings, this is nearing a record, that was set back in 2013 when funds were long 97,952 contracts. Check out CME Group real-time data plans available on TradingView here: www.tradingview.com Disclaimers: CME Real-time Market Data help identify trading set-ups and express my market views. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, you can check out on CME Group data plans available that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com *Trade ideas cited above are for illustration only, as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate the fundamental concepts in risk management under the market scenarios being discussed. They shall not be construed as investment recommendations or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products, or services. Futures trading involves substantial risk of loss and may not be suitable for all investors. Trading advice is based on information taken from trade and statistical services and other sources Blue Line Futures, LLC believes are reliable. We do not guarantee that such information is accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. Trading advice reflects our good faith judgment at a specific time and is subject to change without notice. There is no guarantee that the advice we give will result in profitable trades. All trading decisions will be made by the account holder. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.
CME:HEM2024
by Blue_Line_Futures
HE: Upside Potential on Pork Prices with New Hog Cycle UnderwayCME: Lean Hog ( CME:HE1! ) Throughout 2023, U.S. grocery shoppers find that beef prices rise rapidly. According to the National Daily Cattle and Beef report, published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Choice Beef averaged $290 per cwt (100 pounds) on December 8th. This represents a 16% increase year-over-year and is 21% above the 5-year average. In the futures market, CME Live Cattle ( NASDAQ:LE ) hit bottom at $85 per cwt in April 2020 during the pandemic lockdown period. Since then, cattle prices have trended up in a straight line to top $185 by this September, before pulling back recently in Q4. Beef prices have more than doubled, while the official reading of CPI for Food and Beverage went up by only 27% in the past five years. Fortunately, you could still find low-cost meats if you walk over to the Pork section. Based on the USDA National Daily Hog and Pork report, Hog Carcass averaged $60 per cwt last Friday. It is a whopping 29% discount comparing to the $85 price tag on the same day last year. Ham price averaged $84, which is $10 cheaper than the same period last year. In the futures market, CME Lean Hog ( NYSE:HE ) tends to move up and down in a cycle average 2-3 years. This phenomenon is referred to as “Hog Price Cycle” or “Hog Cycle” in agricultural economics. Pork prices do not appear to be impacted by the inflation. The Hog Cycle Hog cycles are the changes recurring in agriculture in the production and prices. A complete hog cycle includes successive years of increase and decrease in hog production cycle. In general, a higher level of hog inventory will result in pork supply surplus, and cause hog and pork prices to fall in future months. Lower hog stock leads to pork supply shortage and will cause prices to rise. There is a mismatch between hog production cycle and hog price cycle, because it takes time to produce hogs, from farrow to weaned pig, and from feeder pig to market pig. To complete a feedback loop, a producer first observes change in market prices, he then adjusts production level accordingly. It will be 5-6 months later before the change in hog output occurs. We could describe the sequence of events in the following: 1) As producers incur loss from low price, they liquidate sows and reduce hog inventories. 2) A lower level of hog production results in a shortage of pork supply (months later). 3) Pork price goes up as supply could not meet demand. 4) Higher hog price induces producers to raise hog inventory. 5) Higher hog production results in a surplus of pork supply (months later). 6) Hog price declines due to the oversupply of pork in the market. Sow Liquidation Could Lead to Lower Hog Supply in 2024 Iowa State University (ISU) is a leading authority in swine research. Based on the estimates put out by ISU Economics Department, a typical Farrow-to-Finish hog producer in the U.S. would have incurred losses in ten out of the last twelve months. As shown in the table below, a producer farrowed in September 2022 would pay $129.15 in feed cost and $71.90 in nonfeed cost per hog. When he sold the hog with an average weight of 270 pounds in April 2023, he would receive $148.83 and a manure credit of $8.50, resulting in a net loss of $49.47. These steep losses average $21 per month from November 2022 to October 2023. Hog farmers may be forced to liquidate sows this winter. It could result in lower hog inventory and lower pork supply in the coming months. In the 2023 September Quarterly Hogs and Pigs Report, the USDA estimated that U.S. inventory of all hogs and pigs was 74.3 million heads. This was up slightly YOY, and up 2% Q2, 2023. The new quarterly report will be released in two weeks. The updated data would help us validate whether sow liquidation has increased as we hypothesize. USMEF Export Data The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) recently posted export data for October. U.S. pork exports posted another strong performance, led by record-large shipments to Mexico and broad-based growth elsewhere. October beef exports remained well below last year’s large totals but improved from September. October pork exports totaled 245,345 metric tons (mt), up 3% YOY as the largest since June, valued at $688.2 million. For the first 10 months of 2023, pork exports increased 9% YOY to 2.38 million mt, with value up 6% to $6.66 billion. In my opinion, the sharp decline in hog prices increases the competitiveness of U.S. pork around the world, fueling the export boom. CFTC COT Report The U.S. futures market regulator CFTC publishes the Commitments of Traders (COT) reports and provides a breakdown of open interest for futures and options markets. What’s the key takeaway from the December 5th COT report on CME leaned hog? Weekly CFTC data showed the lean hog speculative traders were closing longs and adding shorts during the week that ended 12/5. That left the funds with a 3.4k contract stronger net short of 17,963. This may be a bearish signal. However, speculative traders may have incurred large losses on the long positions, and they simply took cover. Trading Opportunity with Lean Hog Futures To sum up the above analysis, I expect to see lower hog supply due to sow liquidation in the coming months. This will usher a new hog cycle. See step (1) in the 6-step hog cycle above. With a strong labor market and cooling inflation, particularly lower gasoline prices, we could see some improvement in consumer demand for pork. A strong export market reduces supply surplus in the domestic market, which also helps lift pork prices. The April 2024 lean hog futures (HEJ4) was settled at $74.625 last Friday. Each contract has a notional value of 40,000 pounds, or $29,850 at current price. To acquire 1 long or short position, a trader is required to deposit an initial margin of $1,500. The trader could see higher hog prices if sow liquidation speeds up, and the export market remains strong. A long position would profit from the rise in hog price. Each contract would gain $400 for every 1 penny of increase in hog price per pound. On the other hand, hog prices could stay low if the opposite happens. Happy Trading. Disclaimers *Trade ideas cited above are for illustration only, as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate the fundamental concepts in risk management under the market scenarios being discussed. They shall not be construed as investment recommendations or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products, or services. CME Real-time Market Data help identify trading set-ups and express my market views. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, you can check out on CME Group data plans available that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com
CME:HE1!Long
by JimHuangChicago
Could the premium get even beefier? In a previous article, "A Beefy Premium" , we delved into the growing divergence between Live Cattle and Lean Hogs. Since then, this disparity has only broadened. Currently, we're seeing a historic peak in both the absolute price difference (Live Cattle – Lean Hog) and the price ratio (Live Cattle/Lean Hog). To comprehend the drivers of this divergence, we need to explore the fundamentals of each sector. Beef: USDA economists, Russell Knight and Hannah Taylor, have noted that the repercussions of drought are still impacting calf production. The twin challenges of poor pastures and dwindling hay supplies have made it difficult for farmers to sustain their breeding stock. This has prompted a surge in beef cow culling. With anticipated feed price reductions on the horizon, we predict a tilt towards placing more calves into feedlots in 2024, constricting the cattle supply even further. Interestingly, despite the tightening cattle supply, demand remains robust. Beef cutout prices reached a pinnacle in October, with prices generally maintaining historic highs on a monthly scale. Seasonally, prices are also expected to rise slightly going into November due to a holiday boost. A possible explanation for this sustained demand might be the surge in US wages. Empowered with heftier paychecks, consumers are more able to splurge on beef, ensuring packers to keep up their slaughter pace. Pork: On the hog front, this quarter reflects a modest uptick in inventory. In contrast to the cattle market, the decline in headcounts here isn’t as pronounced. A noteworthy correlation emerges between lean hogs and soybean meal. With soybean meal being a staple in animal feed production, its price directly influences producer margins. Factors like the Russia-Ukraine conflict, US droughts, and surging demand for soybean meal have propelled its prices in recent years. Even though the current prices are tapering off, the Soybean Meal/Lean Hogs ratio remains high, signaling shrinking profit margins for producers. Moreover, compared to other commodities, the USDA's support for the Hogs and Pigs market has been relatively scant. Another point of concern is the prevalence of negative news in the swine industry, such as the European swine industry suffering substantial financial losses in 2023, leading to an 8.5% drop in production. Or bouts of African Swine Fever, threatening global supplies. Such events have the potential to threaten producer’s profitability significantly which could work its way into structural long-term decline in supply. But as of now, this remains to be seen. Overall: Current evidence seems to be pointing to a stronger preference for beef given the unwavering demand despite supply shortage and climbing prices. Basic economics principlesnudge producers to markets with higher profitability, which could work its way into an increase in participants leading to supply eventually matching demand. Although this movement, if it happens, does not occur overnight, it will eventually lead to a convergence in prices between the two markets in the future. There are also other reasons that need not be as drastic that point towards a convergence in prices in the medium term: expectations of Live Cattle supply should improve next year; the road to the maximum willingness to pay for Live Cattle is shorter now. Hence, to express our continued bearish bias, we could consider a short on the spread of live cattle to lean hogs. Given that both Lean Hog & Live Cattle Futures have the same contract unit of 40,000 pounds and price quotation of US cents per pound, we can trade the spread of the two contracts using a 1:1 ratio. This involves selling one live cattle futures contract at the current price of 185.725 and buying one lean hog futures contract at the current price of 68.025 giving us a spread of 117.7. Each 0.00025 increment is equal to 10$. The charts above were generated using CME’s Real-Time data available on TradingView. Inspirante Trading Solutions is subscribed to both TradingView Premium and CME Real-time Market Data which allows us to identify trading set-ups in real-time and express our market opinions. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, you can check out on CME Group data plans available that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com Disclaimer: The contents in this Idea are intended for information purpose only and do not constitute investment recommendation or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products or services. They serve as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate fundamental concepts in risk management under given market scenarios. A full version of the disclaimer is available in our profile description. Reference: usda.library.cornell.edu usda.library.cornell.edu beef2live.com www.cmegroup.com www.cmegroup.com
CME:LE1!Short
by inspirante
What’s for Dinner: Beef or Pork?CME: Live Cattle ( CME:LE1! ), Lean Hog ( CME:HE1! ) When I started my career in commodity futures two decades ago, I took lectures from a former trader at the CME livestock pit. Mike used his favorite trade to explain the complex concept of inter-commodity spread. Here it is: Beef and pork typically had a retail price difference of $1 per pound. For example, a local butcher shop prices pork loin roast at $1.99/lb. and ground beef at $2.99. This price relationship was stable but subject to seasonal variations. Whenever the price spread gets too large, it has the tendency to converge to the long-term mean. Mike believed that cash market price pattern drove futures price relationship. When he observed the spread growing to $1.80, he would short the cattle-hog spread: Sell CME Live Cattle Futures and Buy CME Lean Hog Futures. With this trade, Mike expected hog/pork prices to go up relative to cattle/beef prices, reducing the spreads in both the spot and futures markets. This trade was remarkable in that it mainly relied on common sense and easily observable data. As long as you know beef comes from cattle and pork from hog and could go to grocery stores to check out the prices, you could handle this trade. Could we still deploy Mike’s strategy today? The answer is yes. Comparing to the pre-Internet age, we now have a lot more data available to validate this trade idea. Therefore, besides planning a trip to Costco or Super Wal-Mart, I suggest you read on. Cash Cattle Markets Live cattle trades in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Kansas averaged $170/cwt (100 pounds) for the week ending May 12th, according to USDA data. This represents a 21% gain over the year-ago price of $140. Cattle auctions in Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota averaged $175-176/cwt last week, up 22% y/y. USDA weekly Southern Plains cash cattle price trend shows the five-year average at around $120. Cattle price has been rising rapidly in the past three years. Cash Hog Markets Market hogs averaged $77.31 last week, down $30 (-28%) y/y, according to the USDA. Current price is approximately $5 below the five-year average. The latest CPI data shows that consumer price grew at an annual rate of 4.9% as of April. While food inflation is much higher at 7.7%, the category “Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs” only logged in an increase of 2.8%. However, not all meats are created equal. Beef price continues to go up, while pork, chicken and eggs pulled back from last year’s high prices. WASDE Report USDA closely monitors agricultural market conditions and publishes the monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE). The latest WASDE, published on May 12th, estimated the total U.S. red meat and poultry production for 2024 at 1% below 2023 level, as lower beef and lower pork production offsets higher poultry production. Beef production is forecast lower with expected declines in both fed and non-fed cattle supplies. Pork production is forecast slightly lower. For 2024, cattle prices are forecast above 2023 on tighter supplies. Hog prices are forecast higher on improved demand and slightly lower supplies. CFTC COT Report The CFTC publishes the Commitments of Traders (COT) reports and provides a breakdown of open interest for futures and options markets. It categorizes the reportable open interest positions into four classifications: • Producer/Merchant/Processor/User • Swap Dealers • Managed Money • Other Reportable What’s the key takeaway from the May 9th COT report on cattle and hog? Live Cattle futures (LE) o LE open Interest: 317,715, down 8.5% from previous week; o Managed Money decreased long positions by 11.7%; their long/short ratio is 7.1. Speculative traders are still bullish on cattle prices, but they have started to take profit. Lean Hog futures (HE) o HE open Interest: 230,026, basically unchanged (-0.1%) from prior week; o Managed Money increased short position by 14.9%; their long/short ratio is 0.68. Speculative traders are bearish on hog prices. Cattle and Hog Spread Trade – Explanation and Illustration The 20-year chart shows that the price spread between live cattle (LE) and lean hog (HE) broadly stays in the range of $20-$60 per 100 pounds. Whenever the price breaks out of the range, it will get pulled back in. From January to May 2001, the spread fell nearly $50 from $45 to -$2. However, it rebounded strongly to $38 in just two months. Last May, from the bottom of $22, the spread rose all the way to $92 in March. It recently pulled back to $80, which is still well above the upper range of $20-$60. If you study the market fundamentals in hog and cattle, you will find significant uncertainty about future price trend. However, based on historical data, it’s not unreasonable to expect the spread to narrow and converge to the mean, regardless of whether the individual prices are trending up or down. The spread relationship holds true because of the substitution effect. High beef price would nudge consumers to lower priced pork. The change in demand in favor of pork would pump up its price relative to beef price, reducing the spread at the end. If a trader holds this view, he could short the cattle-hog spread like what Mike did 20 years ago: Sell CME Live Cattle Futures and Buy CME Lean Hog Futures. October cattle contract (LEV3) is quoted $166.2 per 100 lbs., while October hog contract (HEV3) priced at $77.425. on May 12th. Thus, the price spread is $88.775. Both contracts are based on 40,000 pounds of meat and require $1,600 in margins. For the spread to narrow $1, our trade would gain $400. If the cattle-hog spread falls back to the upper range at $60, the futures account would profit $11,510. Using the initial margins of $3,200 as a cost basis, the spread trade return would be 360%. The above example is for illustration only. Our trade would stand to lose money if the price spread did not converge. For example, if the spread widens to $92, futures account balance would be reduced by $1,290, a negative return of -40%. Happy Trading. Disclaimers *Trade ideas cited above are for illustration only, as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate the fundamental concepts in risk management under the market scenarios being discussed. They shall not be construed as investment recommendations or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products, or services. CME Real-time Market Data help identify trading set-ups and express my market views. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, you can check out on CME Group data plans available that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com
CME:LE1!Short
by JimHuangChicago
Trading with Soybeans, Soybean Meal and Soybean Oil FuturesCBOT: Soybean ( CBOT:ZS1! ), Soybean Meal ( CBOT:ZM1! ), Soybean Oil ( CBOT:ZL1! ) This is the second installment on CBOT Soybean Complex. If you have not read the first piece, please click the link at the end of this idea. Let’s start with a discussion of two reports followed by soybean market participants. The Crop Report U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) closely monitors agricultural market conditions and publishes the monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE). WASDE, commonly known as the Crop Report, provides a global view of key agricultural products including wheat, rice, coarse grains (corn, barley, sorghum, and oats), oilseeds (soybeans, rapeseed, palm), cotton, sugar, meat, poultry, eggs, and milk. The Crop Report is the most important report followed by agricultural commodities traders. What’s the key takeaway from the April 2023 Crop Report on Oilseeds? U.S. soybean supply and use forecasts for 2022/23 are unchanged. However, relative to 2020/21, planted acreage is higher while export is lower. Global 2022/23 soybean supply and demand forecasts on lower production, crush, and exports. Global production in current crop year is reduced by 5.5 million tons. Overall, the April WASDE shows plentiful supply, weakened demand and higher inventory, the recipe for price trending down. CFTC COT Report Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) publishes the Commitments of Traders (COT) reports and provides a breakdown of open interest for futures and options markets. It categorizes the reportable open interest positions into four classifications: • Producer/Merchant/Processor/User: An entity that predominantly engages in the production, processing, packing, or handling of a physical commodity and uses the futures markets to manage or hedge risks associated with those activities. • Swap Dealers: An entity that deals in swaps for a commodity and uses the futures markets to manage or hedge the risk associated with those swap transactions. • Managed Money: Commodity trading advisor (CTA) or Commodity pool operator (CPO). They are engaged in organized futures trading on behalf of clients. • Other Reportable: Every other reportable trader that is not placed above. What’s the key takeaway from the May 2nd COT report on Soybean/Meal/Oil Futures? o Soybean futures ZS open Interest: 601,051, down 4.7% from previous week; o Managed Money increased ZS short position by 80.1%; their long/short ratio is 2.1. Note that the ratio was 8.3 on April 18th. This indicates that speculative traders are no longer bullish on soybeans. o Soybean Meal ZM open Interest: 408,013, down 2.9% from previous week; o Managed Money decreased ZM long position by 22.3%; their long/short ratio is 3.7. Note that the ratio was 7.9 on April 18th. Again, this is a bearish signal. o Soybean Oil ZL open Interest: 472,547, up 0.6% from previous week; o Managed Money increased both long and short positions modestly; their long/short ratio is 0.7, the same with April 18th. Popular Soybeans Futures Trading Strategies – Explanation and Illustration There are different types of traders in the soybean futures market: Producers, Grain Elevator (Storer), Processor, Livestock Farmer (User), and non-commercial traders. We will discuss how they use the futures market, each with a hypothetical trade example for illustration purpose. Investor Non-commercial traders are not participants in the soybean industry. They hold a market view and hope to profit from such view through futures trading. Investors could draw ideas from futures price chart, the Crop Report, and other relevant market information. Case study #1: Directional Trade with Stop Loss Market information 1) April WASDE shows plentiful supply, weakened demand and higher inventory; 2) Following the release of WASDE, soybean price has been trending down; 3) News surfaced that Smithfield, the largest US hog producer, plans to liquidate 10% of its sow. This indicates lower soybean meal demand in the future. Trade Setup To express his market view, on May 10th, a trader sells one July 2023 contract (ZSN3) at 1412’6/bushel ($14.1275), which gives the contract a notion value of $70,637.5. He deposits $5,000 margin on his futures account. At 7.1% of the cost, he participates in the price exposure for 5,000 bushels of soybeans. The use of leverage, in this case by 14.1 times, is an advantage of cost-effective trading with futures contracts. Potential Profit and Loss 1) In June, ZSN3 declines to 1350’0 ($13.50), the trader would gain $3,137.5 = ($14.1275-$13.50) x 5,000. Using the original margin deposit as a cost base, this short futures trade would potentially realize 63% profit, excluding trading fees; 2) If the soybean market rallies to 1480’0 ($14.80), the trader would lose $3,362.5, or a return of -67%; 3) Our trader could set a stop loss at 1450’0 ($14.50), to cap the maximum loss at $1,862.5 and avoid margin calls. An outright trade with futures contract allows the trader to profit from a correct market view. Leverage built into futures could significantly enhance the profitability, while stop-loss could limit the exposure if the view proven to be incorrect. Soybean Farmer and the Production Hedge When a US soybean farmer plants the crops in April, he is said to have a Long Cash position. The farmer is exposed to the risk of falling soybean prices during the November harvest season. To hedge the price risk, our farmer could enter a Short Futures position now, and buy back the futures when he is ready to sell the crops. The effective sales price equals spot price in November plus gain/loss in the short futures position. Since the cash market and futures market are highly correlated, loss (gain) in the cash market will be largely offset by the gain (loss) in the futures market. Case study #2: Production Hedge (Short Hedge) Market information 1) The farmer planted 1,000 acres of soybeans in his Central Illinois farm; 2) Total production cost per acre is estimated at $859, which includes variable costs (seed, fertilizer, pesticide), overhead (building, storage, machinery) and land; 3) Yield per acre is estimated at 69 bushels. His cost per bushel will be $12.45; Trade Setup On May 10th, ZSX3 is quoted at 1254’2 ($12.5425). The farmer expects to sell 69,000 bushels. Since each ZS contract has a notional of 5,000, he needs to sell 14 lots of ZS contracts. Soybean basis in Greene County, Illinois is estimated at $0.20. The Hedging Effect 1) The farmer effectively locks in the sales price in April for his November soybean crop at: $12.5425 (futures) + $0.20 (basis) = $12.7425; 2) Production hedge helps our farmer to protect a profit margin of 29.25 cents =($12.7425 - $12.45) per bushel, or $20,182.5 for his entire crops. The farmer is left with basis risk. In the context of commodity futures trading, basis refers to the difference between the spot price of a commodity and the price of a futures contract for that same commodity. Basis risk is usually smaller than outright price risk. Grain Elevator and Futures Rollover Strategy After the crop is harvested, farmers or merchandisers usually store the soybeans in a grain elevator and wait for the right time and price to sell. Soybeans could be stored for a year but would incur monthly storage costs. The decision to store depends on whether expected future price gains outweigh the storage costs. A merchandizer is exposed to the risk of falling soybean price, which would cause his soybean inventory (old crop) to decline in value. To hedge the price risk, he could employ a rolling futures strategy. Case study #3: Rollover Front-month Soybean Futures “Rollover” refers to the process of closing out all positions in soon-to-expire futures contracts and opening contracts in newly formed contracts. The rollover process impacts market volatility, prices, and volume. Trade Setup 1) Sell 14 lots of July contract ZSN3 at 1412’6 ($14.1275) on May 10th; 2) At any point before expiration, if we decide to sell soybeans in the spot market, we could exit our futures position by buying 14 lots of ZSN3 at prevailing price; 3) If we plan to hold our inventory for a longer period, we will buy back ZSN3, and simultaneously sell 14 lots of August contract (ZSQ3); 4) ZSQ3 is quoted 1345’4 ($13.455) on May 10th. If you hold the soybean from July to August, you will incur extra storage cost, but would get 67.25 cent less per bushel. This is clearly very bearish. The Hedging Effect: Rolling futures positions allows our merchandizer to extend his hedge beyond original futures expiration. You may ask, why not use a longer-dated contract to begin with, say July 2024? This is because the front month contract is usually more liquid. It is easier to put the hedge on and off quickly. By sticking with liquid nearby contracts, we could avoid the cost of price slippage generally associated with less liquid deferred contracts. Soybean Processor and the Board Crush In soybean industry, “crush spread” is the market value of meal and oil byproducts subtracted by the cost of raw soybeans. In the cash market, the relationship between prices is commonly referred to as the Gross Processing Margin (GPM). In the futures market, the crush value is an inter-commodity spread transaction in which Soybean futures are bought (or sold) and Soybean Meal and Soybean Oil futures are sold (or bought). Soybean crush spread is also called the Board Crush. Case study #4: Soybean Crush Spread Trade Setup 1) The November-December Board Crush (buying November Soybean futures and selling December Soybean Meal futures and December Soybean Oil futures) is used to hedge new-crop gross processing margins; 2) CME Group facilitates the board crush that consists of a total of 30 contracts: 10 Soybean, 11 Soybean Meal, and 9 Soybean Oil; 3) Implied Soybean Crush (SOM: Z3-Z3-X3) is quoted at 172’6 ($1.7275) on May 10th. Each contract has a notional of 50,000 bushels and is currently priced at $86,375; 4) If we process 100,000 bushels a month, we would short 2 board crushes. On May 10th, the margin for this spread is $1,650 each. The Hedging Effect: Board Crush enables processors to lock in his operating profit. Livestock Farmer (Soybean User) and the Hog Feeding Spread Livestock farmers buy corn, soybean meal and other ingredients to produce animal feed. For example, hog farmers’ gross profit is represented by gross feeding margin, also known as the hog feeding spread, which is the value of lean hog less the cost of weaned pig, corn, and soybean meal. Therefore, hog farmers are exposed to the risk of rising ingredient costs. To manage price risks, they could trade the hog feeding spread, which isa long hedge by selling CME lean hog futures (HE) and buying CBOT corn (ZC) and soybean meal (ZM) futures. A typical hog feeding spread is expressed as: Hog Feeding Spread = 7 x HE – 3 x ZC – 1 x ZM Case study #5: Hog Feeding Spread Market information 1) USDA daily hog and pork report shows that cash market hog price averaged $73.59/cwt nationwide on May 9th, up 78 cents from prior week; 2) Cash hog is down 31.4% year-over-year. However, it seemed to bottom at $66 in mid-April and rebounded after the news of Smithfield sow liquidation. 3) Our farmer expects hog prices to rise faster than feed prices in the next few months. To capture an expanding margin, he plans to long the hog spread. Trade Setup: For every 280,000 pounds of lean hogs (approximately 1,120 pigs): • Long 7 lean hogs futures HEM3 at 0.84575/lb., giving a total notional value of $236,810, as each contract has 40,000 pounds (lb.); • Short 3 corn futures ZCK3 at 646’4 ($6.465)/bushel. Each ZC contract has 5,000 bushels of corn, leaving this leg of trade at $96,975; • Short 1 soybean meal futures ZMK3 at $415.0/short ton. Each ZM contract has 100 short tons of soybean meal, leaving this leg of trade at $41,500; • The combined total, $98,335, represents the gross margin of raising 1,120 hogs, or about $87.8 per pig. The Hedging Effect: It takes 5 months to grow a piglet to marketable weight. Factoring in breeding sows, the full production cycle for hog farmers could last 1-1/2 years. Pork prices and feed costs could vary significantly during this period. Hog Feeding Spread enables hog producers to lock in their operating profit. Spread Trading in CBOT Soybean Oil and BMD Crude Palm Oil Vegetable oils are the most crucial cooking ingredients in the world. Soybean oil and palm oil dominate the global edible oil marketplace with 2/3 of market share. Soybean oil and palm oil are considered substitute goods because food processors often switch between the two as the prices fluctuate. Soybean oil and palm oil are driven by different market fundamentals. World soybean production is centered mostly in the U.S., Brazil and Argentina, and most palm oil comes from Indonesia and Malaysia. A drought in the U.S. or in South America could drastically alter soybean oil supply one year, while disease in Southeast Asia could affect palm oil supply the next year. This can create tremendous volatility in the spread relationship. The CBOT Soybean Oil futures (ZL) consists of 60,000 pounds, equivalent to 27.22 metric tons. The BMD Crude Palm Oil (FCPO) futures contract is 25 metric tons (mt). Case study #6: Soybean Oil/Palm Oil Spread Observation: Soybean oil and palm oil markets have been in decline since July 2022. In the past two months, soybean oil drops by a faster rate compared to palm oil. There could be plausible cause for the abnormal trend. However, if the relationship were to reverses back to normal, the spread will be enlarged. If an investor holds this view, he could long the spread by buying CBOT soybean oil and selling BMD crude palm oil. Trade Setup • Provided ZL at $0.5255/lb. and FCPO at MYR 3570/mt with prevailing USD/MYR exchange rate at 4.46, the ZL/FCPO spread could be derived at: • ZL = $0.5255 (per lb.) x 2204.622 (lbs. per mt) = $1,158/mt • FCPO = MYR 3570 / 4.46 /mt= $800/mt • ZL/ FCPO spread = $1,158/mt -$800/mt=$358/mt Potential Profit and Loss 1) For an investor, a profit could be realized if the spread gets bigger. He would incur a loss if the spread narrows instead. The USD/MYR exchange rate could affect the trading result; 2) For commercial hedgers such as edible oil processors, hedging would allow them to maintain stable production formulas even though oilseed spot prices change unexpectedly. Happy Trading. Disclaimers *Trade ideas cited above are for illustration only, as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate the fundamental concepts in risk management under the market scenarios being discussed. They shall not be construed as investment recommendations or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products, or services. CME Real-time Market Data help identify trading set-ups and express my market views. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, you can check out on CME Group data plans available that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com
CBOT:ZL1!Long
by JimHuangChicago
A Beefy Premium.Live cattle recently hit an all-time high, leaving us wondering if the rally has gone too far. The front month contract reached 177 on April 13, surpassing the previous record set in November 2014. Meanwhile, lean hogs have been trading lower since last year. One way to assess this trend is to look at the spread between the two livestock markets. Both the absolute price difference and the Live Cattle/Lean Hog ratio are currently at highs. The absolute price difference is at its second-highest level ever, with only March 2015 having a higher reading. The ratio spread, meanwhile, is trading at the higher end of the range since 2015. So, what's driving this trend? Well, we could start by looking at what caused the surge in 2015. A mix of live cattle rising and lean hog prices falling contributed to the surge in the spread as cattle inventories bottomed in 2014. Looking at the current supply dynamics, we see the smallest cattle herd in eight years, with the previous low marked by the 2014 episode and hog supplies on a downtrend but still above the previous decade’s average. As consumers become more environmentally conscious, they may prefer pork over beef due to the former’s lower environmental impact per calorie. Additionally, with the price gap between beef and pork increasing, price-sensitive consumers may switch to other protein sources as inflation continues to weigh on their mind. In the longer term, consumer preferences could flip to favour hogs over cattle. Seasonality effects are also pointing towards an unusual year. Historically, May marks the low point for the spread as hog prices run up towards the middle of the year. However, with May already underway, the spread is not close to any lows and lean hogs are still trading down. This suggests that the current year’s spread is trading abnormally high compared to past trends. Given that both Lean Hog & Live Cattle Futures have the same contract unit of 40,000 pounds and price quotation of US cents per pound, we can trade the spread of the two contracts using a 1:1 ratio. To express our bearish bias on the spread we can sell one contract of the Live Cattle Futures and buy one contract of the Lean Hog Futures. Keeping in mind the 2015 run took close to 1.5 years to bottom, we will place our stops further out at 110 and take profit at 45, giving the spread a longer horizon and more room to play out. Each 0.00025 increment equal to 10$. So, will you be switching from steaks to pork chops anytime soon? The charts above were generated using CME’s Real-Time data available on TradingView. Inspirante Trading Solutions is subscribed to both TradingView Premium and CME Real-time Market Data which allows us to identify trading set-ups in real-time and express our market opinions. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, you can check out on CME Group data plans available that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com Disclaimer: The contents in this Idea are intended for information purpose only and do not constitute investment recommendation or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products or services. They serve as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate fundamental concepts in risk management under given market scenarios. A full version of the disclaimer is available in our profile description. Reference: usda.library.cornell.edu usda.library.cornell.edu www.cmegroup.com www.cmegroup.com ourworldindata.org
CME:LE1!Short
by inspirante
Agricultural Commodities - When the Big Elephant Left the RoomCBOT: CBOT:ZW1! , CBOT:ZS1! , CBOT:ZC1! , CME:HE1! This is the second report in the series “Year of the Rabbit: Short-tailed Trading”. US inflation began to pick up in March 2021 and rose rapidly throughout the year. Federal Reserve officials told Americans not to worry. It was due to supply chain issues and comparisons to low baseline numbers in 2020 when economies were shut down. After CPI rose to 7.0% in December, the Fed voted to keep the Fed Funds rate unchanged at 0-0.25% on January 26th, 2022. Inflation would be “transitory”. Just ignore the big elephant in the room and it would go away. That’s the prevailing thinking at the time. Then a military conflict took place in the former Soviet bloc. The war shock and ensuing impact from embargo of Russian products pushed the prices of commodities, from gold, nickel, crude oil, natural gas, to winter wheat and many others to record high. On March 16th, the Fed raised rate by 25 basis points with a change of heart. This baby step turned into the most intense battle against inflation with seven consecutive rate hikes. “Strong Dollar, Weak Commodities” and “High Rate, Low Price” became the dominant theme of the global commodities market. Many commodities gave up early gains and priced at or below prewar levels. US headline inflation rate peaked at 9.1% in June and Core CPI (which excludes food and energy) topped in September. They have come down ever since. 2022 was all about geopolitical crises and central bank actions. Along with investor sentiment, they dominated market trends. Economic fundamentals have been left largely unnoticed. Outlook for 2023 In the new year, these macro factors would likely stay in the back burners. When the big elephant left the room, fundamentals in each market would once again drive commodities prices. Commodities markets might be less volatile compared to last year. One notable exception is China. The government ended its strict Zero-Covid policies on December 7th. From January 8th, Chinese tourists would be hitting popular travel destinations around the world, after nearly three-year absence. Normalization of daily life and business activity will not only boost China’s economy, but also lend needed support to the global economy which many believe to be on the verge of a recession. However, surges in Covid cases raise the risk of new and more deadly virus. By one estimate, up to one billion people are already Covid-positive in China. This is one-eighth of the world population! For a thorough analysis of China’s re-opening and its impact, please check out my previous report, The Rise and Fall of Chinese Yuan. This concludes a high-level overview before we move to discuss what all these mean for agricultural commodities in 2023. Fundamental Supply and Demand Built on Higher Baseline While the big elephant has left, it still casts a shadow in the room. Inflation is sticky. Rate increases have lasting impacts long after the hikes are over. This is evident in food costs. Inflation pushed the cost of producing, processing, distributing, and selling agricultural products to a high level. November CPI for food items was 10.6%, much higher than the headline CPI of 7.1%. The cost for food at home grew 12% annually, indicating a rapid rise in grocery prices. There are no rate cuts nor deflation in sight. This means that food costs will continue to go up, although at a slower pace. Wheat, corn, and soybean have different supply and demand fundamentals. But CBOT futures price charts show similar patterns for all three in the past three years. As I pointed out earlier, inflation, geopolitical crisis and Fed rate hikes took turns driving commodities markets across the board. Economic fundamentals got set aside. Volatility is a friend for options traders. Last June, I introduced a Long Strangle strategy on CBOT Wheat (ZC). At the time, wheat price was swung widely by actions in the battlefield. A surprise agreement that allowed Ukrainian grain cargoes to pass the Russia-control Black Sea sent price sharply down, making our put options 400% more valuable. This year, we will focus on more subtle changes in traditional supply and demand factors, such as planted acreage, weather, yield, and export. Spread Trade Opportunities Inflation and rate hikes hit different parts of the agricultural markets differently. For the same commodities, the spread between farm-level price and retail grocery price has become wider due to cost increase. The commodities used as input in food product and those for output respond to different fundamentals. When inflation and interest rate are moving fast, the traditional price relationship may be temporally dislocated, opening opportunities for spread trades. Take the example of the Lean Hog market: Last August, USDA Daily Hog and Pork Report showed that benchmark Iowa Carcass Base Price averaged $128/cwt. Hog Crush Margin represents production profit by hog farmers. It is defined by the value of lean hog (LH) less the cost of weaned pig (WP), corn (C) and soybean meal (SBM). On August 2nd, I presented the trade idea “Short the Hog Margin If You Expect Lower Pork Price”. It’s a profitable trade. On January 6th, USDA benchmark carcass is quoted at $74, a whopping 42% decline in five months. For this spread trade, I used a Hog Feeding Spread to replicate the economic hog crush margin with CME lean hog (HE), CBOT Corn (ZC) and CBOT Soybean Meal (ZM). The size of relevant futures contracts: HE, 40000 lbs.; ZC, 5000 bushels; and ZM, 100 short tons. A typical hog feeding spread is 7:3:1, which may be expressed as: Hog Feeding Spread = 7 x HE – 3 x ZC – 1 x ZM As I expect hog margin to shrink, I short the spread: Sell hog, buy corn and meal. I will continue to monitor the agricultural commodities space in the new year. Whenever spreads or other trade opportunities arise, I will present the new ideas on TradingView. Happy trading. Disclaimers *Trade ideas cited above are for illustration only, as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate the fundamental concepts in risk management under the market scenarios being discussed. They shall not be construed as investment recommendations or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products, or services. CME Real-time Market Data help identify trade set-ups and express my market views. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, check out on CME Group data plans in TradingView that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com
Editors' picks
CBOT:ZW1!Long
by JimHuangChicago
11
Will lean hog catch up?The commodities market is a close-knit one, with the price hike in one commodity often affecting another. Such correlation is evident in agricultural products such as soybean meals, corn, and lean hogs. Lean hog prices are highly correlated with Soybean Meal and Corn as young feeder pigs are fed a diet of roughly 70% corn and 30% soybean meal. As such when corn and soybean prices rise, lean hog prices often follow suit. As spelt out in some of our previous ideas , we think agricultural commodities are due for a rally amid the backdrop of supply chain constraints arising from the Russian-Ukraine crisis, and high fertilizer costs (due to surging natural gas prices) which in turn feed into crop planting cost. Over the past 3 weeks, most agricultural products staged a rebound with Soybean Meal and Corn getting in on the action as well. The rally resulted in Corn prices up 15% and Soybean Meal prices up 10% from 3 weeks ago while lean hog prices lagged, moving only 4.4%. Thus, we think that lean hog prices have room for more upside. Looking at the chart of HEZ2022, we see the lean hog December 2022 futures breaking out of the range established from the start of the year and coming back to retest the range-high. We see this as support for lean hog prices to break up. Should agricultural commodities continue their rally, higher feed cost would be translated into high lean hog prices. Spread Entry at 90.250, stops at 87.850. Targets at 95. The charts above were generated using CME’s Real-Time data available on TradingView. Inspirante Trading Solutions is subscribed to both TradingView Premium and CME Real-time Market Data which allows us to identify trading set-ups in real-time and express our market opinions. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, you can check out on CME Group data plans available that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com Reference: www.cmegroup.com Disclaimer: The contents in this Idea are intended for information purpose only and do not constitute investment recommendation or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products or services. They serve as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate fundamental concepts in risk management under given market scenarios.
Editors' picks
CME:HEZ2022Long
by inspirante
4
Short the Hog Margin If You Expect Lower Pork PriceCME:HE1! CBOT:ZC1! CBOT:ZM1! On August 1st, USDA Daily Hog and Pork Report shows that benchmark Iowa Carcass Base Price averages $128/cwt. This is a 15% increase year-over-year, and a whopping 70% higher than the five-year average of $75. Is pork still affordable? Meanwhile in the futures market, while August Lean Hog contract (HEQ2) is quoted at $120.50/cwt, October (HEV2) is sharply lower at $97, and December (HEZ2) is even lower at $87.80. Do we expect pork price to fall a few months down the road? Let’s find out what moves pork price. We start with hog production. It consists of five phases: 1. Farrow-to-wean 2. Feeder pig 3. Finishing 4. Breeding stock 5. Farrow-to-finish Pork price fluctuates following a cobweb pattern due to production lags and adaptive expectations, according to Cambridge economist Nicholas Kaldor. When prices are higher, it draws more investments. However, due to breeding time, there is lapse in the cycle. Eventually, market becomes saturated, leading to a decline in prices. Production is thus decreased. Again, this leads to increased demand and prices. The Hog Cycle repeats, producing a supply-demand graph resembling a cobweb. Hog farmers make business decisions based on their expectations of production profit, which is called Hog Crush Margin . It is defined by the value of lean hog (LH) less the cost of weaned pig (WP), corn (C) and soybean meal (SBM). Below is a sample formula. HCM = 2 x LH - WP - 10 x C -.075 x SBM In futures market, traders could replicate the economic hog crush margin with a Hog Feeding Spread involving CME lean hog (HE), CBOT Corn (ZC) and CBOT Soybean Meal (ZM). There is no futures contract for weaned pig (piglet). The size of relevant futures contracts: HE, 40,000 lbs.; ZC, 5,000 bushels; and ZM, 100 short tons. A typical hog feeding spread is 7:3:1, which may be expressed as: Hog Feeding Spread = 7 x HE – 3 x ZC – 1 x ZM If you expect hog margin to grow, Long the feeding spread: Buy lean hog, sell corn and soybean meal. For a shrinking margin, Short the spread: Sell hog, buy corn and meal. According to Chicago-based consultancy CIH, hog margin for July 1st-15th was $16.74. Margins surged over the first half of July as hog futures rallied while projected feed costs mostly trended sideways during this period. I expect a narrower hog crush margin going into 2023. It may likely turn negative. My theory : On the one hand, corn and soybean meal prices may fall but stay elevated. Russia-Ukraine conflict, bad weather and supply chain bottleneck present real risk for global food supply shortage. On the other hand, pork price could fall faster than feed ingredients. The combined effect is a narrowing hog crush margin. Several factors are at work: Firstly, the hog cycle. Higher price this year will induce more production next year, eventually lowering price. Secondly, with hyperinflation and a pending recession, we should expect substitution effect. Consumer would choose lower-priced protein over pork, reducing pork demand. Finally, China is the wild card. China is the world's largest pork producer. In 2018, it produced 54 million tons (MT) of pork, accounting for 45% of global pork production. With the outbreak of African Swine Fever starting in August 2018, it is estimated that half of China’s hog stock was wiped out over the next year. Pork production in 2019 was 42.55 MT, down 21%. To make up for the shortfall in domestic supply, China began buying pork in the global market in a big way. Frozen pork import grew from 1.19 MT in 2018, to 2.11 MT in 2019 (+75%), and 4.39 MT in 2020 (+108%), which took up half of global pork trades that year. CME lean hog rallied 60% in 2019. More buying from China means more pork demand in Americas and Europe. Global pork price and pork futures price both went up as a result. However, the party did not last long. China’s large hog firms aggressively racked up production capacity with government support. Muyang Group SZSE:002714 , the largest hog producer in the world, grew sales from 9 million hogs in 2019, to 18 million in 2020 (+100%), and 40 million in 2021 (+120%). It is on track to produce 55-60 million hogs this year (+38%~+50%). With domestic production largely recovered, China reduced pork import to 3.71 MT in 2021, down 15%. For the first six months in 2022, China imported only 810,000 tons, down 65% from the same period in 2021. China’s pork price has doubled from its February low. Again, with the Hog Cycle at work, there will be an oversupply of pork next year, further reducing the need for import. We could examine corn price trend further. Corn generally traded in the range of $3 to $4.50 per bushel but shot up to $7 in May 2021. It broke record again this year at $8 per bushel in April. I expect the corn price to fall but stay elevated from previous-year level. Soybean Meal is 50% higher than two years ago. Again, I expect it to fall but stay higher than pre-2020 level. Happy Trading. Disclaimers *Trade ideas cited above are for illustration only, as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate the fundamental concepts in risk management under the market scenarios being discussed. They shall not be construed as investment recommendations or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products, or services.
CME:HE1!Short
by JimHuangChicago
1
Lean Hogs Approach Techncial Resistance. Time to Breakout? Lean Hogs Technicals (July): July lean hogs were able to find follow-through momentum yesterday, inching closer to the pile of technical resistance. Trendline resistance from the March 31st highs and the 50-day moving average come in at 110.675, which comes right in line with the June 8th high. This will be a big hurdle for the Bulls to overcome. If they can, there's more roadblocks from 112.75 to 114.00. Resistance: 110.675-111.00****, 112.75***, 114.00-114.825*** Pivot: 106.75-107.00 Support: 103.35-103.70****, 101.30-101.60**, 97.375-98.00**** Futures trading involves substantial risk of loss and may not be suitable for all investors. Trading advice is based on information taken from trade and statistical services and other sources Blue Line Futures, LLC believes are reliable. We do not guarantee that such information is accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. Trading advice reflects our good faith judgment at a specific time and is subject to change without notice. There is no guarantee that the advice we give will result in profitable trades. All trading decisions will be made by the account holder. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.
CME:HEN2022
by OliverSloup_BlueLine
Daily Lean Hog Technical and Fundamental Update (6.16.22)Lean Hogs Technicals (July): July lean hogs were all over the place today as the market attempts to find its footing. The close out above resistance from 106.75-107.75 is encouraging and could encourage additional buying to 110.775-11.625. This pocket represents the 50 day moving average and trendline resistance from March 31st high. The Bulls have their work cutout for them with plenty of hurdles to overcome just above that pocket. Resistance: 110.50-111.625***, 114.00-114.825*** Pivot: 106.75-107. Support: 103.35-103.70****, 101.30-101.60**, 97.375-98.00**** Futures trading involves substantial risk of loss and may not be suitable for all investors. Trading advice is based on information taken from trade and statistical services and other sources Blue Line Futures, LLC believes are reliable. We do not guarantee that such information is accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. Trading advice reflects our good faith judgment at a specific time and is subject to change without notice. There is no guarantee that the advice we give will result in profitable trades. All trading decisions will be made by the account holder. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.
CME:HEN2022
by OliverSloup_BlueLine
Daily Lean Hog Technical and Fundamental Update (6.12.22) Lean Hogs Technicals (July): July lean hogs attempted to get out above technical resistance from 106.75-107.75 but failed to sustain the early momentum into the afternoon session. If the Bulls can chew through and close above this pocket, we would look for an extension towards the mountain of resistance from about 111.00-112.70. This pocket includes trendline resistance from the March 31st highs, the 50 and 100 day moving average, and other previously important price points. On the support side, 103.35-103.70 is the pocket the Bulls must defend. Resistance: 106.75-107.75*** 110.50-111.625***, 114.00-114.825*** Support: 103.35-103.70****, 101.30-101.60**, 97.375-98.00**** Futures trading involves substantial risk of loss and may not be suitable for all investors. Trading advice is based on information taken from trade and statistical services and other sources Blue Line Futures, LLC believes are reliable. We do not guarantee that such information is accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. Trading advice reflects our good faith judgment at a specific time and is subject to change without notice. There is no guarantee that the advice we give will result in profitable trades. All trading decisions will be made by the account holder. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.
CME:HEN2022
by OliverSloup_BlueLine
Daily Live Cattle Fundamental and Technical Outlook (6.12.22)Tuesday’s Slaughter is estimated at 122,000. 4,000 less than last week, but unchanged from the same week last year. Tuesday’s Cutout Values Choice: 269.44, Down 1.10 from the previous day. Select: 246.82, Down .63 from the previous day. Choice/Select Spread: 22.62 5 Area Average Cattle Price Live Steer: 141.72 Live Heifer: 143.00 Dressed Steer: 225.58 Dressed Heifer: 226.00 Live Cattle Technicals (August): Tuesday was mostly a nothing burger, with futures trading on both sides of unchanged, only to finish the session near unchanged. As mentioned in yesterday’s report, the outside markets will be the driver, ahead of today’s Federal Reserve announcement. The market is pricing in a .75% rate hike. The announcement will be at 1:00pm CT and a press conference at 1:30pm CT will follow. Resistance: 136.025-136.625***, 137.90-137.95**, 138.75**, 140.275** Pivot: 135.10-135.475 Support: 132.45-132.775**, 129.975-130.725**** Futures trading involves substantial risk of loss and may not be suitable for all investors. Trading advice is based on information taken from trade and statistical services and other sources Blue Line Futures, LLC believes are reliable. We do not guarantee that such information is accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. Trading advice reflects our good faith judgment at a specific time and is subject to change without notice. There is no guarantee that the advice we give will result in profitable trades. All trading decisions will be made by the account holder. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.
CME:LEQ2022
by OliverSloup_BlueLine
Lean Hogs Defend Significant Support.....AGAIN Lean Hogs Technicals (July): Our "MUST HOLD" support pocket held again yesterday which was a silver lining, but I'm sure the Bulls would rather stop testing it. That pocket remains intact from 103.35-103.70. A failure here could take us back to fill the tiny gap left from May 16th, and potentially lower. On the resistance side of things, there are multiple hurdles for the Bulls. The first hurdle comes in right near where the market closed, 106.75-107.75. A close back above this pocket could help spark some buying interest which could take us back near the 50 and 100 day moving average, which coincides with trendline resistance from the March 31st high. Resistance: 106.75-107.75*** 110.50-111.625***, 114.00-114.825*** Support: 103.35-103.70****, 101.30-101.60**, 97.375-98.00**** Futures trading involves substantial risk of loss and may not be suitable for all investors. Trading advice is based on information taken from trade and statistical services and other sources Blue Line Futures, LLC believes are reliable. We do not guarantee that such information is accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. Trading advice reflects our good faith judgment at a specific time and is subject to change without notice. There is no guarantee that the advice we give will result in profitable trades. All trading decisions will be made by the account holder. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.
CME:HEN2022
by OliverSloup_BlueLine
Lean Hogs Test the Last Line of Defense Lean Hogs Commitments of Traders Update: Friday’s CoT report showed Managed Money were net buyers of 4,335 futures/options contracts, through June 7th. This expands their net long position to 21,630. Broken down, that is 46,526 longs VS 24,896 shorts. Technicals (July): July lean hogs were able to stabilize on Friday after defending MUST HOLD support on Thursday. That pocket remains intact from 103.35-103.70. A failure here could take us back to fill the tiny gap left from May 16th, and potentially lower. On the resistance side of things, there are multiple hurdles for the Bulls. The first comes in from 106.75-107.75. A close back above this pocket could help spark some buying interest which could take us back near the 50 and 100 day moving average, which coincides with trendline resistance from the March 31st high. Resistance: 106.75-107.75*** 110.50-111.625***, 114.00-114.825*** Support: 103.35-103.70****, 101.30-101.60**, 97.375-98.00**** Futures trading involves substantial risk of loss and may not be suitable for all investors. Trading advice is based on information taken from trade and statistical services and other sources Blue Line Futures, LLC believes are reliable. We do not guarantee that such information is accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. Trading advice reflects our good faith judgment at a specific time and is subject to change without notice. There is no guarantee that the advice we give will result in profitable trades. All trading decisions will be made by the account holder. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.
CME:HEN2022
by OliverSloup_BlueLine
Hacking For Ransom- A Franchise- When’s The IPO?My phone constantly rings with solicitations for solar energy, extending the automobile warranty for cars I got rid of years ago, and with dire warnings that charges are pending against me from social security, the IRS, or other agencies. Some are annoying, but many are scams. A few years ago, I opened an email that locked my entire computer system with a message that I would receive the key if I paid a handsome sum in Bitcoin. I chose to get rid of my hard drive and start all over again. Losing years of files was the price for an education. I have never opened a file from an unknown source since that experience. I am even extra careful with attachments from known sources these days. The hackers have been winning Companies have been paying- Colonial and JBS Cryptocurrencies are untraceable The US government says- You’re on your own The ramifications are staggering for businesses and markets Hackers are an ongoing and growing problem for individuals, companies, and even government agencies. Whether they sit in Russia, China, North Korea, or our own backyards, there seems to be no stopping the efforts to extract a ransom. Hackers have been attacking those with insufficient security and have become so technologically sophisticated that they can pierce cyber armor that protects data and the ability to conduct business. The ransom business is profitable. It has a low overhead and is growing. It is disruptive and dangerous. The nefarious offshoot of technological advances is so successful that a public offering of shares in hacking companies would likely receive a high valuation and lots of interest. After all, it’s a real money maker for the culprits. The hackers have been winning Around two years ago, my 91-year-old dad received a phone call from someone saying he was an attorney for his grandson. The caller said my son was involved in a car accident, was in the hospital in Boston, and was under arrest for driving under the influence. He asked my father to send money immediately for his grandson’s defense. Fortunately, he called me, and I immediately called my son, who was sitting at his desk at work in New York City. The call was a scam. I called the FBI, who said they deal with this every day, and there was little they could do as the scammers use networks and phones that are untraceable. Technology has only made law enforcement’s job more challenging. Savvy criminals have been winning. While we did not fall for the scam, many succumb as they pull on emotional drawstrings. What grandfather would not do anything to help or protect their grandchild? If one out of ten or even one hundred scamming attempts succeeds, the criminal venture is highly profitable. Meanwhile, hacking computers take scamming to a new level. When a hacker gets inside the systems of a business or a government agency, they can extract valuable data, proprietary corporate information or shut down all business activity. The latter seems to be the most profitable as companies with little choice are paying up and forking over millions, making hackers huge winners. Companies have been paying- Colonial and JBS Two hacking instances in 2021 temporarily roiled commodity markets. On May 7, Colonial Pipeline, a US oil pipeline system originating in Houston, Texas carries gasoline and jet fuel to the Southeastern United States, was the victim of a ransomware cyberattack. The hack impacted computerized equipment that manages the pipeline system. The move created fuel shortages and caused refining spreads to spike higher in mid-May. The chart shows the spike in the gasoline crack spread to $27.30 per barrel during the week of May 10. The refining margin moved to the highest level since September 2017 as the market feared shortages and consumers in the Southeast began hoarding gasoline. Jet fuel is a distillate oil product. The NYMEX heating oil futures contract is a proxy for other distillates like jet fuel. The chart of the heating oil refining spreads illustrates the rise to $21.28 per barrel during the week of May 10 as the Colonial Pipeline hack created fears of shortages. Colonial Pipeline CEO Joseph Blount told the US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; his company paid a $4.4 million ransom on May 8, the day after the attack. The payment was in Bitcoin, the hacker’s currency of choice. On June 1, JBS, the world’s leading beef supplier, suffered a hack of its computer networks that briefly shut down operations in the US and Australia. While the Colonial hack caused gasoline and distillate prices to spike higher, the beef markets spiked to the downside. August feeder cattle futures dropped to a low of $1.4510 on June 1. August live cattle futures plunged to $1.14625 per pound on fears that meat processing plants would not accept animals because of the hack. JBS CEO Andre Nogueira said the company paid hackers an $11 million ransom “to prevent any further risks for our customers.” Cryptocurrencies are untraceable Some market participants and government officials believe that Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies are causing a rise in hacking that holds companies and individuals hostage. Cryptocurrencies are a libertarian form of money that flies beneath the radar of government officials, central banks, and regulators. While the blockchain records transactions, they are anonymous. Christine Lagarde, the President of the European Central Bank, and Janet Yellen, the US Treasury Secretary, have expressed concerns about the nefarious uses of cryptocurrencies long before the recent hacks. Passions run high in digital currencies. A few years ago, JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon called Bitcoin a “fraud.” At the same time, Warren Buffett, one of the world’s preeminent value investors, said cryptocurrencies are “financial rat poison squared.” Charlie Munger, Mr. Buffet’s 97-year-old partner, doubled down and called cryptocurrencies “disgusting” and a threat to civilization in recent comments. The lack of regulation and anonymity make Bitcoin and other cryptos a hacker’s dream. The US government says- You’re on your own The payment of ransom by companies that are critical parts of the US’s energy and food supply chain infrastructure is a failure of the government to protect the businesses and people they serve. Colonial and JBS pay taxes. The individuals that depend on their products pay taxes. The US government is responsible for a safe environment. While the Biden administration promised to get to the bottom of the hacking issues, the President said that the businesses were on their own. President Biden told a reporter, “The bottom line is that I cannot dictate that the private companies do certain things relative to cybersecurity. A lot of you are very seasoned reporters; you’ve been covering this debate up on the Capitol Hill for—before I became President—and, unrelated to President Trump, just a debate internally among Senators as to whether or not the government should be assisting. And it gets into privacy issues and a whole range of things.” The ransom payments were a sign that the businesses could not wait or depend on the world’s leading democracy for assistance. At a recent summit in Geneva, President Biden sought assistance from Russian leader Vladimir Putin as Russia is a leading source of hacking activity. Since the meeting, the hacks continue. Last week, the US leader called his Russian counterpart again to reiterate his displeasure. The ramifications are staggering for businesses and markets The ramifications of hacking for ransom are downright scary. If the culprits can hold a critical energy pipeline and the world’s leading beef supplier hostage, what about the US power grid, water supply, farm and logistical networks, and other critical infrastructure? When companies or individuals pay the ransom, there is no guarantee that the hackers will not demand more or refuse to provide the key so systems can operate. Moreover, a hack that takes data or proprietary information could be a gift that keeps on giving to hackers. It seems that the anonymity of the cryptocurrency asset class only exacerbates the problem. If a hacker cannot receive untraceable payment, they will be less likely to attack. Meanwhile, infrastructure, companies, and individuals remain at risk. With more regulation on the horizon, hackers may use a closing window of opportunity to step up their nefarious activities. A massive hack could impact markets across all asset classes, not only their prices but also their continued operation. Hacking and ransom attacks are a clear and present danger that is growing. They have the potential to disrupt markets and the supply chains for essential products and services. Use the link below to sign up for the next Monday Night Strategy Call Trading advice given in this communication, if any, is based on information taken from trades and statistical services and other sources that we believe are reliable. The author does not guarantee that such information is accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. Trading advice reflects the author’s good faith judgment at a specific time and is subject to change without notice. There is no guarantee that the advice the author provides will result in profitable trades. There is risk of loss in all futures and options trading. Any investment involves substantial risks, including, but not limited to, pricing volatility, inadequate liquidity, and the potential complete loss of principal. This article does not in any way constitute an offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any investment, security, or commodity discussed herein, or any security in any jurisdiction in which such an offer would be unlawful under the securities laws of such jurisdiction.
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NYMEX:CL1!
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